R. Kent Rasmussen – författare

This new collection of autobiographical pieces offers a fascinating insight into the life and philosophy of Mark Twain, author of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, and one of America's most celebrated writers. A must-have for all lovers of Mark Twain, this selection of his autobiographical writings opens a rare window onto the writer's life, particularly his early years. Born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri, Samuel Langhorne Clemens first used the pseudonym Mark Twain while a journalist in Nevada in 1863. When his first major book, The Innocents Abroad, appeared six years later, he began what would become one of the most celebrated and influential careers in American letters. Autobiographical Writings will help readers know the author intimately and appreciate why, a century after his death, he remains so vital and appealing. This edition includes an introduction by R. Kent Rasmussen that summarizes modern scholarship on Twain. Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on 30th November 1835, in Florida, Missouri.In 1853 he left home, earning a living as an itinerant type-setter, and four years later became an apprentice pilot on the Mississippi, a career cut short by the outbreak of the Civil War. For five years, as a prospector and a journalist, Clemens lived in Nevada and California. In February 1863 he first used the pseudonym 'Mark Twain' as the signature to a humorous travel letter. A trip to Europe and the Holy Land in 1867 became the basis of his first major book, The Innocents Abroad (1869). His numerous subsequent books include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), A Tramp Aborad (1880), The Prince and the Pauper (1882), and his masterpiece, The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin (1885). He died on 21st April 1910. R. Kent Rasmussen is the author or editor of six books on Mark Twain and more than a dozen other books. He is best known for his award-winning Mark Twain A to Z (recently revised as the two-volume Critical Companion to Mark Twain) and The Quotable Mark Twain. He holds a doctorate in history from UCLA and currently works as a reference book editor in Southern California.

'Africa for the Africans' was the name given to the extraordinary movement led by Jamaican Marcus Mosiah Garvey (1887-1940). Volumes I-VII of the "Marcus Garvey and Universal Negro Improvement Association Papers" chronicled the Garvey movement that flourished in the United States during the 1920s. Now, the long-awaited African volumes of this edition demonstrate clearly the central role Africans played in the development of the Garvey phenomenon. The African volumes provide the first authoritative account of how Africans transformed Garveyism into an African social movement. The most extensive collection of documents ever gathered on the early African nationalism of the interwar period, Volume X provides a detailed chronicle of the spread of Garvey's call for African redemption throughout Africa.

A voracious pack-rat, Mark Twain hoarded his readers' letters as did few of his contemporaries. Dear Mark Twain collects 200 of these letters written by a diverse cross-section of correspondents from around the world - children, farmers, schoolteachers, businessmen, preachers, railroad clerks, inmates of mental institutions, con artists, and even a former president. It is a unique and groundbreaking book - the first published collection of reader letters to any writer of Mark Twain's time. Its contents afford a rare and exhilarating glimpse into the sensibilities of nineteenth-century people while revealing the impact Samuel L. Clemens had on his readers. Clemens' own and often startling comments and replies are also included. R. Kent Rasmussen's extensive research provides fascinating profiles of the correspondents, whose personal stories are often as interesting as their letters. Ranging from gushing fan appreciations and requests for help and advice to suggestions for writing projects and stinging criticisms, the letters are filled with perceptive insights, pathos, and unintentional but often riotous humor.Many are deeply moving, more than a few are hilarious, some may be shocking, but none are dull.

A voracious pack-rat, Mark Twain hoarded his readers'' letters as did few of his contemporaries. Dear Mark Twain collects 200 of these letters written by a diverse cross-section of correspondents from around the world—children, farmers, schoolteachers, businessmen, preachers, railroad clerks, inmates of mental institutions, con artists, and even a former president. It is a unique and groundbreaking book—the first published collection of reader letters to any writer of Mark Twain''s time. Its contents afford a rare and exhilarating glimpse into the sensibilities of nineteenth-century people while revealing the impact Samuel L. Clemens had on his readers. Clemens’s own and often startling comments and replies are also included.R. Kent Rasmussen’s extensive research provides fascinating profiles of the correspondents, whose personal stories are often as interesting as their letters. Ranging from gushing fan appreciations and requests for help and advice to suggestions for writing projects and stinging criticisms, the letters are filled with perceptive insights, pathos, and unintentional but often riotous humor. Many are deeply moving, more than a few are hilarious, some may be shocking, but none are dull.

Here are more than 1,800 quotations, organized from A-to-Z, from America's consummate author - Mark Twain. A must-have for all Twain collectors, "The Quotable Mark Twain" is filled with his opinions about the people he knew, the places he's been, and the books he wrote, as well as more far-ranging topics, such as writers, billiards, smoking, his family, and more. The book also includes 150 illustrations taken from the original editions of Twain's publications, source citations for each quotation, an annotated bibliography, and a complete index.

