The novel explains the tale of Hank Morgan, a 19th-century resident of Hartford, Connecticut who, after a blow to the head, awakens to find himself inexplicably transported back in time to early medieval England at the time of the legendary King Arthur. The story begins first person narrative in Warwick Castle, where a man details his recollection of a tale told to by an "interested stranger" who is personified as a knight through his simple language and familiarity with ancient armor. After a brief tale of Sir Launcelot of Camelot and his role in slaying two giants from the third-person narrative, the man named Hank Morgan enters and, after being given whiskey by the narrator, he is persuaded to reveal more of his story. Described through first-person narrative as a man familiar with the firearms and machinery trade, Hank is a man who had reached the level of superintendent due to his proficiency in firearms manufacturing, with two thousand subordinates. He describes the beginning of his tale by illustrating details of a disagreement with his subordinates, during which he sustained a head injury from a "crusher" to the head caused by a man named "Hercules" using a crowbar.After passing out from the blow, Hank describes waking up underneath an oak tree in a rural area of Camelot where a knight questions him for trespassing upon his land, and after establishing rapport, leads him towards Camelot castle. Upon recognizing that he has time-traveled to the sixth century, Hank realizes that he is the de facto smartest person on Earth, and with his knowledge he should soon be running things.
THE ungentle laws and customs touched upon in this tale are historical, and the episodes which are used to illustrate them are also historical. It is not pretended that these laws and customs existed in England in the sixth century; no, it is only pretended that inasmuch as they existed in the English and other civilizations of far later times, it is safe to consider that it is no libel upon the sixth century to suppose them to have been in practice in that day also.
One is quite justified in inferring that whatever one of these laws or customs was lacking in that remote time, its place was competently filled by a worse one.
The question as to whether there is such a thing as divine right of kings is not settled in this book. It was found too difficult. That the executive head of a nation should be a person of lofty character and extraordinary ability, was manifest and indisputable; that none but the Deity could select that head unerringly, was also manifest and indisputable; that the Deity ought to make that selection, then, was likewise manifest and indisputable; consequently, that He does make it, as claimed, was an unavoidable deduction. I mean, until the author of this book encountered the Pompadour, and Lady Castlemaine, and some other executive heads of that kind; these were found so difficult to work into the scheme, that it was judged better to take the other tack in this book (which must be issued this fall), and then go into training and settle the question in another book. It is, of course, a thing which ought to be settled, and I am not going to have anything particular to do next winter anyway.
MARK TWAIN.
Preface
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A Word Of Explanation
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Chapter 1 Camelot
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Chapter 2 King Arthur's Court
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Chapter 3 Knights Of The Table Round
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Chapter 4 Sir Dinadan The Humorist
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Chapter 5 An Inspiration
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Chapter 6 The Eclipse
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Chapter 7 Merlin's Tower
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Chapter 8 The Boss
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Chapter 9 The Tournament
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Chapter 10 Beginnings Of Civilization
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Chapter 11 The Yankee In Search Of Adventures
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Chapter 12 Slow Torture
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Chapter 13 Freemen
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Chapter 14 Defend Thee,Lord
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Chapter 15 Sandy's Tale
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Chapter 16 Morgan Le Fay
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Chapter 17 A Royal Banquet
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Chapter 18 In The Queen's Dungeons
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Chapter 19 Knight-Errantry As A Trade
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Chapter 20 The Ogre's Castle
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Chapter 21 The Pilgrims
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Chapter 22 The Holy Fountain
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Chapter 23 Restoration Of The Fountain
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Chapter 24 A Rival Magician
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Chapter 25 A Competitive Examination
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Chapter 26 The First Newspaper
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Chapter 27 The Yankee And The King Travel Incognito
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Chapter 28 Drilling The King
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Chapter 29 The Smallpox Hut
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Chapter 30 The Tragedy Of The Manor-house
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Chapter 31 Marco
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Chapter 32 Dowley's Humiliation
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Chapter 33 Sixth Century Political Economy
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Chapter 34 The Yankee and The King Sold As Slaves
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Chapter 35 A Pitiful Incident
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Chapter 36 An Eccounter In The Dark
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Chapter 37 An Awful Predicament
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Chapter 38 Sir Launcelot and Knights To The Rescue
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