Mark Twain (1835–1910) was an American writer, journalist, and publisher. Among his most famous novels are “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and its sequel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Most of his ? nest work includes many genres such as humor, satire, and philosophical ? ction. “Life on the Mississippi” is another stellar travel book and a memoir of the times before the Civil War when Mark worked as a steamboat navigator on the Mississippi River. The book also includes his trip from St. Louis to New Orleans years after the War.