An intimate look at Mark Twain that only he himself could offer, edited by highly respected Twain scholar R. Kent RasmussenA must-have for all lovers of Mark Twain, this selection of his autobiographical writings opens a rare window onto the writer’s life, particularly his early years. Born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri, Samuel Langhorne Clemens first used the pseudonym Mark Twain while a journalist in Nevada in 1863. When his first major book, The Innocents Abroad, appeared six years later, he began what would become one of the most celebrated and influential careers in American letters. Autobiographical Writings will help readers know the author intimately and appreciate why, a century after his death, he remains so vital and appealing.For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.From the Trade Paperback edition.

One of the greatest American authors, Mark Twain holds a special position not only as a distinctly American cultural icon but also as a preeminent portrayer of youth. His famous writings about children and youthful themes are central to both his work and his popularity.The distinguished contributors to Mark Twain and Youth make Twain even more accessible to modern readers by fully exploring youth themes in both his life and his extensive writings. The volume''s twenty-six original essays offer new perspectives on such important subjects as Twain''s boyhood; his relationships with his siblings and his own children; his attitudes toward aging, gender roles, and slavery; the marketing, reception, teaching, and adaptation of his works; and youth themes in his individual novels--Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Pudd''nhead Wilson, and Joan of Arc. The book also includes a revealing foreword by actor Hal Holbrook, who has performed longer as “Mark Twain” than Samuel Clemens himself did.The book includes contributions by: Lawrence Berkove, John Bird, Jocelyn A. Chadwick, Joseph Csicsila, Hugh H. Davis, Mark Dawidziak, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, James Golden, Alan Gribben, Benjamin Griffin, Ronald Jenn, Holger Kersten, Andrew Levy, Cindy Lovell, Karen Lystra, Debra Ann MacComb, Peter Messent, Linda A. Morris, K. Patrick Ober, John R. Pascal, Lucy E. Rollin, Barbara Schmidt, David E. E. Sloane, Henry Sweets, Wendelinus Wurth.

One of the greatest American authors, Mark Twain holds a special position not only as a distinctly American cultural icon but also as a preeminent portrayer of youth. His famous writings about children and youthful themes are central to both his work and his popularity.The distinguished contributors to Mark Twain and Youth make Twain even more accessible to modern readers by fully exploring youth themes in both his life and his extensive writings. The volume’s twenty-six original essays offer new perspectives on such important subjects as Twain’s boyhood; his relationships with his siblings and his own children; his attitudes toward aging, gender roles, and slavery; the marketing, reception, teaching, and adaptation of his works; and youth themes in his individual novels--Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Pudd'nhead Wilson, and Joan of Arc. The book also includes a revealing foreword by actor Hal Holbrook, who has performed longer as “Mark Twain” than Samuel Clemens himself did.The book includes contributions by: Lawrence Berkove, John Bird, Jocelyn A. Chadwick, Joseph Csicsila, Hugh H. Davis, Mark Dawidziak, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, James Golden, Alan Gribben, Benjamin Griffin, Ronald Jenn, Holger Kersten, Andrew Levy, Cindy Lovell, Karen Lystra, Debra Ann MacComb, Peter Messent, Linda A. Morris, K. Patrick Ober, John R. Pascal, Lucy E. Rollin, Barbara Schmidt, David E. E. Sloane, Henry Sweets, Wendelinus Wurth.

One of the greatest American authors, Mark Twain holds a special position not only as a distinctly American cultural icon but also as a preeminent portrayer of youth. His famous writings about children and youthful themes are central to both his work and his popularity.The distinguished contributors to Mark Twain and Youth make Twain even more accessible to modern readers by fully exploring youth themes in both his life and his extensive writings. The volume''s twenty-six original essays offer new perspectives on such important subjects as Twain''s boyhood; his relationships with his siblings and his own children; his attitudes toward aging, gender roles, and slavery; the marketing, reception, teaching, and adaptation of his works; and youth themes in his individual novels--Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Pudd''nhead Wilson, and Joan of Arc. The book also includes a revealing foreword by actor Hal Holbrook, who has performed longer as “Mark Twain” than Samuel Clemens himself did.The book includes contributions by: Lawrence Berkove, John Bird, Jocelyn A. Chadwick, Joseph Csicsila, Hugh H. Davis, Mark Dawidziak, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, James Golden, Alan Gribben, Benjamin Griffin, Ronald Jenn, Holger Kersten, Andrew Levy, Cindy Lovell, Karen Lystra, Debra Ann MacComb, Peter Messent, Linda A. Morris, K. Patrick Ober, John R. Pascal, Lucy E. Rollin, Barbara Schmidt, David E. E. Sloane, Henry Sweets, Wendelinus Wurth.

