In 1893, even though he was the highest paid writer in America and married to an heiress, Mark Twain--Samuel Clemens--was on the brink of financial ruin. This book tells the story of how the already famous writer got out of financial trouble and grew his persona to mega rock star proportions.

One of the big take-aways from this book is that Mark Twain was one hard working writer. He may not have had much business sense, but as a writer and student of human nature he was always observing, pondering, and making notes in his journal.

When it came to writing or telling a story, he would change the details to create a more dramatic story, if necessary, such as in the case of a shuffleboard tournament aboard ship which Twain actually won, but in the telling of it he has another player win to better fit his storyline. He also "stole" stories, such as one from his friend Bram Stoker about a christening. It is impressive that Twain also worked on creating multiple performances so that if he were performing three nights in one city, people would hear fresh material each night. His seemingly simple stories were actually painstakingly constructed works of art.

Apparently Livy Clemens, Twain's wife, had much to do with the success of Twain's onstage storytelling (and perhaps his written work, too). While he was creating content for the tour Livy suggested that instead of telling joke after joke, he add a longer, more serious and emotionally charged story. This blending of pathos and humor is the roller-coaster ride that audiences the world over love.

This is an enjoyable read. It's well-written, has a good pace, and packs in a ton of information: the circumstances that landed Twain in serious financial straights and how he managed, along with his wife and good friend H.H. Rogers, to climb out of debt, detail about his friendships & relationships, what it was like to travel in the late 19th century, and even physical ailments such as the carbuncle the great writer had on his leg that was so big and/or painful that he couldn't wear pants for weeks. Physical ailments do impact the creative process. (All hail antibiotics. While they have been over-prescribed in recent years, I think I prefer life with rather than life without antibiotics.)

If you're interested in Twain and have never read anything about him, this is a fascinating place to start. ( )

Fantastic book about a part of Twain's life I knew little about, his get out of debt, take it on the road, tour of the world. Really interesting, and enjoyable reading. I took my time with the is one in order to not miss a sentence or detail. Extremely well researched, and for something so detailed, highly readable. Loved it! ( )

Zacks' book tells the story behind Mark Twain's round-the-world tour, a desperate attempt to pay off his business debts which resulted in the book "Following the Equator". Zacks tells a fascinating and illuminating story that begins with Twain's inability to make a sound business investment and ends with his redemption through hard work at what he was best at and the good offices of friends with more business savvy. Luck plays a role, too. ( )

Very interesting bio about a very interesting man and his travels. A lot of historical information about the many countries that he traveled. ( )