There is a little known essay - quite old now - on the differences in content in the US and UK versions of Following the Equator. In case of interest it is by Dennis Welland, 'Mark Twain's Last Travel Book,' Bulletin of the New York Public Library, Vol 69, No 1 (Jan 1969)pp. 31-48. ________________________________ From: Mark Twain Forum on behalf of Kevin Mac Donnell Sent: Fri 27/08/2010 2:48 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Following the Equator Regarding the best reading edition of FOLLOWING THE EQUATOR-- The English edition, MORE TRAMPS ABROAD, contains 6,000 words deleted from the American edition. On the other hand, the American edition includes 1,400 words not in the English edition. So, neither is entirely satisfactory as a reading edition. Is there an edition that provides the full text? I reckon I dunno. I'm not sure an edition with the "full text" could be considered authorial in the sense that it would reflect Twain's final intentions, but so long as the altered texts were designated as such, it would make for good reading. I don't know if the 1899 collected edition of FTE was revised by Twain. I have marked proof copies for two works from that edition, but not FTE, and I have not compared the 1899 text to the 1897 English and American editions. Perhaps the MTP knows to what extent Twain was aware of those textual differences and whether he revised the 1899 setting. If he did revise the text, then any FTE odd volumes from the 1899 edition would do. That setting was used to print several later editions. BUT, you'd miss out on the original illustrations that appeared in the 1897 American edition (they are not present in the 1897 English edition). The Oxford edition simply reproduces the American edition, and not the English, but has a good essay on the illustrations by Beverly David. Then, of course, there's the first Canadian edition (Vancouver, 1899)... Kevin @ Mac Donnell Rare Books 9307 Glenlake Drive Austin TX 78730 512-345-4139 Member: ABAA, ILAB ************************* You may browse our books at www.macdonnellrarebooks.com This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please send it back to me, and immediately delete it. Please do not use, copy or disclose the information contained in this message or in any attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an attachment may still contain software viruses which could damage your computer system: you are advised to perform your own checks. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored as permitted by UK legislation.