One of the greatest American authors, Mark Twain holds a special position not only as a distinctly American cultural icon but also as a preeminent portrayer of youth. His famous writings about children and youthful themes are central to both his work and his popularity.The distinguished contributors to Mark Twain and Youth make Twain even more accessible to modern readers by fully exploring youth themes in both his life and his extensive writings. The volume’s twenty-six original essays offer new perspectives on such important subjects as Twain’s boyhood; his relationships with his siblings and his own children; his attitudes toward aging, gender roles, and slavery; the marketing, reception, teaching, and adaptation of his works; and youth themes in his individual novels--Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Pudd'nhead Wilson, and Joan of Arc. The book also includes a revealing foreword by actor Hal Holbrook, who has performed longer as “Mark Twain” than Samuel Clemens himself did.The book includes contributions by: Lawrence Berkove, John Bird, Jocelyn A. Chadwick, Joseph Csicsila, Hugh H. Davis, Mark Dawidziak, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, James Golden, Alan Gribben, Benjamin Griffin, Ronald Jenn, Holger Kersten, Andrew Levy, Cindy Lovell, Karen Lystra, Debra Ann MacComb, Peter Messent, Linda A. Morris, K. Patrick Ober, John R. Pascal, Lucy E. Rollin, Barbara Schmidt, David E. E. Sloane, Henry Sweets, Wendelinus Wurth.

Mark Twain for Dog Lovers combines one of America’s most beloved authors and dogs. Twain specialist R. Kent Rasmussen traces the history of dogs in Twain’s life—from the ones he knew personally, like his daughter’s dog which he took in after she died, to the foreign dogs he saw on his travels around the world. Compiling 30 stories and extracts from Twain’s wiritings, Rasmussen tells a detailed an compelling story of Twain’s relationship with one of America’s favorite pets.

Mark Twain for Dog Lovers combines one of America’s most beloved authors and dogs. Twain specialist R. Kent Rasmussen traces the history of dogs in Twain’s life—from the ones he knew personally, like his daughter’s dog which he took in after she died, to the foreign dogs he saw on his travels around the world. Compiling 30 stories and extracts from Twain’s wiritings, Rasmussen tells a detailed an compelling story of Twain’s relationship with one of America’s favorite pets.

An enduring icon of American culture, Mark Twain is still widely read, carefully studied, and reinterpreted more than a century after his death. He is best known for humor and for his novels about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, but his writings extend far beyond the humorous and his immortal boy heroes. He wrote in a dizzying variety of genres, and much of his work resists categorization by exploring themes well outside the realms of normal human experience. Indeed, it would not be a stretch to say that some of his stories deal with characters and themes on the “far side” of human experience. His books such as The Prince and thePauper and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, for example, place protagonists in improbably dimensions of time and space, while tales from lesser-known works address the spooky, grisly, and inexplicable. It is a world in which buffalos climb trees, elephants eat Bibles, dogs bark Morse code messages, and human beings commit terrible crimes, make incredible mistakes, and play fantastic tricks on one another. This is an entertaining collection of both mysteries and marvels by an icon of American culture and literature.

Mark Twain’s affection for cats is well-known, and no one would be surprised to hear he also liked dogs. Less well known, however, is his admiration for horses and their kin, donkeys and mules. He clearly was fascinated with them, and he probably wrote more about them than he did about either cats or dogs. In this book the author offers a collection of Mark Twain’s best writings about horses, donkeys, and mules, along with some first-hand observations of him and the animals recorded by people who knew him well, such as his daughter Clara. Organized chronologically from his early trips out west to his visits to Europe and Middle East in his later years, the book also includes stories of horses drawn purely from his imagination, including the short novel A Horse’s Tale. Other equine vignettes are drawn from such Twain’s classics as “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” Huckleberry Finn, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and more.

Mark Twain's affection for cats is well-known, and no one would be surprised to hear he also liked dogs. Less well known, however, is his admiration for horses and their kin, donkeys and mules. Clearly fascinated with them, he wrote more about Equine animals than he did about either cats or dogs combined. This book offers a collection of Mark Twain's funniest and most compelling writings about equine animals. Organized chronologically within categories such as ';Uneasy Rider,' ';Sorry Steeds,' and ';Eccentric Equines,' the textual selections cover his early trips out west, his travels to Europe and Middle East, and his later years. The book also includes horse stories drawn purely from his imagination, including the short novella A Horse's Tale. Other equine vignettes are drawn from such Twain's classics as ';The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,' Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

