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When a 19th century engineer named Hank suffers a head injury, he accidentally travels through time and space and becomes stranded in the 6th century under King Arthur’s reign. Primarily set in medieval times, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain is a comedic novel with elements of science fiction and reflection on social and political topics.
About the author
Mark Twain, beloved author, entrepreneur, and speaker, viewed Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc as the pinnacle of his writing career. In fact, he said of this book, the final full-length novel he wrote: "I like Joan of Arc best of all my books; and it is the best; I know it perfectly well."Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), which he adopted from his time as a riverboat pilot along the Mississippi River. He was wildly successful over the course of his writing career, even starting his own publishing company for a short while as one of his many entrepreneurial endeavors. He was also close personal friends with Nikola Tesla and invented "sticky paste" in Tesla's lab, a dry film on paper that became sticky when moistened.Oft-irreverent Twain had a deep reverence for St. Joan of Arc, as evidenced within the pages of this book: "It took six thousand years to produce her; her like will not be seen in the earth again in fifty thousand." Perhaps one of St. Joan of Arc's enduring miracles was that she was able to melt the heart of this witty, prickly, and most critical of authors.
Summary
From the author of countless esteemed classics such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, , Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court follows an American engineer named Hank Morgan. When Hank suffers from a severe head injury, he falls unconscious, only to wake up in the medieval Camelot years. Learning that he has somehow traveled through space and time to be present in 6th century England during the time of King Arthur’s rule, Hank is shocked and worried when he is discovered by guards. However, after the initial confusion and concern, Hank understands the potential of his situation, and decides to use his future knowledge for the good of the people now around him. Of course, the subjects of King Arthur’s kingdom were skeptical of him, and consequently, soon after Hank arrived his execution was scheduled. However, because of Hank’s knowledge, he is able to trick the people, including the king himself, into thinking that he has special powers. After using a solar eclipse to “prove” his ability, Hank is elected into a position of power, using his new authority to modernize and Americanize the medieval people. Accepting the kingdom as his new home, Hank build relationships and feels that he is making an immense difference in the lives of King Arthur and his subjects. But when the Catholic church grows uneasy about Hank’s new influence and ideas, Hank finds himself in even more danger than he was in when he was scheduled for death row. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain is a classic comedy that features reflective and fascinating topics of social justice and science. Though originally published in 1889, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court addresses social and political issues that are still relevant today and even predicted the first world war. With an anecdotal narrative, Twain delivers a compelling plot with humorous prose and discussion of serious societal concerns. Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book. With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.
