Mein Kampf [Paperback]

Adolf Hitler (Author), Ralph Manheim (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1998

In 1922, just four years after the war to end all wars, an unknown Austrian then living in Bavaria planned a pamphlet to be called Settling Accounts. In it he intended to attack the ineffectiveness of the dominant political parties in Germany which were opposed to the new National Socialists (Nazis). In November 1923, Adolf Hitler was jailed for the abortive Munich Beer Hall putsch along with men willing and able to assist him with his writing. With the help of these collaborators, chief among them Rudolf Hess, the pamphlet became a book. Settling Accounts became Mein Kampf, an unparalleled example of muddled economics and history, appalling bigotry, and an intense self-glorification of Adolf Hitler as the true founder and builder of the National Socialist movement. It was written in hate and it contained a blueprint for violent bloodshed. When Mein Kampf was published in 1925, it was a failure. In 1926 a second volume appeared - it was no more successful than the first. People either laughed at it or ignored it. They were wrong to do so. As Hitler's power increased, pressure was put on all party members to buy the book. Gradually this pressure was extended to all elements of the German population. Soon Mein Kampf was even being passed out to newlywed couples as a gift. Ironically, and frighteningly, by the time Hitler came to power on January 30, 1933, what has been considered by many to be the most satanic book ever written was running neck and neck with the Bible at the top of the German bestseller lists. In his excellent introduction to this definitive American translation of Mein Kampf, Konrad Heiden writes: "For years Mein Kampf stood as proof of the blindness and complacency of the world. For in its pages Hitler announced -- long before he came to power -- a program of blood and terror in a self-revelation of such overwhelming frankness that few among its readers had the courage to believe it ... That such a man could go so far toward realizing his ambitions, and -- above all -- could find millions of willing tools and helpers; that is a phenomenon the world will ponder for centuries to come." We would be wrong in thinking that such a program, such a man, and such appalling consequences could not reappear in our world of the present. We cannot permit our selves the luxury of forgetting the tragedy of World War II or the man who, more than any other, fostered it. Mein Kampf must be read and constantly remembered as a specimen of evil demagoguery that people whenever men grow tired of thinking and acting for themselves. Mein Kampf is a blueprint for the age of chaos. It transcends in historical importance any other book of the present generation. In his translation Ralph Manheim has taken particular care to give an exact English equivalent of Hitler's highly individual, and often awkward style, including his occasional grammatical errors. We believe this book should stand as the complete, final, and definitive English version of Hitler's own story of his life, his political philosophy, and his thwarted plans for world domination. Translated by Ralph Manheim with an introduction by Konrad Heiden. A compilation of Hitler's most famous prison writings of 1923--the bible of National Socialism and the blueprint for the Third Reich.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The angry ranting of an obscure, small-party politician, the first volume of Mein Kampf was virtually ignored when it was originally published in 1925. Likewise the second volume, which appeared in 1926. The book details Hitler's childhood, the "betrayal" of Germany in World War I, the desire for revenge against France, the need for lebensraum for the German people, and the means by which the National Socialist party can gain power. It also includes Hitler's racist agenda and his glorification of the "Aryan" race. The few outside the Nazi party who read it dismissed it as nonsense, not believing that anyone could--or would--carry out its radical, terrorist programs. As Hitler and the Nazis gained power, first party members and then the general public were pressured to buy the book. By the time Hitler became chancellor of the Third Reich in 1933, the book stood atop the German bestseller lists. Had the book been taken seriously when it was first published, perhaps the 20th century would have been very different.

Beyond the anger, hatred, bigotry, and self-aggrandizing, Mein Kampf is saddled with tortured prose, meandering narrative, and tangled metaphors (one person was described as "a thorn in the eyes of venal officials"). That said, it is an incredibly important book. It is foolish to think that the Holocaust could not happen again, especially if World War II and its horrors are forgotten. As an Amazon.com reader has pointed out, "If you want to learn about why the Holocaust happened, you can't avoid reading the words of the man who was most responsible for it happening." Mein Kampf, therefore, must be read as a reminder that evil can all too easily grow. --Sunny Delaney --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"For years, Mein Kampf stood as proof of the blindness and complacency of the world. In its pages Hitler announced--long before he came to power--a program of blood and terror in a self-revelation of such overwhelming frankness that few had the courage to believe it...That such a man could go so far toward realizing his ambitions--that is a phenomenon the world will ponder for centuries to come." -- Konrad Heiden, author of Der Fuhrer: Hitler's Rise to Power

