Has anyone read the book Mein Kempf?

[Dunit35]

Just wondering.

I've wanted to read it since I started reading about WWII in high school and my interest in the book has really peeked lately.

[crispystl]

Just wondering.

I've wanted to read it since I started reading about WWII in high school and my interest in the book has really peeked lately.

No, however I am interested in reading it myself.

[Dunit35]

I've been on barnesandnoble.com staring at the put in cart option since Friday. I've been afraid that the second I buy it something will happen with my money situation and I'll need the money.

[Pablo]

I've been on barnesandnoble.com staring at the put in cart option since Friday. I've been afraid that the second I buy it something will happen with my money situation and I'll need the money.You checked your local library?

[Huffman83]

Pay cash....I just imagine our names our going into some government list for talking about the concept of reading it.

[Dunit35]

You checked your local library?

I've thought about it but I really want to own it.

[KCCHIEFS27]

I certainly have, but I'm always interested in exploring the minds of historical figures, whether they were crazy, influential or both. At the moment I'm reading an amazing book about Oppenheimer and Einstein. Haha, upon meeting Einstein, Oppenheimer wrote a letter to his brother saying "Einstein is completely cuckoo"

[Pablo]

I've thought about it but I really want to own it.What if you start reading it and you find it totally uninteresting and/or ignorant?

I mean, you could always read it for free from the library and then buy the copy for your library if you enjoy it.

[Dunit35]

What if you start reading it and you find it totally uninteresting and/or ignorant?

I mean, you could always read it for free from the library and then buy the copy for your library if you enjoy it.

Yeah, my father read parts of it and said it was disturbing. I think I will really get into it. I would be shocked if I hated it.

Its 698 pages. Paperback is 18 dollars with free shipping from barnsandnoble.com.

Wouldn't paperback be gigantic with that many pages?

Hardcover is 32.

[Skip Towne]

I tried to read it years ago but I found it terribly dull.

[Jenson71]

No I have not. Everyone I've talked to who has said they've read it has followed it with a "Don't waste your time. It was horrible."

[Dunit35]

No I have not. Everyone I've talked to who has said they've read it has followed it with a "Don't waste your time. It was horrible."

You're a big time reader aren't you?

You guys have talked me into checking the libraries here. I'm not finding it in my campus library.

[Miles]

You're a big time reader aren't you?

You guys have talked me into checking the libraries here. I'm not finding it in my campus library.

Have you tried talking to one of the clerks at your campus library? If it's a state school many of them share exchange books and they might be able to get a copy for you.

[Dunit35]

Have you tried talking to one of the clerks at your campus library? If it's a state school many of them share exchange books and they might be able to get a copy for you.

I found it. I must have been spelling it wrong.

** My battle (Mein kampf) By Adolf Hitler. Abridged and translated by E.T.S. Dugdale. Hitler, Adolf, 1889-1945. 1937

1 copy...the other copy was lost by a student.

[googlegoogle]

Autocratic Socialist times we are a living.

[Jenson71]

You're a big time reader aren't you?

You guys have talked me into checking the libraries here. I'm not finding it in my campus library.

Reading is probably the only thing that I think I'm really good at (Read Mortimer Adler's How to Read a Book if you want to be a good reader). I would consider myself to be pretty dedicated. In part I have to be because of school, but I read outside stuff too. I've read 14 books (plus a couple of plays and long essays) so far this year. I'm happy with that. But a really big reader, though - I think NewPhin reads at least over 100 books a year easily.

I love books though. That's a huge weakness of mine. Used bookstores are like cocaine to me. In New York, there are often sidewalk sales of used books. Nothing beats it.

So check a used book store around town if you have any. They might have a copy.

