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Mark Twain was the pen name of writer Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Born in Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835, Twain spent his early years working as a newspaper editor, printer, prospector, and riverboat pilot. His first book, The Innocents Abroad, was published in 1869 and detailed his travels to Europe and the Holy Land. Throughout his life, Twain was a frequent traveler, both at home and abroad. In addition to several trips to Europe, Twain traveled to Hawaii, Nicaragua, the Caribbean, and India. Twain’s travels exposed him to many cultures, and he witnessed exploitation by imperialist governments. These experiences motivated Twain to serve as vice president of the American Anti-Imperialist League from 1901 until he died in 1910. During these years, Twain wrote “The War Prayer” illustrating the devastating effects of military aggression.
Other events in Twain’s later years might account for the portrayal of hypocrisy and ignorance of the characters in “The War Prayer,” which is considerably bleaker in tone than many of Twain’s earlier works. In 1894, a decade before he wrote “The War Prayer,” Twain filed for bankruptcy. Two years later, Twain’s eldest daughter, Susy, died of meningitis. Around the same time, Twain’s youngest daughter, Jean, was diagnosed with epilepsy.
By Mark Twain
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Mark Twain
A True Story
A True Story
Mark Twain
Letters from the Earth
Letters from the Earth
Mark Twain
Life on the Mississippi
Life on the Mississippi
Mark Twain
Roughing It
Roughing It
Mark Twain
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Mark Twain
The Autobiography of Mark Twain
The Autobiography of Mark Twain
Mark Twain
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
Mark Twain
The Gilded Age
The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today
Mark Twain, Charles Dudley Warner
The Innocents Abroad
The Innocents Abroad
Mark Twain
The Invalid's Story
The Invalid's Story
Mark Twain
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg
Mark Twain
The Mysterious Stranger
The Mysterious Stranger
Mark Twain
The Prince and the Pauper
The Prince and the Pauper
Mark Twain
Pudd'nhead Wilson
The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson
Mark Twain