Throughout his career, Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) published more than 30 books, hundreds of short stories and essays and gave lecture tours around the world. By the end of his life in 1910, Clemens had become known as the quintessential American author having captured in his works the spirit, character and even dialect of a diverse nation. His writing also served to voice his running commentary on American society. Thinly veiled behind the mask of humor and satire, Clemens' writing often critiqued social morals, politics and human nature, making his literature a unique reflection of the American experience in the latter part of the nineteenth century.