.
Clemons was a bit of a sourpuss.
Yes, but he was also a big fan of...
Samuel Clemens.
Of all of Twain's travel and/or reminiscence books, I like "Roughing It" the best, "Innocents Abroad" vying with "Life on the Mississippi"* for second place. I would never have expected anyone to tie Twain to prophecy vis-a-vis Israel... I suspect he would probably be offended by the idea of being mentioned in connection with religion, yet so delighted that someone was paying attention to him that he would take whatever credit was vouchsafed.
Mr. niteowl77
*A writer (and fellow Iowan) named Richard Bissell once wrote an interesting little autobiography coyly entitled, "My Life on the Mississippi- Or Why I Am Not Mark Twain," wherein he was a bit uncomplimentary about Sam'l.