The Innocents Abroad

The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrims' Progress is a travel book written by Mark Twain and first published in 1869. It is one of the best-selling travel books of all time, and the best-selling Twain work during the author's lifetime.

The book, with a humorous tone, recounts the trip made by Twain through Europe and the Holy Land in 1867 aboard the ship Quaker City. Twain called that trip his "Great Pleasure Excursion."

Mark Twain made a large number of stops and side trips, both along the coast and overland, covering more than 20,000 miles in total. Some of the most outstanding stops are:

• Travel across France by train from Marseille to Paris to see the Paris Exposition of 1867.
• Italy journey from the Papal States to Rome.
• Travel across the Black Sea to Odessa.
• Overland excursion to the Holy Land, the highlight of his journey.

This book is illustrated with original drawings.

"For months the great pleasure excursion to Europe and the Holy Land was chatted about in the newspapers everywhere in America and discussed at countless firesides. It was a novelty in the way of excursions—its like had not been thought of before, and it compelled that interest which attractive novelties always command."