Mark Twain wrote a scathing antiwar poem/story called “The War Prayer,” which he feared to have published during his lifetime. Decades after his death, this work was published.
I first ran into “The War Prayer” when a young woman sold me a copy at an antiwar demonstration during the Vietnam war. I was struck by the power of its language, as well as by the sentiments.
Several years ago, I found a a very effective YouTube animated version. This version is a bit long, which is why it is split into 2 videos. But it is well worth watching.
Then, just a few days ago while searching for this 2-part video presentation, I discovered a 1981 PBS adaptation of “The War Prayer“ which was part of a larger program on another of Mark Twain’s antiwar stories.
The actor who delivers the actual prayer of God’s emissary puts an experienced hell-fire preacher’s delivery into a decidedly antiwar statement.
The two-video version, which follows Twain’s text pretty much as he wrote it, appears below:
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
And here is the PBS adaptation:
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Regards,
Alan OldStudent
The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living – Socrates
Alan OldStudent's Musings Blog 
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