A Connecticut Yankee — Twain, Airmont CL29

📚 A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is an 1889 novel by Mark Twain that uses time travel as a vehicle for sharp social satire. A Hartford, Connecticut shop foreman named Hank Morgan is struck on the head during an argument and wakes up in sixth-century England at the court of King Arthur. Mistaking Camelot for Bridgeport, Connecticut, Morgan uses his knowledge of industrial-era technology and democratic principles to challenge feudal institutions — slavery, the church, and the divine right of kings.

This Airmont Classics edition (series number CL29) presents the complete and unabridged text with an introduction by Lucy Mary Fitzpatrick. Published by Airmont Publishing Co., Inc., likely circa 1964, this vintage trade paperback features cover art by Z. Frenz depicting Hank Morgan alongside knights and a jousting scene, rendered in a mid-century illustrative style with a creamy beige, red, and green color palette.

Quick Facts

• Author: Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835–1910)
• First Published: 1889 (this is a vintage reprint edition)
• Publisher: Airmont Publishing Co., Inc. – Airmont Classics Series CL29
• Introduction by: Lucy Mary Fitzpatrick
• Cover Art: Z. Frenz
• Format: Vintage trade paperback, 283 pages, complete and unabridged
• Original Cover Price: 50 cents
• Condition: Very good vintage. Tight and crisp binding, no reading creases on covers, no loose/torn/folded pages. Light tanning to cover and text block edges. Slight bump at front lower corner, some small spots on text block edges, light tanning to front cover. Remains of price tag on front below the publisher’s price.

About the Novel

Originally published in 1889, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is one of Mark Twain’s most ambitious and influential works. The novel blends humor, adventure, and political commentary as Hank Morgan — self-confident, humane, and armed with thirteen and a half centuries of technological knowledge — finds himself at once lovable and brash in his efforts to modernize Camelot. From the opening pages, when he mistakes the medieval court for Bridgeport, his account of sixth-century England is a rollicking story that burlesques the heroic actions of the “parfit gentil knights” until they become mere buffoons, targets of ridicule and satirical comment.

Twain attacks slavery, the church, and the divine right of kings with equal lack of respect, making the novel not only a very funny story but also a biting diatribe against the cruel laws of feudal England and the contrast between the justice of those days and the more humane practices of the 1890s in America. The novel remains widely read, frequently anthologized, and has influenced countless time-travel narratives in fiction and film.

FAQ

Q: What is this edition?
A: This is a vintage Airmont Classics paperback (series CL29) presenting the complete and unabridged text with an introduction by Lucy Mary Fitzpatrick. Published by Airmont Publishing Co., Inc., likely circa 1964.

Q: What is the book about?
A: A Hartford, Connecticut shop foreman named Hank Morgan is transported back to sixth-century England at the court of King Arthur. Using his knowledge of modern technology and democratic principles, Morgan attempts to modernize medieval society while delivering Twain’s sharp satire of feudal institutions, the church, and the divine right of kings.

Q: What is the condition of this copy?
A: Very good vintage condition. The binding is tight and crisp with no reading creases on the covers. There is light tanning to the cover and text block edges, a slight bump at the front lower corner, some small spots on the text block edges, and remains of a price tag on the front cover. A well-preserved copy for its age.

Condition Report

Beyond Very Good vintage trade paperback. Tight and crisp binding. The book closes tightly with no loose, torn, or folded pages. No reading creases on the covers. There is a slight bump at the front lower corner (you have to look for it). Some small spots on the text block edges. Front cover is light tanned. Remains of a price tag on the front below the publisher’s price in the upper right corner.

Will ship promptly, well packaged.

HFB-SEO-v1: 2026-09-09

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