Mark Twain: Man in White Audiobook By Michael Shelden cover art

Mark Twain: Man in White

The Grand Adventure of His Final Years

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Mark Twain: Man in White

By: Michael Shelden
Narrated by: Andrew Garman
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Pulitzer Prize finalist Michael Shelden illuminates Mark Twain’s twilight years in this brilliant account of the legendary author’s life. Drawing heavily on Twain’s own letters and journals, Mark Twain: Man in White recounts both Twain’s private family experiences and his larger-than-life public image.

©2010 Michael Shelden (P)2010 Recorded Books, LLC Biographies & Memoirs Authors Art & Literature

Critic reviews

"Here is a well-researched book for all Twainiacs as well as those coming to the subject's late years for the first time." ( Publishers Weekly)
"[Twain's] wit ultimately reflects personal resilience in the face of financial reverses and family tragedy. Even on his deathbed, Twain rallies to bid farewell with wisecracks. Impressive scholarship delivers the authentic accents of a truly American voice." ( Booklist)
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The book is well researched and beautifully written. The author has a deep understanding and appreciation of Twain. The story arc is a sad but rich one--the older Twain facing the prospect of his own death and trying to live out his remaining days as fully as he can. Twain's exuberance and irrepressible wit crash continually against the realities of illness, betrayals of trust, the death of friends, and the struggles of children. There is a great sense of humanity in the book that I found interesting and enriching, in addition to the insight it offers into the life of one America's most interesting men. The narration was close to perfect.

A great look at Twain

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Shelden's book about the last period of Mark Twain's life is one of the best books about Twain I've ever read. Incidents that are often reduced to summary sentences (like the burglary of Twain's home Stormfield) are here given full (and exciting) narrative treatment. The people surrounding Twain, usually treated as second-class citizens or even footnotes, emerge as living people: his surviving daughters, Clara and Jean; his secretary Isabel Lyon; his financial champion Henry Rogers; even the two men who break into Stormfield, only to flee in a hail of gunfire. (They were later caught and tried, and Twain testified at the trial.)

Shelden goes to great lengths to counter the image of Twain as a bitter and isolated old man. This was no King Lear, raging at the gods in broken grandeur. Yes, there were dark moments in Twain's writing, and they grew darker as he grew older, and Shelden takes it into account; but he also traces Twain's movements and interactions in great detail: and Twain was a man who, to the end of his life, was ALWAYS moving and interacting. Shelden also gains perspective by comparing some of these darker writings to similar attitudes expressed throughout Twain's life. The contrast isn't so much between Twain the young and happy humorist and Twain the old and bitter philosopher; it's between Twain the life-long bitter philosopher and Twain the convivial host, cat-lover, and incorrigible practical joker.

Andrew Garman's narration is excellent. I highly recommend the book.

My only regret is that one of the loveliest images in the published book didn't, and couldn't, make it into the audiobook. The book includes a photograph of Twain on Rogers' yacht -- he actually did a fair amount of sailing with Rogers in those last years -- teeth clamped down on a cigar, bowler hat on head, grinning like a monkey. Some misanthrope.

Fantastic book

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It's not how you begin the race, but how you finish it that matters. Mark Twain finished well. Though his final years were marked with much sadness and betrayal, he stayed true to himself, and his humor and wit remained with him to the end.

Final Years of an American Icon

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This is a fascinating study of USA’s quirkiest of characters. The author explores Mark Twain’s life in his declining years, up to the very end he was a character. This is a chronicle of the last years of his life. His literary works had already made him famous. This is a period of flamboyance, triumph and tragedy.
The end is melancholic and sad.
Glad I read most of his books before I started this book.
My thanks to the author, the narrator and Audible to make this book available, JK.

RECOMMEND

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Splendid writing, splendid narration. Sheldon focuses on the last few years of Mark Twain's life, but he folds in history and biography of Twain's earlier years while also sharing a detailed story of family, close friends, and confidants. You get up close and personal with the legendary Mark Twain and the human Sam Clemens.

I never grew bored while listening to the 17 hours of this book.


Superb, honest, shocking, touching

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