Picture of author.

Justin Kaplan (1925–2014)

Author of Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain: A Biography

17+ Works 1,845 Members 26 Reviews

About the Author

Justin Kaplan was born in Manhattan, New York on September 5, 1925. He received a bachelor's degree in English from Harvard University, followed by graduate work in the field there, but he left before earning a doctorate to work as a freelance writer and book editor. His first book, Mr. Clemens and show more Mark Twain, won the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 1967 and a National Book Award. His other works include Lincoln Steffens: A Biography, When the Astors Owned New York: Blue Bloods and Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age, and Walt Whitman: A Life, which won a National Book Award. He also wrote books with his wife Anne Bernays including The Language of Names and Back Then: Two Lives in 1950s New York. He was the editor of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. He died from complications of Parkinson's disease on March 2, 2014 at the age of 88. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Works by Justin Kaplan

Associated Works

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) — Introduction, some editions — 11,492 copies
Leaves of Grass (1855) — Introduction, some editions — 10,198 copies
Familiar Quotations (1855) — Editor, some editions — 4,089 copies
Whitman: Poetry and Prose (1982) — Editor, some editions — 1,276 copies
The Collected Dialogues of Plato (0004) — Editor, some editions — 885 copies
The Pocket Aristotle: Selections from physics, psychology, metaphysics, Nicomachean ethics, politics, poetics (1958) — Editor, some editions; Preface, some editions — 413 copies

Tagged

Common Knowledge

Members

Reviews

Just finished last night. Lots of interesting details about Clemens and an interesting glimpse into that period of history in the U.S.

A birthday present from Leslie--can't wait to dive into it tonight!
 
Flagged
lschiff | 5 other reviews | Sep 24, 2023 |
Good literary biography of Mark Twain.
 
Flagged
kslade | 5 other reviews | Dec 8, 2022 |
Really more of a social history than a financial history, especially since the source of the Astor family wealth -- its massive real estate holdings alluded to in the title -- is only glancingly looked at, in favour of assorted family eccentricities and scandals. The family history stuff is fairly old hat -- readers of Lucius Beebe would be familiar with it. A missed opportunity, in some respects, though it's still an interesting read.
 
Flagged
EricCostello | 14 other reviews | Aug 8, 2021 |
A well-written account of an interesting time in history. I thought it went a little too deep on some members of the family. I would have like a broader perspective on more Astors as well as a little more about where that fortune is now.
 
Flagged
sbenne3 | 14 other reviews | Sep 21, 2017 |

Awards

You May Also Like

Associated Authors

Jay McInerney Contributor
Anatole Broyard Contributor
Stuart Klawans Contributor
James A. McPherson Contributor
Ursula K. Le Guin Contributor
Natalie Kusz Contributor
Michael J. Arlen Contributor
Annie Dillard Contributor
Michael Pollan Contributor
Leonard Michaels Contributor
Jacques Barzun Contributor
Randy Shilts Contributor
Ann Hodgman Contributor
Stephen Jay Gould Contributor
Joy Williams Contributor
Sue Hubbell Contributor
Paul West Contributor
Stanley Elkin Contributor
Joseph Epstein Contributor
Alan M. Dershowitz Contributor
Tom Wolfe Contributor

Statistics

Works
17
Also by
9
Members
1,845
Popularity
#13,951
Rating
3.9
Reviews
26
ISBNs
40
Languages
1

Charts & Graphs