On the wild west

From 1861 to 1867, a young Mark Twain travelled through the Wild West.

Following an abortive foray into a career as a Confederate Cavalry man he opted instead to head off on a stagecoach road trip with his brother Orion, who had just been appointed Secretary of Nevada Territory.

Twain sets out on an epic voyage from Missouri to Sacramento.

He will visit Salt Lake City, witness the beginning of the real estate boom and try his hand at silver mining in Nevada.

Travelling in turn by boat, train and coach, through mountains and deserts, he comes across Native Americans, visits a Mormon village and becomes stranded in a snowstorm.

Discovering a land in the grasp of a boom and bust mentality, Twain is caught up in the lust for instant wealth which remains always tantalisingly close.