Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler

Product Description

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.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #1208967 in Books
Published on: 2004-02-28
Number of items: 1
Binding: Hardcover
384 pages
Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
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

Language Notes
Text: English, German (translation)
Customer Reviews

National Collectivist
Hitler was a grand socialist. He proposed state control (regulation) of industry, economic interventionism, universal healthcare, and:

"We demand that the State shall make it its primary duty to provide a livelihood for its citizens. "

Oh, wait, that is just good old fashioned welfare statism a la Paul Krugman and H. Clinton.

The fact that we universally recognize Hitler's racism as evil, while adopting the same collectivist welfare statism, speaks to our ignorance.

Until individualism replaced collectivism, we will continue to see injustices against the individual from both the Liberals and Conservatives.


Learn or repeat..........
It seams odd, VERRY odd to have purchased this book. I am neither a Nazi, Neo Nazi nor simpathiser of ANY sort or degree!!!! You have NO idea
how much bull I have recieved for just haviiing it, especially from my jewish aquaintances, but I think it is IMPORTANT to learn from the past. "You Know Who" was a MONSTER, a mad MONSTER, undeniabely!!!!!!! He was, however unfortunately, also a genius!!!!!
I felt compelled to read this book in an attempt to find some degree of understanding and insight into how ANYONE could be SOOOO TWISTED, even EVIL!!!! For one man to do such things to another, let alone hundreds of thousands. His existance was a tragedy on ALL of humanity, a scar which can never be erased!!!! If humanity doesn't learn from it's mistakes it will be condemned to repeat them!!!!!!! There is knowledge in ALL things, no matter how horable and/or tragic!!!!!! LEARN!!!!!!!

You will be shocked how logical and appealing Hitler's argument is.
First, a disclaimer: I do not advocate or support Hitler's ideas, but I recommend this book because so much of the world currently thinks this way and applies this philosophy or similar to issues of economy, immigration, international relations, and even their daily business and community lives. Because Mein Kampf reflects the mindset of so many, from leaders such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (President of Iran) down to the common American factory worker, it's important to realize that these ideas--as any really--are as dangerous as they are logical.

Is this an evil book? No. We have several maniacs publishing books, sitting in places of political power, and with loyal followings on political talk shows whose ideas are as or more threatening to world order if they were allowed to reign. And since you should understand those competing ideas for what they are, I recommend reading the father of them all--Mein Kampf.

The most shocking thing about reading this book is that Hitler offers a very logical and appealing argument: that foreigners (the Jews in his time, but perhaps we could substitute the Chinese or Mexicans in ours, or we Americans if you are from Europe or the Middle East, or 'White' Afrikans in 'Black' Africa) are a threat to our wealth and welfare, the health of our society, that they are slowing taking over economically, that it's only a matter of time before they are a ruling, wealthy minority which will subjegate our culture and people--and that they must be stopped.

After all, this has happened in other countries--you're bound to think--and isn't it happening today? Wouldn't we be right to protect our interests against this imminent threat? Of course, the answer is to irradicate them, seize their assets, erase all traces of their culture. At the very least, doesn't Mein Kampf match very well with the idea of closing United States borders to all immigration, and deporting those who are not already citizens? Hitler himself argues the point far better than any politician today--and boldly.

Hitler does not come off as insane or evil. He's preaching to the chior in his time and place, and it's not much of a stretch to say that this same argument would be very effective today.

It's scary how convincing this book is, and that's exactly why you should read it. Even if you, as I, may not agree with how he incorporated his political philosophy, it's a wake up call to read something by the individual who personified evil for nearly all of us and yet find that his ideas are considerably well thought out.