Mark Twain, Ron Chernow

 Mark Twain by Ron Chernow

Started: January 26, 2026
Completed: July 9, 2026
Recommendation: Highly recommended
Recommended By: Nobody
Media: Audio

Review:

It took a while to get through this book as it is so huge that I had to cycle through the library several times in order to listen to the whole thing.  I have a lot of respect for Chernow, but only the broadest of understandings of Twain.  My brother visited a Twain exhibit and brought back a book of his works which I have not yet read (though I had read Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and Connecticut Yankee in my youth as well as other short stories like, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County").  What a knew of Twain you could fit in a thimble in comparison to this book.  I knew his era, but did not realize how many celebrities he knew all over the world--for that matter I was only vaguely aware that he had moved from Missouri to New York City.  I knew nothing of his wife or family (oddly, the last surviving member of which died only a few years before I was born) and had only heard peripherally about his interest in young girls (which seemed platonic from Chernow's perspective or at least only fantasy without any desire to actually act on his interest)--though disturbing in concept.  I was also completely unaware of his personal struggles and perspectives on religion.  I was aware of his role as a publisher from Chernow's Grant.  This book was so insightful and shed light on so much of Twain's life that I found it fascinating.

Grant, Ron Chernow

Grant by Ron Chernow is a book that my father was reading the last time I visited him and he seemed to really be enjoying it.  I listened to the audio version read by Mark Bramhall.

Started: 6/28/2018

Completed: 9/10/2018

Recommendation: Recommended

Recommended By:  My father

Review:

My thoughts of Grant mostly involved him being a disgraceful drunk who stopped drinking in order to join the Civil War and then he raised to President where his term was full of corruption.  This is a harsh and unfair assessment of the man.

He had a difficult life as a young man and was not really able to be an effective businessman as he simply trusted people too much.  He probably was encouraged to resign from the military due to drinking and definitely did not handle alcohol well (he was almost certainly an alcoholic).  It was interesting to me to learn that his best man was Longstreet and that Longstreet supported Grant in many ways throughout his life.

Grant's life during the Civil War was largely known to me, but the rich details of the book helped put flesh on the bones with which I was familiar.

I was broadly aware that Grant had started reconstruction, but I was unaware of his two terms as President and his strong efforts to help newly freed slaves.  His presidency was marked by corruption, but it seems that this corruption was due to Grant's innocence and not his complicity.  I had no idea how strongly Grant fought the KKK.

I learned of Grant's "round the world tour" during which he met with leaders of many nations all over the world and was a true diplomat.  I learned that Grant had pursued a third term and later campaigned for Republicans.

Grant's death surprised me (from cancer) at a relatively young age probably due to his love of cigars.

I was floored that Grant and Twain were close and that it was Twain who idolized Grant and not the reverse.

This is a long, good book.  It is a really good look at the man, his friends, his enemies, and those who took advantage of him.