Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World [J0198]

1988 PB reprint of 1897 original. Nice clean condition. Bound on a lecturing trip around the world, Mark Twain turns his keen satiric eye to foreign lands in Following the Equator. This vivid chronicle of a sea voyage on the Pacific Ocean displays Twain's eye for the unusual, his wide-ranging curiosity, and his delight in embellishing the facts. The personalities of the ship's crew and passengers, the poetry of Australian place-names, the success of women's suffrage in New Zealand, an account of the Sepoy Mutiny, and reflections on the Boer War as an expression of imperialistic morality, among other topics, are the focus of his wry humor and redoubtable powers of observation. Following the Equator is an evocative and highly unique American portrait of nineteenth-century travel and customs.

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Lots of fun to read. Twain is a genius when it comes to humor especially satire. It was also interesting to see what the world was like from someone so observant and insightful...all with his characteristic sense of humor."; "This travelogue from 130 years ago shows a world at times very different from ours and at times very similar. Twain's idea of following the equator isn't quite that - it's following the main shipping lines, which follow the main trade lines, which is the British Empire - but there's plenty of interest for all that."; "Following the Equator is more than just a travelogue. It's a sharp, sarcastic, and surprisingly emotional critique of the world Twain saw during his global lecture tour. What stood out most to me was how Twain used his humor to expose serious issues like racism, imperialism, and injustice. He doesn't shy away from uncomfortable truths, especially when talking about how indigenous people were treated in places like India, Fiji, and Australia."