MARK PERRY, writer, reporter, and foreign policy analyst, has published articles in dozens of magazines and newspapers, including The Nation, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, the Los Angeles Times, and New York Newsday. His critically acclaimed books include Four Stars- The Inside Story of the Forty-Year Battle Between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and America's Civilian Leaders; Eclipse- The Last Days of the CIA; Fire in Zion- The Israeli-Palestinian Search for Peace; and Lift Up Thy Voice- The Grimke Family's Journey from Slaveholders to Civil Rights Leaders. Perry lives in Arlington, Virginia.
“In this lovely surprise of a book, Mark Perry uncovers a crucial
sliver of American literary and cultural history: the little-known
connection between Grant and Twain, who, in the twilight of the old
general’s life, formed a friendship that is both interesting and
important.”
—JON MEACHAM, author of Franklin and Winston
“The authors of the greatest American novel and of our greatest
military memoirs did much to inspire each other to create their
masterpieces. Suffering from terminal cancer, ‘Sam’ Grant worked
against a deadline of death to complete his memoirs while Sam
Clemens stood at his side as editor and publisher even as
Huckleberry Finn was entering the world. This gripping account of a
remarkable partnership and friendship is a book that everyone
interested in Twain and Grant will want to read.”
—JAMES M. MCPHERSON, author Battle Cry of Freedom, winner of the
Pulitzer Prize
“The slender book by Mark Perry tells a large tale about two
misfits turned American giants turned friends and grand
collaborators. Grant and Twain is a charming and evocative
story.”
—JAY WINIK, author of April 1865: The Month That Saved America
“In this fascinating story, Mark Perry details the friendship that
grew between two American titans, Ulysses S. Grant and Mark Twain.
Exploring how each man dealt with his America, particularly the
questions of slavery and race, Perry illuminates not only their
views, but also the America of their time. Moreover, he highlights
the impact each of these remarkable individuals had on the other,
especially on their marvelous and enduring books, American classics
both, Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant and Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn.”
—WILLIAM J. COOPER, award-winning author of Jefferson Davis,
American
“When a great author convinced a great soldier to write his memoirs
the outcome was an unlikely friendship and an American literary
masterpiece. Mark Perry engagingly intertwines the lives of two
near opposites, Mark Twain and Ulysses S. Grant, revealing how in a
stunning burst of creativity the two friends produced works of
genius that would lead America to find its distinctive literary
voice. Discovering their little-known association is like
discovering literary, biographical and historic gold.”
—JOSEPH E. PERSICO, author of Roosevelt’s Secret War
"A great many biographies of Ulysses S. Grant have been written,
and Mark Twain's life is so well-chronicled that it has reached
mythological status in the general culture [but] Perry has
performed the amazing feat of finding a gap in the stories of both
American heroes. We owe Mark Perry a debt of gratitudefor
presenting to us the dignity and humanity of Mark Twain and Ulysses
S.Grant and their joint contribution to American history and
letters." - The Houston Chronicle
"The story of the frienship and of how Twain aided Grant in writing
and publishing is highly absorbing." -Chicago Sun-Times
"Between May 1884 and July 1885, an unlikely friendship developed
between two of America's most recognized personalities. Perry's
juxtaposition of the two writers' careers offer[s] a glimpse into
the development of cultural history in the late 19th-Century
America." -Library Journal
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