Innocents Abroad

Innocents Abroad, published in 1881 by the American Publishing Company, is Mark Twain’s narrative of a transatlantic excursion through Europe and the Middle East as part of an organized pleasure cruise. The book offers a mix of travel reportage, cultural observation, and humorous commentary, contrasting travelers’ expectations with the realities they encounter. Twain describes cities, historic sites, and social customs with an emphasis on irony and critical distance, providing one of the most influential examples of 19th-century American travel writing. The narrative reflects contemporary attitudes toward tourism, cultural contact, and the emerging phenomenon of large-scale organized travel.