The History Book Club discussion

This is the thread where you will find the table of contents and syllabus for Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain

by Mark Twain

Alisa will be moderating this book. Her edition: ISBN 9781613820063

WEEK 1 - OCT 24 - 30
Chapter 1 - The River and Its History p6
Chapter 2 - The River and Its Explorers p11
Chapter 3 - Frescoes from the Past p15
Chapter 4 - The Boys' Ambition p29
Chapter 5 - I Want to be a Cub-pilot p32

WEEK 2 - OCT 31 - NOV 6
Chapter 6 - A Cub-pilot's Experience p35
Chapter 7 - A Daring Deed p41
Chapter 8 - Perplexing Lessons p47
Chapter 9 - Continued Perplexities p53
Chapter 10 - Completing My Education p59
Chapter 11 - The River Rises p64

WEEK 3 - NOV 7 - 13
Chapter 12 - Sounding p70
Chapter 13 - A Pilot's Needes p75
Chapter 14 - Rankd and Dignity of Piloting p82
Chapter 15 - The Pilots' Monopoly p87
Chapter 16 - Racing Days p96
Chapter 17 - Cut-offs and Stephen p103

WEEK 4 - NOV 14 - 20
Chapter 18 - I Take a Few Extra Lessons p109
Chapter 19 - Brown and I Exchange Compliments p114
Chapter 20 - A Catastrophe p119
Chapter 21 - A Section in My Biography p124
Chapter 22 - I Return to My Muttons p125
Chapter 23 - Traveling Incognito p131
Chapter 24 - My Incognito is Exploded p134

WEEK 5 - NOV 21 - 27
Chapter 25 - From Cairo to Hickman p139
Chapter 26 - Under Fire p144
Chpater 27 - Some Imported Articles p149
Chapter 28 - Uncle Mumford Unloads p153
Chapter 29 - A Few Specimen Bricks p160
Chapter 30 - Sketches by the Way p167

WEEK 6 - NOV 28 - DEC 4
Chapter 31 - A Thumb-print and What Came of It p173
Chapter 32 - The Disposal of a Bonanza p184
Chapter 33 - Refreshments and Ethics p188
Chapter 34 - Tough Yarns p192
Chapter 35 - Vicksburg During the Trouble p194
Chapter 36 - The Professor's Yarn p200

WEEK 7 - DEC 5 - 11
Chapter 37 - The End of the 'Gold Dust' p205
Chapter 38 - The House Beautiful p206
Chapter 39 - Manufactures and miscreants p210
Chapter 40 - Castles and Culture p215
Chapter 41 - The Metropolis of the South p220
Chapter 42 - Hygiene and Sentiment p223
Chapter 43 - The Art of Inhumation p226

WEEK 8 - DEC 12 - 18
Chapter 44 - City Sights p230
Chapter 45 - Souther Sports p235
Chapter 46 - Enchantments and Enchanters p241
Chapter 47 - Uncle Remus and Mr. Cable p244
Chapter 48 - Sugar and Postage p246
Chapter 49 - Episodes in Pilot Life p252

WEEK 9 - DEC 19 - 25
Chapter 50 - The 'Original Jacobs' p256
Chapter 51 - Reminiscences p260
Chapter 52 - A Burning Brand p266
Chapter 53 - My Boyhood's Home p275
Chapter 54 - Past and Present p280
Chapter 55 - A Vendettsa and Other athings p286

WEEK 10 - DEC 26 - JAN 1
Chapter 56 - A Question of Law p291
Chapter 57 - An Archangel p297
Chapter 58 - On the Upper River p302
Chapter 59 - Legends and Scenery p307
Chapter 60 - Speculations and Conclusions p313

WEEK 11 - JAN 2 - JAN 8
Book as a whole - Final Thoughts

Appendix A p319 - (FROM THE NEW ORLEANS TIMES DEMOCRAT OF MARCH 29, 1882) VOYAGE OF THE TIMES-DEMOCRAT'S RELIEF BOAT THROUGH THE INUNDATED REGIONS
DOWN BLACK RIVER
THE FLOOD STILL RISING


Appendix B p328 - THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION
Appendix C p332 - RECEPTION OF CAPTAIN BASIL HALL'S BOOK IN THEUNITED STATES
Appendix D p336 - THE UNDYING HEAD

Hi everyone, glad there are lots of folks interested in this read and we'll be off to a start soon! Given our unexpected interruption to the start we'll open the week one discussion thread by Monday Oct 24. It will give everyone a chance to check out the weekly reading schedule posted above. There are always people who read at variable speeds as we go along and that is no problem. In any given thread just be mindful of sticking to the content in the pages being discussed in that thread so as not to spoil it for others. Looking forward to seeing you all on the discussion threads soon!

To date, I've read the first week's quota of chapters. Twain gives an interesting short history of the Mississippi, a river that was at first forgotten for the better part of a century (after DeSoto discovered it around 1540), shares a mysterious tale about said river from a group of veteran river sailors, and tells the reader about his first attempts to learn the layout and vicissitudes of the river and its surrouding communities.

ISBN: 0553213490 (Bantam Classic)

Folks, thanks to Bryan and Alisa for picking up the slack and getting this moving. I unexpectedly while on a business trip had no workable wi fi; hence the delay. Your hard working assisting mods saved the day.

Komet, the discussion threads for each weeks chapters will open as separate threads. Week one can be found here:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

Glad you are participating in the discussion.

just joined the group and will catch up to where you are in the next couple of weeks -- looking forward to discussing!!

Kris, glad you are interested and will be participating in the discussion. A new thread is opened every week commensurate with the timeline above and they stay open for the entire discussion period and then some. You can catch up any time. The schedule is designed to give people time to participate at variable points s join in whenever you please.

I am relatively new to the group and this will be the first group read I am participating in. Thanks for the syllabus. Can't wait to read it (actually listen to it on audio!)

Heather, glad you are joining us. Week 1 just got under way this week and a new thread will be opened for each week's discussion according to the schedule above. Glad you are participating!

My edition doesn't have appendices. What are in the appendices in your edition?

They don't have titles in the TOC in my edition either, but the headers that appear under the apppendix for each reads as follows:

APPENDIX A - (FROM THE NEW ORLEANS TIMES DEMOCRAT OF MARCH 29, 1882) VOYAGE OF THE TIMES-DEMOCRAT'S RELIEF BOAT THROUGH THE INUNDATED REGIONS
DOWN BLACK RIVER
THE FLOOD STILL RISING


APPENDIX B - THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION

APPENDIX C - RECEPTION OF CAPTAIN BASIL HALL'S BOOK IN THE UNITED STATES

APPENDIX D - THE UNDYING HEAD

I'll add it to the TOC above. I am not sure if or where these might be referred to in the book, but they appear at the end in my edition.

Thanks.