The pen name of Samuel Clemens, Mark Twain is celebrated today as one of America’s great authors and humorists. As the young country rapidly grew into an international and industrial power throughout the second half of the 19th century Twain shared his observations through his writing and speeches. His best known novels are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer but his body of work includes non-fiction, magazine articles, monographs, and commentaries that provide interesting insight into American history.