Life on the Mississippi is a memoir by Mark Twain detailing his days as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River before and after the American Civil War.
The book begins with a brief history of the river from its discovery by Hernando de Soto in 1542.It continues with anecdotes of Twains training as a steamboat pilot, as the cub of an experienced pilot. He describes, with great affection, the science of navigating the ever-changing Mississippi River. This section was first published in 1876, titled Old times on the Mississippi.