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 694 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company (September 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395925037
• ISBN-13: 978-0395925034
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.6 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (317 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( H ) > Hitler, Adolf
  • #7 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > European
  • #13 in Books > History > Europe > Germany

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

170 of 186 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An incredibly valuable and fascinating translation October 6, 2009

By Susanna Hutcheson TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

While not an easy read, I rather enjoy this translation and find it quite useful. The good news is -- once you get into it, you find it's not all that difficult to read. You begin to understand the message and the translation.

James Murphy started the translation. Ford, president of Elite Minds, publisher of the book, says Murphy embellished it, left things out, added things, and used academic words that make it hard to read.

He says he has not changed any wording and he has left all mistakes as they were. He adds, and probably correctly, that much was lost in the translation and that it sounded more like Murphy and less like Hitler. Murphy wrote for the intellectual while Hitler spoke to the working class.

Little needs to be said about the words of Hitler. I enjoy reading Mein Kampf. That certainly is not an endorsement of the man or his movement. Mein Kampf is an interesting look into the mind of this man and it is interesting how we can see some of the same characteristics running in numerous people in office today. If we don't know history, we're apt to repeat it.

Indeed, Hitler might even have won a Nobel Peace Prize based on his promises and the excitement he created in people before they really got to know him had the prize been given in those days! Certainly such greats as JFK and Churchill gave him glowing compliments.

Why did people follow Hitler? Knowing what we do now, it's easy to think the German people were stupid. The truth is the country had suffered a severe punishing war and hyperinflation -- money was worthless. They needed a real leader.

Hitler promised everyone everything. He was just the "right" person for that particular time. If times had been different, he would not have risen to power in all likelihood....

I find Hitler part genius, part psychopath.

The book -- no matter what translation -- is a must-read. It's a classic. It's a book that gives you insight into one of the most important minds of the 20th Century and in all of history.

Why should you read any translation of Mein Kampf? Sun Tzu said you must know your enemy. We read about those we regard as dangerous, or wrong or criminal in order to avoid that type of individual ever encroaching into power again. We also read to understand that person in relationship to the times in which he lived.

Just as Hitler knew his dreaded enemy, the Communist Party and Karl Marx, we should know Hitler, the Fascist dictator. Hitler didn't take on an issue or an enemy without knowing it inside-out. In that regard, he was brilliant. He knew what he was fighting. He knew the enemy.

While this translation can be awkward, I recommend it to you. It is close to the original, which gives it incredible value. Moreover, if you're a careful reader with a decent vocabulary and perhaps a good dictionary, it's not that difficult to read. It might turn out to be your preferred version.

If you're interested and fascinated by World War 1 or World War 11 and most importantly, if you want to understand history and how the words of Hitler changed the course of history, you need to read all translations.

Highly recommended.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson Read more ›

280 of 320 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a light read! November 29, 2000

By Amazon Reviewer

Format:Paperback

This book is really something that one should take the time for, it is not an easy read, especially not in German, and the book is also not very exciting, it is, after all, a political book. Some people seem offended that I own this book, when they see it on my shelf, some dare not say anything, afraid i might be some kind of neo nazi, but Mein Kampf is one of the best selling books ever published, and it had a great impact on those who read it during it's time of first publishing.

People simply look at Hitler as being this disturbed man, who was just dangerous to everyone, and should never have been alive, but there is more to Hitler than hatred. He had the power to convince millions of people that he could change their economical, social and political situation, he influenced and inspired them. He was a brilliant man, although also said to be mentally ill, possibly schizophrenic.

People are scared of young adults reading Mein Kampf and being influenced by it, but in order to prevent something like this from happening again, we should look at the situation at that time, we can read this book and learn from it, find out what drove Adolf Hitler to this. I believe this is a book more people should read and learn from, instead of fearing it and the man behind it.

But beware, it's not an easy read.

