Mein Kampf: can you still read it.

Discussion in 'Books, Films, TV, Radio' started by Deacs, Oct 12, 2011.

  1. Deacs

    Deacs Well i am from Cumbria.

    Before you all condemn me for asking this but i was in conversation with a work colleague and he asked me if you can still get a copy of Mein Kampf to read.
    So the only people i no who would no this question are my fellow forum members.

    Regards Michael.
     
  2. pauldawn

    pauldawn Senior Member

  3. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Lindele likes this.
  4. Deacs

    Deacs Well i am from Cumbria.

    I knew i would get the answer i don't think he wants to read it he was just curious to no if it had been banned or not.

    Thanks for all your replys.

    Regards Michael.
     
  5. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    Believe it is legal in UK but illegal in Germany, I wonder who get AH's royalties?
     
  6. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Isn't it banned in Austria too?
     
  7. Deacs

    Deacs Well i am from Cumbria.

    Believe it is legal in UK but illegal in Germany, I wonder who get AH's royalties?

    A very good question that i wonder where it does go, but who would want the royalties from that monsters work.
     
  8. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    Believe it is legal in UK but illegal in Germany, I wonder who get AH's royalties?
    I presume any royalties from foreign editions go to to the Bavarian State Government, who appropriated Eher Verlag's business in 1945. Under EU copyright law, it's still in copyright until 2015, 70 years after Hitler's death:

    The IPKat: Copyright struggle about "Mein Kampf"

    It is, BTW, an incredibly turgid tome and may rival 'A Brief History of Time' as "the most unread book ever."
     
  9. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Hot air manufacturer

    Royalties? But would not those have already fallen under the copyright laws stating a royalty period of 50 years? Of course Adolf could still be alive, but...

    MK can of course still be found on a number of those sites I won't mention here :)

    ----

    Oops! Just saw the post above! And yes, after a few tens of pages I put it aside. Totally mind-bending. And booooring!
     
  10. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Old Hickory Recon

    Before you all condemn me for asking this but i was in conversation with a work colleague and he asked me if you can still get a copy of Mein Kampf to read.
    So the only people i no who would no this question are my fellow forum members.

    Regards Michael.


    Why would we condemn you? You should always know your enemy.
     
  11. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    Why would we condemn you? You should always know your enemy.

    Like Patton said of Rommel, " I read your book you bastard"!
     
  12. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    I picked up a copy in a used book store about ten years ago in Atlanta.

    I didn't really expect to read it all but from the skimming I did I thought it was pretty bad. It was an English translation.

    Dave
     
  13. ritsonvaljos

    ritsonvaljos Senior Member

    Yes. I have read it. I bought my paperback copy at "Michael Moon's Book Emporium" (which you should have heard of).
     
  14. Heimbrent

    Heimbrent Well-Known Member

    Like others suggested above, I think Hitler's books (except for edited version that only use snippets) are illegal in Germany.
    But they can be read in libraries (not for lending) or universities.
    I've read Mein Kampf (but not Hitler's "second book"). If every German had read it like they were supposed to in the 3rd Reich, fewer could have claimed they knew of nothing...
     
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  15. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    I would go along with Heimbrent - if more Europeans had read his book - we wouldn't have had the bother of getting rid of him and his pals over the years 1939 - 45....!

    Cheers
     
  16. Deacs

    Deacs Well i am from Cumbria.

    I seem to be getting a pattern here - RUBBISH by all accounts then.
    Will tell Scott even if he wanted too don't read it.

    Cheers everybody for your inputs.

    Much appreciated.

    Michael.
     
  17. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    Royalties? But would not those have already fallen under the copyright laws stating a royalty period of 50 years? Of course Adolf could still be alive, but...
    Under the Berne Convention, the rule is fifty years. However, most (all?) EU nations have changed to 70 years: in the UK it changed in 1988, giving the rather odd quirk that authors who died between 1918 and 1938 were out of copyright but those who died in 1939 "enjoyed" another 20 years of protection until 2009! So Mein Kampf would have been out of copyright here in 1995 under the old rules.
    Yes. I have read it. I bought my paperback copy at "Michael Moon's Book Emporium" (which you should have heard of).
    Well I certainly have. Tried tapping him up for a job once.

    And I'm sure Deacs has heard of him too!
     
  18. Heimbrent

    Heimbrent Well-Known Member

    I seem to be getting a pattern here - RUBBISH by all accounts then.
    Will tell Scott even if he wanted too don't read it.

    Cheers everybody for your inputs.

    Much appreciated.

    Michael.

    Its actual contents should definitely be considered rubbish (I hope!!), but back then his ideas must have seemed very sane and tempting to a whole lot of people. After all, neither antisemitism, antibolshewism, racism/social Darwinism or blood&soil-ideology et al. were invented by Hitler; somewhat unprecedented was only his way of mixing them.
    So if you want to understand more about national socialism, Hitler himself and his goals for the war (and if you have background knowledge), then by all means, do read Mein Kampf.

    Other than that there are some really interesting bits and insights, e.g. on mass psychology, which do give an insight into why certain people and parties (not only the NSDAP) were/are so successful...
     
  19. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    I read the first 100 odd pages and as my partner ( Marie) would say " I lost the will to live".

    Probably the most boring book ever to have been written or printed.... if I might quote "M." again ...."Dung , pure dung". :)

    In terms of history there are parts of which are probably important within the context of understanding Hitler and perhaps with some justification it could be argued that to understand Hitler you should try and read or you should read his "book" ........ as far as reading his "second book" goes I would rather have a bout of diarrhoea , less painful , over quicker and perhaps not such a waste of time.......

    If perhaps this puts you off reading or buying "M.K." you owe me a rep point. :)
     
    Deacs likes this.
  20. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    Hb. and I seem to have been formulating our replies at the same time, and we our views of the least read book in Hitler's Germany are very similar.
    It does give you an insight into the man and his views, but God it is hard work and it comes to the point that you hate it.

    Sometime back I saw on a US collectors site a wooden case for sale - the container for a special wedding gift to an SS man and his bride - a special presentation copy of "M.K." ...... if you really disliked anyone , this would be the perfect gift !!!
    ( Put it this way it would be the ultimate contraceptive device , 6 pages and you fall asleep). :D :D :D :D
     

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