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My Life on the Mississippi
or Why I Am Not Mark Twain

Richard Bissell

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"Because I myself write books about the Mississippi River, because I used to be a pilot on the Mississippi River . . . the critics for twenty-three years have been calling me 'a modern Mark Twain.' Now is this fair?"

So begins a skillful, and frequently hilarious, comparison of Mark Twain and the author, Richard Bissell. Part commentary and part autobiography, Bissell deftly interweaves family history, anecdotes, and career paths into an unforgettable linking of two outstanding authors and river boat buffs living almost a century apart. (Mark Twain 1935 - 1910; Richard Bissell 1913-1977)

Although differences between Mark Twain and Richard Bissell abound, Bissell is the first to admit that it is because of Tom and Huck that he and a boyhood friend embarked on their own life-altering adventure on the Mississippi River. The two friends boarded a freight train, stole a boat, ate canned beans, tried to find a watermelon to steal, fished unsuccessfully, and for a brief time, were "unaccountable to nobody, that was the point." With that story in mind, it's easy to see why comparisons flourished.

For those who are only familiar with the popular image of Mark Twain, Bissell's book is loaded with new laughs and revelations. Two of America's treasures together in one book. Who could ask for more?

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