On Mark Twain's " The Innocent Abroad"

This book is one of the best travel description book I have ever read. Its really fascinating to see Europe and Holly land through the eyes of an american writer back in 1860's. You can see the image of Europe back then and the reality which hits the american on his journey.

Of course I was fascinated by the Istanbul chapter of the book, which by the way almost everywhere quoted as "constantinapolis" in the book.  First impressions gone immediately when Mark Twain hits the ground.  Although you can feel the catholic way of look at mosques and muslim things couple of times in the chapter, this doesn't effect the rest of the descriptions although most of them feels like it has been unquestionably exaggerated, I laughed a lot while reading those sections.

The Paris and Napoleon chapters and Syria - ottoman chapters where as fascinating as Istanbul chapter. I have found couple of early edition introduction of the book on the web. They were fun to read as well..

Saturday evening post on 21 August 1869 wrote ;

THE INNOCENTS ABROAD; OR, THE NEW PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. By MARK TWAIN (SAMUELL. CLEMENS.) This is an amusing account of the Steamship Quaker City's Pleasure Excursion to Europe and the Holy Land; with descriptions of countries, nations, incidents and adventures, as they appeared to that comic genius, Mark Twain. It is embellished with 234 Illustrations. While the prevailing tone of the book is humorous, there is a great deal of interesting information contained in its pages. It is a capital work for summer reading. Published by the American Publishing Company, Hartford, Conn., and sold by Agents. Those desiring copies, should write to the publishers, and an agent will call on them.

New York Independent wrote on September 30 1869 ; 

We do not mean to say that Mark Twain is the best of American humorists, for we do not think so, although the list is not very long; and yet he has found publishers in the American Publishing Company (Hartford) for a large octavo volume, entitled "The Innocents Abroad," which gives a very humorous account of his experiences and that of the party which sailed in the "Quaker City" two years ago for a visit to Europe and the Holy Land. The volume contains many shrewd things, and not a few that are funny; and, although it does not claim to represent the highest type of literary work, it fulfills what it does claim, and gives a much more truthful idea, we doubt not, of life and scenes abroad than many a more pretentious book. We doubt not it will find many readers.