{"product_id":"grant-and-twain-the-story-of-an-american-friendship-9780812966138","title":"Grant and Twain: The Story of an American Friendship","description":"In the spring of 1884 Ulysses S. Grant heeded the advice of Mark Twain and finally agreed to write his memoirs. Little did Grant or Twain realize that this seemingly straightforward decision would profoundly alter not only both their lives but the course of American literature. Over the next fifteen months, as the two men became close friends and intimate collaborators, Grant raced against the spread of cancer to compose a triumphant account of his life and times--while Twain struggled to complete and publish his greatest novel, \u003cb\u003eAdventures of Huckleberry Finn\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003eIn this deeply moving and meticulously researched book, veteran writer Mark Perry reconstructs the heady months when Grant and Twain inspired and cajoled each other to create two quintessentially American masterpieces. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn a bold and colorful narrative, Perry recounts the early careers of these two giants, traces their quest for fame and elusive fortunes, and then follows the series of events that brought them together as friends. The reason Grant let Twain talk him into writing his memoirs was simple: He was bankrupt and needed the money. Twain promised Grant princely returns in exchange for the right to edit and publish the book--and though the writer's own finances were tottering, he kept his word to the general and his family. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMortally ill and battling debts, magazine editors, and a constant crush of reporters, Grant fought bravely to get the story of his life and his Civil War victories down on paper. Twain, meanwhile, staked all his hopes, both financial and literary, on the tale of a ragged boy and a runaway slave that he had been unable to finish for decades. As Perry delves into the story of the men's deepening friendship and mutual influence, he arrives at the startling discovery of the true model for the character of Huckleberry Finn. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith a cast of fascinating characters, including General William T. Sherman, William Dean Howells, William Henry Vanderbilt, and Abraham Lincoln, Perry's narrative takes in the whole sweep of a glittering, unscrupulous age. A story of friendship and history, inspiration and desperation, genius and ruin, \u003cb\u003eGrant and Twain \u003c\/b\u003ecaptures a pivotal moment in the lives of two towering Americans and the age they epitomized.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMARK PERRY\u003c\/b\u003e, writer, reporter, and foreign policy analyst, has published articles in dozens of magazines and newspapers, including \u003ci\u003eThe Nation\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Christian Science Monitor\u003c\/i\u003e, the\u003ci\u003e Los Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eNew York Newsday\u003c\/i\u003e. His critically acclaimed books include \u003ci\u003eF\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eour Stars: The Inside Story of the Forty-Year Battle Between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and America's Civilian Leaders; Eclipse: The Last Days of the CIA; Fire in Zion: The Israeli-Palestinian Search for Peace; \u003c\/b\u003eand\u003cb\u003e Lift Up Thy Voice: The Grimke Family's Journey from Slaveholders to Civil Rights Leaders\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e Perry lives in Arlington, Virginia.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Random House Trade","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50461284761874,"sku":"9780812966138","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_de36ff5b-cf35-4956-a741-bde531ca3e66.jpg?v=1730062267","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/grant-and-twain-the-story-of-an-american-friendship-9780812966138","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}