Williams III, George (Twain, Mark)

Mark Twain: His Life In Virginia City, Nevada with: Mark Twain: Jackass Hill and the Jumping Frog

ISBN: 093517415X;0935174
Riverside, CA; Dayton, NV: Tree By The River Publishing, 1986; 1989. First Softcover Editions. Softcovers. One of two volumes signed by George Williams III. Two biographical-critical works concerning Mark Twain (pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835-1910), the great American humorist & writer, by the acclaimed Twain scholar George Williams III: (1) Mark Twain: His Life In Virginia City, Nevada, trade-format first softcover edition published simultaneously with a hardcover edition in 1986 (followed by a second revised edition in 2007). On title page, just above & slightly overlapping his printed name, Williams has hand-written his signature in bold black ink. "Though Americans usually associate Mark Twain with Tom Sawyer and the Mississippi River, Twain began his writing career as a reporter for the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City, Nevada, September, 1862. It was only after Sam Clemens had failed as a silver miner did he seriously turn to writing. Sam Clemens adopted his pen name, Mark Twain, while reporting for the Enterprise and it was in Nevada and California where Twain first achieved notoriety as a humorist. Here is the lively account of Twain's early mining days and the beginning of his long literary career. Based on Twain's own letters, the recollections of those who knew him and early newspaper reports, George Williams has recreated Twain's life in the richest mining town in the West: Virginia City." (from back cover) With many reproductions of vintage images of people, objects & places from this formative period of Twain's life & work. (2) Mark Twain: Jackass Hill and the Jumping Frog, trade-format first softcover edition published simultaneously with a hardcover edition in 1989 by the same publisher as (1) at a different location. "After a twenty-one month stint as a reporter for the Virginia City, Nevada, Territorial Enterprise, 1862-64, Twain moved on to San Francisco where he continued newspaper reporting for the San Francisco Morning Call. Following trouble with the San Francisco police in December, 1864, Twain retreated to Jackass Hill in the Sierra foothills near Sonora. Here during a three month stay with his miner friends, Jim Gillis and Dick Stoker, Twain first heard the tale of "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog." Twain's version of the Jumping Frog story, published in October, 1865, made Mark Twain an overnight celebrity. This is the story of how it all happened." (from back cover) Also with many reproductions of vintage images from this critical phase in Twain's life & work. Two very informative & collectible works that shed much light on two contiguous early key chapters in the life & work of one of the foremost American literary & cultural icons- Mark Twain. (1) in very fine condition with only very slight rubbing & faint scratching to front, back covers & spine; a few tiny bumps, creases at thin edges & corners of same. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps, creases to upper corners of some page leaves; former owner's signature, place (Virginia City, Nevada) & date (July 7, 1989) in ink near upper left corner of blank inner front cover. (2) very fine with very slight rubbing & a few short, faint scratches to front, back covers & spine; a few tiny bumps at edges & corners of same; one small, horizontal scratch near upper left corner of back cover which very slightly penetrates glossy surface; a bit of light rubbing to upper & lower edges of text block. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps at corners of a few page leaves; slight browning to edges & nearby margins of blank inner covers; thin line of binding glue residue at spine-hinge edges of same (very slight flaws as issued). Very Fine. [Item #4331]

Price: $60.00