For what scandalous reason was the original publication of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn delayed? What were the names of Samuel Clemens pets? How are his attitudes towards politics and religion revealed in his work? Find the answers to these questions and many more in The Oxford Companion to Mark Twain, which encapsulates the most important scholarship on Twains life, his works, and his times. Organized in an A-Z format, the volume contains entries on all of his works, people and places related to his biography, and analyses of Twains takes on a variety of topics, from confidence games to slavery. It also features five essays by major Mark Twain scholars on important aspects of his life and work, and interspersed throughout are essays on selected Twain classics by such literary luminaries as Arthur Miller, Frederick Pohl, and Nat Hentoff. Featuring an extensive bibliography, a comprehensive index, a chronology of Twains works, and over forty illustrations, The Oxford Companion to Mark Twain is the most authoritative and complete reference work available and is perfect for student and fan alike. Provides everything you ever wanted to know about this most important American writer.