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Mark Twain: Man in White: The Grand Adventure of His Final Years Audiobook
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(4.05) - 131 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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.
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"I'm listening to the audio book. Shelden begins with the first time Mark Twain made an appearance in what would be his signature white suit. Twain was 71 at the time. The prologue is slow going but the rest of the book is deftly written, thoroughly researched and so far, objective, if a tad on the naive side when it comes to Twain's assistant Isabel Lyons."
— Anne (4 out of 5 stars)
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“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 -
“Impressive scholarship delivers the authentic accents of a truly American voice.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Man in White deftly outlines the conflict, during Twain’s last years, between the adored public figure and the burdened, frequently bitter private man.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“This superb biography, told in a nonacademic tone, is saturated with sadness, but every reader will be grateful that, finally, Mark Twain appears before us, warts and all. Highly recommended.”
— Library Journal -
“Vividly and masterfully told…Opens an entertaining window into the people, places, and events of an age.”
— Washington Times -
“Marvelous, haunting…A powerful evocation of a man full of vigor, charm, charisma, and above all humor, even in the midst of life's storms and earthquakes. Shelden weaves it all together masterfully with detective-like curiosity.”
— Prof Harold K. Bush, author of Mark Twain and the Spiritual Crisis of His Age -
“Shelden’s account of Twain’s Gotterdammerung gives us the man who put on a white suit long before Tom Wolfe, in all his twilight glory. Good stuff.”
— Christopher Buckley, author of Thank You for Smoking and Losing Mum and Pup: A Memoir -
“Riveting.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A Library Journal Best Book in 2010
Mark Twain: Man in White Listener Reviews
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" Mark Twain has always been one of my favorite authors. I have read a number of his books and short stories. I have also had the pleasure to see the Hal Holbrook one man show impersonating Mark Twain. I love his wry wit. This book provides deeper insight into his later years and his personal relationships. A must read for Mark Twain fans. "
— Judi, 2/13/2014 -
" A lovely lovely book. A biography of Twain's last 4 years with all kinds of surprising stories, amusing stories, poignant stories. Fantastic! The book is a true friend. Usually only good fiction is this satisfying. "
— Gadruggist, 1/13/2014 -
" Listened to 17.25 Hours on a Playaway audio device from library. This was good book on latter part of Twain's life. Many details I'd never known. Shelden seemed to be able to bring the facts to life more in the 2nd half of the book. If one wants to know about the life of Twain, his later years after he was already famous, this is The book. "
— Lori, 12/21/2013 -
" Fascinating man... fascinating book. Thoroughly enjoyable! "
— Dani, 11/23/2013 -
" Extremely interesting and well written account of Twain's final years. The reader learns much about Twain, his family, his friends, etc. Worth reading. "
— Ronjoseph50, 11/5/2013 -
" This was well done. Never read that much about Twain before. I was entertained throughout. "
— Jim, 10/4/2013 -
" Page 1 quote by Mark Twain "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society." "
— David, 10/22/2012 -
" So happy that I read this book before starting on Mark Twain's newly released Autobiography. A really good read. "
— David, 7/15/2012 -
" Very enjoyable and readable. Offers excellent insights into Twain's relations with his daughters and others in his final years. "
— Geenyas, 6/2/2012 -
" So very interesting. See where Thomas Wolfe got his idea of only wearing white. Now off to read his autobiography "
— Michelle, 5/15/2012 -
" One of the best biographies I have ever read: and only the last few years of a life! Awesome book & highly recommend it. So yourself a favor & dive into this book! "
— Cindy, 7/17/2011 -
" This bio covers the last several years of Twain's career and life. It starts with the first time he wore the white suit. An easy read, this describes Twain's friendship with Henry Rogers and his many trips to Bermuda. I read all I can about Twain and am glad I found this bio. "
— John, 4/13/2011 -
" began reading this last week and am enjoying learning about this great man during his last 5 to 10 years of life after a fantastic life of fame. "
— Creatingalan, 2/8/2011 -
" A lovely lovely book. A biography of Twain's last 4 years with all kinds of surprising stories, amusing stories, poignant stories. Fantastic! The book is a true friend. Usually only good fiction is this satisfying. "
— Gadruggist, 1/2/2011 -
" So happy that I read this book before starting on Mark Twain's newly released Autobiography. A really good read. "
— David, 12/3/2010 -
" This bio covers the last several years of Twain's career and life. It starts with the first time he wore the white suit. An easy read, this describes Twain's friendship with Henry Rogers and his many trips to Bermuda. I read all I can about Twain and am glad I found this bio. "
— John, 7/25/2010 -
" Fascinating man... fascinating book. Thoroughly enjoyable! "
— Dani, 7/12/2010 -
" Very enjoyable and readable. Offers excellent insights into Twain's relations with his daughters and others in his final years. "
— Geenyas, 7/12/2010 -
" This was well done. Never read that much about Twain before. I was entertained throughout. "
— Jim, 2/22/2010
About Michael Shelden
Michael Shelden spent twelve years as a feature writer for the Daily Telegraph in London and as a fiction critic for the Baltimore Sun. He has written several biographies, including Orwell, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a New York Times Notable Book. He is currently a professor of English at Indiana State University.
About Andrew Garman
Andrew Garman is a television, film, and voice actor. His acting credits include the film Julie & Julia and appearances the television series Law & Order, Mercy, and Conviction. Among his audiobook narrations are Arcadia by Lauren Groff, Simply from Scratch by Alicia Bessette, and Love Is a Canoe by Ben Schrank, among others.