Looking forward to this. The job certainly feel to the right Twainiac -- our man on the ground and in the house. Congratulations, Steve! On 12/13/2011 12:42 PM, K. Patrick Ober wrote: > I agree! > > I had the good fortune of revisiting the house in October, for the first ti= > me in many years. I read the first half of the book on the way there, and t= > he second half on the way back. The text is delightful, and Kevin is right.= > No matter what you think you know about Mark Twain and his family and his = > house, you will learn new things. The pictures are remarkable. Unlike Kevin= > , I didn't contribute anything at all, except words of gratitude to Steve C= > ourtney for writing this! > > Pat Ober > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kevin Mac Don= > nell > Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 12:17 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: New book on the Hartford house > > FYI, I am writing a review of Steve Courtney's book for the Forum, which I= > =20 > hope to have ready before Christmas. But a brief preview might be=20 > appropriate-- > > The book's engaging narrative is nicely framed around an account `Mother'=20 > Fairbanks wrote of a tour she was given of the house in 1874 by the=20 > architect, Edward Tuckerman Potter. The illustrations are copious and=20 > stunning, with interior views taken during Twain's lifetime comingled with= > =20 > magnificent color images that show the house in its full glory today. There= > =20 > is also a good account of the sometimes hair-raising history of the house=20 > after it was sold by Twain. If you've taken a tour of this home this book=20 > will make you want to go back and see it again. If you've never seen the=20 > house in person and never have the chance to see it, this book is the=20 > next-best thing. For Twain scholars, no matter what you think you know abou= > t=20 > the Hartford home, you will learn something you didn't know by reading this= > =20 > book. And unlike most books about historic structures this book is=20 > well-indexed and solidly sourced. It conveys the "heart and soul" that Twai= > n=20 > spoke of when describing his beloved home. > > Full disclosure: p. 75 has a previously unpublished 1875 photo of Susy and= > =20 > Clara sitting on the ground outside the home with their German nursemaid,=20 > courtesy of yours truly, but the book is 144 pages long so there are 143=20 > other reasons to get a copy. > > This book won't fit in a stocking (or on a Kindle), but it would make a=20 > welcome gift for any Twainian. > > 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 > > ----- Original Message -----=20 > From: "Steve Courtney"<[log in to unmask]> > To:<[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 10:38 AM > Subject: New book on the Hartford house > > > Greetings! > =3D20 > I'm taking my one free shot at self-promotion today to push my new book=3D2= > C =3D > 'The Loveliest Home That Ever Was': The Story of the Mark Twain House in Ha= > =3D > rtford=3D2C published by Dover. It tells the house's story and includes mar= > ve=3D > lous new photos by John Groo=3D2C and a Foreword by Hal Holbrook (who tells= > m=3D > e he likes the book). > =3D20 > Dover approached us late last year about doing this=3D2C and asked us if we= > h=3D > ad a writer on staff -- somehow they came up with me=3D2C so I spent the f= > ir=3D > st few months of this year putting this together -- a lot more quickly than= > =3D > I've ever had to do such a thing=3D2C even in my newspaper days. > =3D20 > But it seems to have come out all right. As you can imagine=3D2C it's selli= > ng=3D > well here. The book=3D2C a large-format paperback with lavish color illust= > ra=3D > tion=3D2C is 20 bucks and available through the usual outlets=3D2C includin= > g=3D2C=3D > of course=3D2C the Mark Twain Museum Bookshop here: http://shop.marktwainh= > ou=3D > se.org/.=3D20 > =3D20 > Dover's catalogue description is here: http://store.doverpublications.com/0= > =3D > 486486346.html > =3D20 > My emails to the Forum tend to get broken up with strange equal signs and o= > =3D > ther impedimenta=3D2C no matter what plain-text format I send them in=3D2C = > so I=3D > hope this is relatively legible! > =3D20 > All best=3D2C > Steve > =3D20 > =3D20 > > > > Steve Courtney > 7 Union St. > Terryville=3D2C CT 06786 > 860-589-6412 =3D > > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2012.0.1873 / Virus Database: 2108/4677 - Release Date: 12/12/11 > > > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2012.0.1873 / Virus Database: 2108/4677 - Release Date: 12/12/11 >