CHASING THE LAST LAUGH 

MARK TWAIN'S RAUCOUS AND REDEMPTIVE ROUND-THE-WORLD COMEDY TOUR

By

RICHARD ZACKS

“... amusing, singular… a rollicking history perfect for Twain’s countless fans.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A fresh and absorbing account (involving carbuncles, platypus jokes, and a surprising bottom line) of an aging Mark Twain's outlandish passage from ruin to glory.”
— Roy Blount Jr., bestselling author and frequent guest on NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me"

PBS NEWSHOUR COVERAGE (May 18)

“Chasing the Last Laugh is an intimate and fascinating account of what was basically the world’s weirdest book tour, starring the funniest writer America has ever produced. Mark Twain’s own notes and letters enrich every chapter, illuminating not only his cranky genius but the private fears and turmoil that compelled him to pack up his family and hit the road.”
— Carl Hiaasen, bestselling author of Bad Monkey and Strip Tease