The prototype of the modern man of letters as a man of business, Harte epitomized the professional writer in America immediately after the Civil War. Nor was his career short-lived. His collected writings run to twenty-five volumes, and his tales were regularly translated into German, French, Italian, Swedish, Russian, and other languages. Part I of this volume lists first printings and many reprintings and translations of nearly 850 of Harte's poems, stories, and plays. It reconstructs his lecture tours and the performance schedules of several plays and lists texts falsely attributed to him. Part II lists a number of documentary sources, many of them new to Harte scholarship, including interviews, a selection of Harte obituaries, and archives that hold Harte manuscripts.

This work presents an incredible biography of the American author and poet Bret Harte. The book explores Harte's life, from his childhood to his rise to literary fame in the late 19th century and his involvement in the California Gold Rush. Merwin also provides insights into California's cultural and historical context during the mid-1800s and its impact on Harte's literary works. The book is essential for those interested in American literature and California's rich history.