In fall 1891, Mark Twain headed for Berlin, the "newest city I have ever seen," as America's foremost humorist wrote; accompanied by his wife, Olivia, and their three daughters. Twain, a "Yankee from head to toe," according to the Berlin press, conspired with diplomats, frequented the famed salons, had breakfast with duchesses, and dined with the emperor. He also suffered an "organized dog-choir club," at his first address, which he deemed a "rag-picker's paradise," picked a fight with the police, who made him look under his maid's petticoats, was abused by a porter, got lost on streetcars, was nearly struck down by pneumonia, and witnessed a proletarian uprising right in front of his hotel on Unter den Linden. Twain penned articles about his everyday life and also began a novel about lonely Prussian princess Wilhelmina von Preussen-unpublished until now, like many of his Berlin stories. These are assembled for the first time in this book, along with a riveting account of Twain's foray in the German capital, by Andreas Austilat.
This fascinating book is a must-Read for any Twain enthusiast" - Andy Borowitz
Mark Twain was America's foremost novelist, journalist, and satirist who has been hailed as the "father of American literature. And he was also an accomplished travel writer. Born in Missouri in 1835 as Samuel Langhorne Clemens, he spent his early years as a Mississippi River pilot and as a prospector in Nevada before he settled in California. He wrote his first travel book, "The Innocents Abroad," after an 1867 trip to Palestine. After his second trip to Europe, which took him (and his family) to Germany for the first time, he wrote "A Tramp Abroad." His third trip abroad brought the family to Berlin, from October 1891 to March 1892, first in a tenement in the district of Tiergarten, later in a posh hotel Unter den Linden. Eventually, the familiy would move to Vienna and Italy. Twain embarked on a world tour to pay off his debts. He returned to upstate New York in 1900, where he died ten years later.
Andreas Austilat is the deputy editor of the Sunday supplement of Der Tagesspiegel, Berlin's leading daily, where he has worked since 1987. He interviewed many celebrities-such as fashion designer Tommy Hilfinger, as well as authors Ian Kershaw and Kathy Reichs-, and also the last survivors of the gigantic airship "Hindenburg". He also discovered the lost copies of the oldest existing Titanic movie filmed in 1912. He published three travel and culture guides about Brandenburg and a history book. Austilat was born in Berlin, where he lives with his wife, his two children and their dog Duffy.
Lewis H. Lapham is an American writer. He was the editor of the American monthly Harper's Magazine and is also the founder of Lapham's Quarterly. He has written more than a dozen books and countless news stories on politics and current affairs. He is also on the Board of Trustees of the Advisory Council of the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut.
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