Mark Twain for Book Lovers is a collection of witty and insightful writings about almost everything connected with them by one of the worlds greatest writers. The breadth of such a volume is assured by the fact that Mark Twain was intimately involved in every aspect of booksfrom reading, writing, producing, and critiquing to even marketing them. Although Mark Twain grew up poor on the fringe of Americas 19th century frontier and had a limited education, he was a prodigious reader from an early age and became one of historys great autodidacts. Twain owned over 6,000 books, so it is thus not surprising that he has a great deal to say about books and authors. His connections with books dont stop with reading and writing them, however. His first profession was as a typesetterwork that gave him an inside view of the mechanics of print production. He had a lifelong interest in automating typesetting, only to lose a fortune by investing in a typesetting invention that he thought would revolutionize the industry. Along the way, he also formed his own book publishing firm to give himself full control of all aspects of the production and marketing of his own books. Also not surprisingly, he has much to say about every aspect of book publishing. Most of the selections will be extracts from longer worksmost notably his autobiographical writingsbut they will also include some full essays, such as Fenimore Coopers Literary Offenses, How to Tell a Story, and A Magnificent Literary Fossil. Among the topics covered will be The Bible as literature, buying and selling books, copyright and plagiarism, Twain's favorite and unfavorite authors, grammar and style, tips on writing, and book publishing as a calling.

Nineteenth-century America and the world of Samuel L. Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, come to life as children journey back in time with this history- and literature-laden activity book. The comprehensive biographical information explores Mark Twain as a multi-talented man of his times, from his childhood in the rough-and-tumble West of Missouri to his many careers-steamboat pilot, printer, miner, inventor, world traveler, businessman, lecturer, newspaper reporter, and most important, author-and how these experiences influenced his writing. Twain-inspired activities include making printer's type, building a model paddlewheel boat, unmasking a hoax, inventing new words, cooking cornpone, planning a newspaper, observing people, and writing maxims. An extensive resource section offers information on Twain's classics, such as Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as a listing of recommended web sites to explore.

Nineteenth-century America and the world of Samuel L. Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, come to life as children journey back in time with this history- and literature-laden activity book. The comprehensive biographical information explores Mark Twain as a multi-talented man of his times, from his childhood in the rough-and-tumble West of Missouri to his many careers—steamboat pilot, printer, miner, inventor, world traveler, businessman, lecturer, newspaper reporter, and most important, author—and how these experiences influenced his writing. Twain-inspired activities include making printer''s type, building a model paddlewheel boat, unmasking a hoax, inventing new words, cooking cornpone, planning a newspaper, observing people, and writing maxims. An extensive resource section offers information on Twain''s classics, such as Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as a listing of recommended web sites to explore.

One hundred years after the start of the "e;Great War,"e; World War I for Kids provides an intriguing and comprehensive look at this defining conflict that involved all of the world's superpowers. Why and how did the war come about? What was daily life like for soldiers in the trenches? What roles did zeppelins, barbed wire, and the passenger ship Lusitania play in the war? Who were Kaiser Wilhelm, the Red Baron, and Edith Cavell? Young history buffs will learn the answers these questions and many others, including why the western front bogged down into a long stalemate; how the war ushered in an era of rapid military, technological, and societal advances; and how the United States' entry helped end the war. Far from a dry catalog of names, dates, and battles, this richly illustrated book goes in depth into such fascinating topics as turn-of-the-20th-century weaponry and the important roles animals played in the war, and explains connections among events and how the war changed the course of history. Hands-on activities illuminate both the war and the times. Kids can: Make a periscope Teach a dog to carry messages Make a parachute Learn a popular World War I song Cook Maconochie Stew And much more

An educational and interactive children's guide to the Great WarIn time for the 2014 centennial of the start of the Great War, this activity book provides an intriguing and comprehensive look at World War I, which involved all of the world's superpowers during a time of great technological and societal change. Emphasizing connections among events as well as the war's influence on later historical developments, it leads young readers to fully understand the most important aspects of the war, including how the war came about, how changing military technology caused the western front to bog down into a long stalemate, how the war fostered an era of rapid technological advances, and how the entry of the United States helped end the war. The book explores topics of particular interest to kids, such as turn-of-the-20th-century weaponry, air and naval warfare, and the important roles animals played in the war. Relevant crosscurricular activities expand on concepts introduced and illuminate the era of the early 1900s, including making a periscope, teaching a dog to carry messages, making a parachute, learning a popular World War I song, and more.

Interesting facts that teach kids ages 8 to 12 all about World War IIWas the Second World War a continuation of the First World War? How did children in the United States contribute to the war effort? Help young learners find the answers to these questions and more in this close-up look at the largest conflict the world has ever known. They''ll learn how it began, who fought in it, and the ways it affected lives all around the globe—one unbelievable fact at a time.Go beyond other World War 2 books with:- 175+ amazing things to know—Kids will step back in time and explore the history of World War II with Q&As, true or false questions, and more.- Easy-to-share facts—Provide kids with bite-sized facts that are simple to remember and exciting to tell their friends and family.- A complete overview—Young learners will examine how the war started, the new ways it was fought, the effects it had on the lives of ordinary people, and more.Make learning about history easy with this top choice in books about World War 2.