New Book Chronicles Mark Twain at Lake Tahoe
Submitted by editor on Fri, 09/23/2011 - 5:33am
A new book, " Fairest Picture – Mark Twain at Lake Tahoe," by David C. Antonucci describes Mark Twain’s experiences and travels at Lake Tahoe. Fairest Picture is the first and only book to describe Lake Tahoe as it was in Mark Twain’s time and reveal in detail the locations where he traveled, camped and stayed at luxury hotels.
September 2011 marks exactly 150 years since Samuel L. Clemens, known widely as Mark Twain, first visited Lake Tahoe. He arrived with the unrealized goal of staking a timber claim but returned less than two years later as Mark Twain, reporter for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise.
“I wanted to bring together in one volume all the relevant factual information about Mark Twain and his relationship with Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe was his gold standard for lakes. It was the lake to which he compared all others, with none ever equaling the many exceptional qualities of Lake Tahoe,” Antonucci said about his book.
It was released in August.
"Fairest Picture" describes what pristine Lake Tahoe was like during the time of Mark Twain’s visits. The book solves the riddle of the location of the timber claim and describes Mark Twain’s subsequent visits to 19th century luxury hotels. For the first time, all verified and documented Mark Twain quotations about Lake Tahoe appear in one place along with context and interpretation. Mark Twain scholars and enthusiasts will appreciate the book’s detailed maps and directions to 12 places visited by Mark Twain and mentioned in his writings, including his North Shore campsites.
One chapter is devoted to debunking the many Mark Twain-Lake Tahoe myths and legends that have abounded since his first appearance at Lake Tahoe. The United States Board on Geographical Names relied on Antonucci’s research to reject in March 2011 the formal naming of a cove at Lake Tahoe after Sam Clemens. Based on Antonucci’s work, the board concluded that it was doubtful that Clemens was ever at the proposed site and denied the request by the State of Nevada.
Antonucci said, “'Fairest Picture' is the book Mark Twain fans and Lake Tahoe enthusiasts have longed for. Inside they will find little known facts and newly discovered information about Mark Twain’s experiences and adventures at Lake Tahoe that cannot be found in any other books or on the Internet.”
The book is available by special order at local bookstores. The paperback version is available at www.CreateSpace.com/3654392 and www.Amazon.com. Kindle version available on Amazon.com and other eBook versions available at www.BN.com and www.scribd.com.
In 2009, Antonucci published the very popular "Snowball’s Chance – The Story of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games, Squaw Valley and Lake Tahoe." The book won the Ullr Award from the International Skiing History Association for its major contribution in book form to skiing history.
Info
Fairest Picture – Mark Twain at Lake Tahoe: 302-page trade paperback, 122 illustrations. ISBN-13: 978-1463765699. Retail: $17.99
http://www.TahoeFacts.com
