In these extraordinary stories Mark Twain takes us from the sleepy banks of the Mississippi, through frontier towns, and across the deserted gold plains of California. We encounter his countryfolk in all their bizarre variety: a cannibalistic ex-senator, a compulsive gambler, phoney travelling salesmen, and a team of bumbling detectives. The breadth, skill, and comic ingenuity of these tales remind us why Mark Twain is truly the 'father of American literature'. 'Twain is still the liveliest, sharpest, most humane observational satirist and wit.' - A A Gill 'Beguiling, brusquely fantastic yarns. . .' - John Updike 'The greatest humorist of his age.' - New York Times