Pacifism books

[JhKreisler]

Hopefully, you guys have ever read Im Westen Nichts Neues of Erich Maria Remarque. And there will be many ones among you who know Tolstoy was a pacifist too.

Do you know any other pacifism books?

[dfloyd]

but I wouldn't call him a pacifist. He was certainly against the Nazi regime, but was not any sort of radical. If you like his books, there are many to choose from..... Three Comrades, The Arch de Triomphe, Flotsam and Jetsam, The Black Obelisk, and on. Google him.

Tolstoy, in the younger part of his life, was in the military. He certainly believed in the fact that the Russian army more or less conquered Napoleon. His political beliefs later in life were more for political reform and the serf problem after they were freed.

I don't think the term pacifist describes either author adequately. To get a better idea of Tolstoy's views in older age, read Resurrection, his last novel.

[hellsapoppin]

The War Prayer by Mark Twain. He allowed it to be released only after his death so that people wouldn't criticize him for hating war and its evils.


The Kingdom of God is Within You by Leo Tolstoy


You may want to read Menno Simons' writings as well.

As for Remarque, I don't recall reading where he was a pacifist. True, All Quiet was an antiwar novel, though not necessarily a pacifist novel. There are many writings which would be classified as antiwar though not necessarily pacifist as were Twain, Tolstoy, and Menno.

[The Atheist]

The War Prayer by Mark Twain. He allowed it to be released only after his death so that people wouldn't criticize him for hating war and its evils.

That's not quite right, apparently (http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/twain1.html):


Twain wrote The War Prayer during the US war on the Philippines. It was submitted for publication, but on March 22, 1905, Harper's Bazaar rejected it as "not quite suited to a woman's magazine." Eight days later, Twain wrote to his friend Dan Beard, to whom he had read the story, "I don't think the prayer will be published in my time. None but the dead are permitted to tell the truth." Because he had an exclusive contract with Harper & Brothers, Mark Twain could not publish "The War Prayer" elsewhere and it remained unpublished until 1923.


Do you know any other pacifism books?

Bertrand Russell's autobiography and other works on the subject, such as Justice in Wartime. They aren't specifically pacifist, but as the smartest pacifist ever, Russell's reasoning is essential reading.

[WuWei]

but I wouldn't call him a pacifist. He was certainly against the Nazi regime, but was not any sort of radical. If you like his books, there are many to choose from..... Three Comrades, The Arch de Triomphe, Flotsam and Jetsam, The Black Obelisk, and on. Google him.

Tolstoy, in the younger part of his life, was in the military. He certainly believed in the fact that the Russian army more or less conquered Napoleon. His political beliefs later in life were more for political reform and the serf problem after they were freed.

I don't think the term pacifist describes either author adequately. To get a better idea of Tolstoy's views in older age, read Resurrection, his last novel.

I think Tolstoj may quite fittingly be described as a pacifist in the latter part of his life. As you rightly point out, from Resurrection on his vision was that of an all-encompassing christian humanism, but many of his letters and later works specifically deal with the problem of violence. So yes, I would definitely describe him as a pacifist.

The first book that comes to my mind when I think of a pacifist novel is "Three Soldiers" by John Dos Passos (which I don't really like, by the way).

The list of authors who described the pointlessness of war is basically neverending (from Bierce to Brecht, from Joseph Roth to Rolland). Personally, I enjoy the more unusual approach of Céline's "Voyage" or Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms". Even Don De Lillo's "Underworld" is, all in all, somewhat linked to pacifism.

[hellsapoppin]

"The War Prayer by Mark Twain. He allowed it to be released only after his death so that people wouldn't criticize him for hating war and its evils.

That's not quite right ..."



The post I made previously was based on several readings I have made of Mark Twain's life and career. For example see,

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2007_05/011390.php


"His family begged him not to publish it, his friends advised him to bury it, and his publisher rejected it, thinking it too inflammatory for the times. Twain agreed, but instructed that it be published after his death, saying famously:

None but the dead are permitted to tell the truth."


Writers of that time (like today) were/are not above publishingly anonymously. He certainly had that option but chose that it be published after his death. Indeed, this view (to the best of my knowledge and study) represents the consensus among his biographers and other historians.

[The Atheist]

Writers of that time (like today) were/are not above publishingly anonymously. He certainly had that option but chose that it be published after his death. Indeed, this view (to the best of my knowledge and study) represents the consensus among his biographers and other historians.


Interesting. I've found exactly the opposite and find that fits the facts better.

I think it unlikely that Twain would choose to publish under a different pseudonym.

I'll dig further and come back on it.

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain#Pacifism), Neohumanism (http://neohumanism.org/m/ma/mark_twain.html) (whoever they are) and Incredible People (http://profiles.incredible-people.com/mark-twain/)all vote for the contractual problem, while only Wapedia (http://wapedia.mobi/en/The_War_Prayer) makes the claim that family pressure kept it quiet, but that claim is qualified by asking for citation.

It appears that citation is lacking for all claims of family pressure, while the contractual position is known to be correct.

We must go kill a rat and see if the truth comes to us in the night!

[Aelita]

I just saw the War Prayer on YouTube and there are no comments. People are afraid.

[hellsapoppin]

"We must go kill a rat and see if the truth comes to us in the night!"

Well, it's no big deal. This is what I have read in the past but if there are historians who disagree, heck, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

[keilj]

I just saw the War Prayer on YouTube and there are no comments. People are afraid.

The War Prayer is brilliant. I love the ending


Perhaps there are no comments on Youtube because a lot of people interpret the war prayer like the church audience in the story did :svengo: