The War Prayer (Inscribed by John Groth WIth a Drawing)

First edition of this illustrated edition of Mark Twain’s The War Prayer, published in 1968 by St Crispin Press. Large 8vo (7.25” x 10.25”), quarter black cloth and gray-paper covered boards, pictorial dust jacket, illustrated throughout with reproductions of John Groth’s expressive drawings. Twain’s anti-war prose, written during the Philippine-American War and withheld from publication during his lifetime, is particularly well-matched by Groth’s experience as a wartime artist and correspondent. Inscribed by John Groth on the front free endpaper, dated August 24, 1969, with a large original two-color ink drawing comprising two figural groups, including a woman fleeing with an infant. An unusually elaborate example of Groth’s presentation drawings for this title; other inscribed copies are known with simpler single-group drawings of a woman and child. Contents near fine. Some bumping and rubbing to edge-chipped dust jacket. 1.5” closed tear to bottom edge of front cover; small open tears to spine ends; 4” open tear to bottom of rear cover, not affecting cover design.…