Mein Kampf [Paperback]

Adolf Hitler (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 687 pages
• Publisher: PIMLICO (RAND) (February 13, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 071265254X
• ISBN-13: 978-0712652544
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (196 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,084,700 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

451 of 522 people found the following review helpful:

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

By 

zonaras (Jimbo's House of Pie) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mein Kampf (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.

78 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars poor edition: lazy, sloppy translation, September 24, 2009

By 

E. Rivaz - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mein Kampf (Paperback)

I'm reviewing this particular edition of Mein Kampf, not the book itself or Hitler's arguments. If you just want to understand what Hitler's philosophy was, this is fine and inexpensive.

HOWEVER, I bought this for research purposes, and have found that the translation is sloppy. Moreover, it is full of typos and I find it difficult to believe it was even proof-read before going to print. For example it has Hitler referring to a battle in "1948", when it is obviously 1848. Another example: "It would be a stake to think that the followers of various political parties...". Surely that should be "mistake", not "stake". Unfortunately this edition is riddled with errors such as this, which is only a reflection of lazy translation and proofing. As a result, I can't be 100% sure that it is accurate, so will have to cross-reference with another edition.

229 of 265 people found the following review helpful:

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

By 

Amazon Reviewer (Home) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mein Kampf (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.