492 of 570 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Let Hitler speak for himself May 12, 2003

By zonaras

Format:Paperback

The edition of MEIN KAMPF I am reviewing here is the Murphy translation, different from the Manaheim translation which can be purchased in most book stores. It has this grainy, purple-colored picture of Hitler on the front in a Nazi uniform, and the spine is bright yellow with the title written in massive red letters. Most of the people who condemn this book so harshly probably did not read it, and have only a superficial, media-produced idea of what National Socialism/Nazism was all-about. Ho-hum--So self-righteous, so sanctimonious.

The style of MEIN KAMPF is very drawn out and highly technical and detailed, presented in the form of an autiobiographical, philosphical, political, social and quasi-spiritual diatribe. The prevailing theme of much of the first part is Hitler's frustration with the military alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary. He felt that the Germans should all live in one country, rather than there being a Germany and an empire ruled by Germans (the Austro-Hungarian Empire) over various ethnic groups in Eastern Europe. I don't consider myself any kind authority on this period of time in the late 19th and early 20th century in central Europe, but some type of understanding of the political structure in place in Austria-Hungary and Germany is necessary to understand what Hitler is talking about, otherwise it will just seem like endless rambling. Hitler writes about his expiriences in WWI, and praises the heroism of the German army in the conflict. Germany not only held off both Britain and France on the Western Front, but was also free to battle at will with its enemies on the east and south, and (until 1918 before Marxist inspired workers' strikes), maintain the upper hand.... Hitler analyzes the use of propaganda between the two sides and concludes that the Allies had the upper hand in influencing morale for their cause. Britain was especially successful in portraying the Germans as the 'Huns' who committed terrible atrocites so that the Allied troops would not be as shocked going into the war as the German soldiers were, whose propaganda portrayed the Allies as silly weaklings, which was obviously not true. Hitler understood well the workings of propaganda and how it can be used as a soft-core form of government mind-control. There is nothing different from Hitler's description and use of it and how it is used by the news and entertainment media in America today.

There are many anti-Jewish statements strewn throughout MEIN KAMPF, but they are not so much to be as shocking as many would think. The 'anti-Semitism' is more assumed than explained, but the explanation involves the Nazi theory of a three-tiered racial makup of mankind which determines human interaction between cultural and religious groups. The "founders of culture" are the mythical Aryans. All ancient cultural, religious and other developments can be traced to them, even though Hitler never explains who they are, or how they could be related to Germans. The "preservers of culture" are those who got culture from the Aryans, but stagnated after the Aryans interbreeded with those of lesser racial stock. The only apparent "preservers of culture" that Hitler mentions here are the Japanese. The Jews are the "destroyers of culture." Hitler criticizes them for using their religion to justify a racial-preservation group tactic. Hitler does not cite any sources as to where he got this information, and MEIN KAMPF generally relies on the readers' percieved, innate, subjective insight regarding racial and social issues. Throughout are descriptions of the state controlled eugenic social policies that would be in place once the Nazis gained power in Germany.

The last third or so of the book is dedicated to retelling the story of the National Socialist Movement and especially Hitler's personal perspectives and recollections on it. Highlited are the Nazi organizational sturcture and its struggles against the Marxists. Read more ›

49 of 53 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Fake edition January 17, 2012

By Karla Moss

Format:Hardcover

I have published and will continue to publish this review under any pirated murphy edition I can find.

This edition is a fake. It is not the Official Nazi version but it is clear the publisher is trying to make it sound like it by putting "OFFICIAL" in the title. It is not from any Official Third Reich sources either. That is blatantly false. This is a copy that was downloaded from the internet where it is widely available for free (dont bother downloading, read the rest of my review to find out why it is not worth downloading for free) and then published as a pirate copy. Some random character sticking his own introduction does not make it right and does not make it worth reading. This is a British translation by James Murphy.

The name Murphy attached to it is the first indication to avoid this book. Don't waste your time. This edition is abridged by 20% which means it is 20% shorter than the original German because so much was edited out by Murphy. The Murphy translation is also full of errors. I will not relist those errors here but you can find them in the book Mein Kampf A Translation Controversy which compares various translations.

I think it is terrible that people download this poor quality public domain version(which is available for free from gutenberg australia) and sell it here. My advice is do not buy any Mein Kampf that is a Murphy Translation or any that does not list who the translator is(which will be Murphy but the seller does not want to admit it). The Manheim translation is no better.

I ticks me off to see these people selling a public domain version of Murphy's version so I felt the need to vent here.