In 1882, Mark Twain decided to write a memoir of his experiences growing up with, and later steering steamboats on, the Mississippi River. Following a history of the exploration and early commerce, he takes us with him as he "learns the river" and becomes a licensed pilot. The third part of the book tells of his return to the river I preparation for this book. This important geographical phenomenon has been America's greatest single source of progress—and pain. Narrator Richard Henzel has been performing and interpreting Mark Twain since 1967, and has narrated more than a score of Mark Twain titles for The Mark Twain In Person Audiobook Library.