"The Loveliest Home That Ever Was": The Story of the Mark Twain House in Hartford Paperback – Illustrated, October 20, 2011

I purchased 2 copies of this book after visiting the Twain house in Hartford - one for me and one for a friend. When they arrived, one copy had color photos, as advertised; the other copy was in black and white. Not sure if this was a misprint, as they seemed to both have the same publishing info. I was able to return the black and white version with no problem, and the replacement was in color. Make sure you get the color version. The pictures of the home are gorgeous.

For those who are fascintated with Mark Twain (aka Samuel Clemens) this book provides all the information one might desire regarding his life in Hartford, Connecticut and the house he had built there. For those of us who are interested in late-Victorian architecture or, more specifically his architect, who is virtually unknown today, this is a significant addition to one's architectural library.The book is lavishly illustrated and the accompanying text is excellent, incorporating a written description of the house as it was initially constructed. This is architectural history at its best - a history of the house with the biographical history subordinated to the architectural history. If one wishes a complete biography of Mark Twain, this is probably not the book. There are many excellent biographies of him in print. However, if one wishes to understand his architectural ambitions, this is the premier book for that purpose.

This is an interesting book. Good information and nice photos. However, as is the case with many guides, there are no floor plans. With any house, especially with one of this type, a floor plan is essential to understanding how rooms relate to one another. If the book had included plans it would rate five stars. If you want a plan visit the Historic American Buildings Survey web site. It has wonderful scaled drawings of all floors.

What a beautiful book! Everybody who is interested in Mark Twain's life will want a copy.. A lot of this is new material and there are some rare reprints of pictures and text from the Dover archives.

It's Mark Twain, and it's well done. Gotta love it.

This well written book truly captures the ambience of this wonderful place. The photography is magnificent and the historical background on the house is invaluable.

Mark Twain was a very interesting man and so is his home. If you haven't been there yet I recommend you go.

I bought the book after we went through the house. Lots of explanations in the book and an enjoyment to read.