Mark Twain

The Prince and the Pauper: Original Illustrations Mark Twain

A beautiful edition with the formatting and all 190 images from the original first edition published in 1889.

The cover is a painting taken from a later publication. Don't be fooled by other versions that have no illustrations or contain very small print. Reading our edition will make you feel that you are back in medieval England.

Published in 1882, The Prince and the Pauper is a delightful piece of historical fiction set in 1547. The young British Prince Edward, son of Henry VIII, switches place with a young pauper boy, Tom Canty, who happens to look exactly like the Prince. Tom takes over royal duties when King Henry dies and enjoys life in the palace. The real Prince is tossed out on the streets of London and learns about the life and misery of the common people of England at the time. He arrives back in the palace just in time to stop the coronation of the false Prince and take his rightful crown. He uses what he learned in his travels to rule as a benevolent King The real Prince Edward ruled until his early death at the age of 15.