My Life on the Mississippi

Mark Twain 1835 – 1910

Richard Bissell 1913-1977

“Because I myself write books about the Mississippi River, because I used to be a pilot on the Mississippi River and hold a pilot's license on the Mississippi River . . . the critics for twenty-three years have been calling me ‘a modern Mark Twain.’ Now is this fair?” (Ch 1)


So begins a skillful, and frequently hilarious, comparison of Mark Twain and the author, Richard Bissell. Part commentary and part autobiography, Bissell deftly interweaves family history, anecdotes, and career paths into an unforgettable linking of two outstanding authors and  river boat buffs living almost a century apart.    


Although differences between Mark Twain and Richard Bissell abound, Bissell is the first to admit that it is because of Tom and Huck that he and his boyhood friend Al embarked on their own life-altering adventure on the Mississippi River.  The two friends boarded a freight train, stole a boat, ate canned beans, tried to find a watermelon to steal, fished unsuccessfully, and for a brief time, were “unaccountable to nobody, that was the point.” (Ch 10)


For readers who are only familiar with the popular  image of Mark Twain, Bissell’s book will be loaded with new laughs and revelations.  Two of America’s treasures together  in one book.  Who could ask for more?