Book excerpt: Mark Twain's life--one of the richest and raciest America has known--is delightfully portrayed in this mosaic of words and more than 600 pictures that capture the career of one of America's most colorful personalities. The words are Twain's own, taken from his writings--not only the autobiography but also his letters, notebooks, newspaper reporting, sketches, travel pieces, and fiction. The illustrations provide the perfect counterpoint to Twain's text. Presented in the hundreds of photos, prints, drawings, cartoons, and paintings is Twain himself, from the apprentice in his printer's cap to the dying world-famous figure finishing his last voyage in a wheelchair. Mark Twain Himself: A Pictorial Biography will not only inform and entertain the casual reader but will provide a valuable resource to scholars and teachers of Twain as well.