mark twain 
Life on the Mississippi (Annotated) 

This is the Annotated version of the original Book. This is the Summarized Version of the Original Novel. This Novel Book consists of 76500 words approximately which consists of 50% to 55% of the total book. A brief description of the book is written as follows:-Life on the Mississippi (1883) is a memoir by Mark Twain of his days as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River before the American Civil War. It is also a travel book, recounting his trip along the Mississippi River from St. Louis to New Orleans many years after the war. The book begins with a brief history of the river as reported by Europeans and Americans, beginning with the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1542. It continues with anecdotes of Twain's training as a steamboat pilot, as the 'cub' (apprentice) of an experienced pilot, Horace E. Bixby. He describes, with great affection, the science of navigating the ever-changing Mississippi River in a section that was first published in 1876, entitled "Old Times on the Mississippi". Although Twain was actually 21 when he began his training, he uses artistic license to make himself seem somewhat younger, referring to himself as a "fledgling" and a "boy" who "ran away from home" to seek his fortune on the river and playing up his own callowness and naïveté.In the second half, Twain narrates his trip many years later on a steamboat from St. Louis to New Orleans. He describes the competition from railroads, and the new, large cities, and adds his observations on greed, gullibility, tragedy, and bad architecture. He also tells some stories that are most likely tall tales. About Twain: Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 — April 21, 1910), better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, satirist, writer, and lecturer. Twain is most noted for his novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which has since been called the Great American Novel, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He is also known for his quotations. During his lifetime, Clemens became a friend to presidents, artists, leading industrialists, and European royalty. Clemens enjoyed immense public popularity, and his keen wit and incisive satire earned him praise from both critics and peers. American author William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature." Source: Wikipedia Other Great Books by the Same Author•The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885)•The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)•Roughing It (1872)•A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889)•The $30, 000 Bequest and other short stories (1906)•Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc (1896)•Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896)•The War Prayer (1916)•Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894)•The Jumping Frog (1865)