Political Tales and Truth of Mark Twain

by David Hodge, Stacey Freeman (Editor)

Book by Hodge, David

Genres: History

128 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1992

Reviews

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Twain claimed that he hid his deepest convictions from the public view, reserving them only for trusted friends. In this collection of essays, articles and quotes, we find a dry, sometimes caustic wit. It emerged from a man who loved his country, without thinking too highly of it. Then again, Twain realized that mankind is the same all over and throughout history: espousing one point of view to satisfy and appease his neighbors while privately holding a radically opposed opinion.

He wrote with the clear-sightedness of someone who refused to cherish platitudes and the weariness of a seasoned player in the world, one who knew that even the best of men will cling to an ideal only if it doesn't go against the popular opinion. Men will join up gleefully for a war, not out of love for god, king or country, but because soldiers are beloved and lauded for their bravery. Try to get him to march behind an unpopular belief system (no matter how kindly and practical) and you couldn't get seven men to join you.

While some of the situations listed in this book are relevant even in today's social landscape, others haven't aged so well. Still, the majority of this book holds up a mirror to today's society and the view isn't all that great. I would recommend this for fans of Twain, Swift and other satirists.