[macdawg]

I downloaded it online one night for free, skimmed it and read it over about 90 minutes so obviously didn't really read it, but lots of stories to help you understand how he gained peoples trust. Imagine your in an economy worse than ours today in a powerful yet struggling country and he makes all these firm promises if you follow him, just trust him, he does it convincingly to the regular person in a way that makes Hitler extremely easy to respect and trust because he is so non judegmental (provided you weren't jewish, you could be a woman beating non working severely alcoholic blond haired guy and he'd have complete care for you, or at least portray it)

[Thig Lyfe]

I'll wait for the movie.

[Tribal Warfare]

Just wondering.

I've wanted to read it since I started reading about WWII in high school and my interest in the book has really peeked lately.

you'll get red flagged by the FBI

[Delano]

I didn't see it on Project Gutenberg. Just buy the paperback.

[Fritz88]

check it out online (some excerpts) or read it at a local library.

Do not buy it unless you are going to own it because you love it.

This is what I do with books. Never buy a book unless you want to add it to your collection.

[Saulbadguy]

Download the book off the net.

[Fish]

It's rather crappy and incredibly boring.

[gblowfish]

I'm waiting for the musical.

[CoMoChief]

Just read Obama Nation, pretty much the same thing.

[Dunit35]

I checked it out at our campus library.

Weird though. The librarian assistant was a college girl and when I told her what book I wanted she said "ew". When the main librarian lady came over to help she says "is it for a class?...are you guys history majors?" WTF...why does it matter.

Campus Police will probably contact me now. She did say they are going to order another copy.

It's only 298 pages long. Is that correct?...barnesandnoble.com copies were 720 and came out in 1998. This one is from 1937.

[Saulbadguy]

I checked it out at our campus library.

Weird though. The librarian assistant was a college girl and when I told her what book I wanted she said "ew". When the main librarian lady came over to help she says "is it for a class?...are you guys history majors?" WTF...why does it matter.

Campus Police will probably contact me now. She did say they are going to order another copy.

It's only 298 pages long. Is that correct?...barnesandnoble.com copies were 720 and came out in 1998. This one is from 1937.

Yeah, it's a book written by one of most despised humans in the history of the world. No surprise you get funny looks.

[Jenson71]

I'm waiting for the musical.

SPRING TIME, FOR HITLER!!

[Otter]

Read it in college for a modern history class. Much of the book is highly repetitive in that he relays the same message over and over just using different experiences and metaphors to express the point.

It also doesn't flow very well. I'm sure the fact it's been translated from German to English contributes to this problem but while Hitler may have been a master manipulator and opportunist he wasn't much of an author. It's one of those books you probably wouldn't lose a whole lot if you just read a good summary or review of because of the aforementioned issues.

Boring? Not by a long shot but can be like reading a stereo installation guide where the author explains everything 2 or 3 times down to every minute detail.

An interesting fact about the book; Hitler didn't actually write the book himself but dictated most of it to Rudolf Hess while in prison.

Sorry bro, that's all it got for ya. That was almost 10 years ago and there's a good chance I was baked for much of the read.

[Dunit35]

Yeah, it's a book written by one of most despised humans in the history of the world. No surprise you get funny looks.

Oklahoma's a joke anyway.

When Obama won presidency it seemed everyone on campus was pissed about it besides the people who weren't from Oklahoma.

[Dunit35]

The book has been mishandled a few hundred times with age.

Pages are worn, books hard to open as well.

[Jenson71]

The book has been mishandled a few hundred times with age.

Pages are worn, books hard to open as well.

There are some perverted neo-Nazis out there.

[Amnorix]

I tried to read it years ago but I found it terribly dull.

Ditto.

[Amnorix]

No I have not. Everyone I've talked to who has said they've read it has followed it with a "Don't waste your time. It was horrible."

They were right. I slogged through, I dunno, 50 pages of it or something, and gave up. It's brutal. Brilliant orator, horrible author.

[Donger]

I've never heard of it.

[Otter]

They were right. I slogged through, I dunno, 50 pages of it or something, and gave up. It's brutal. Brilliant orator, horrible author.

Probably wouldn't have made it that far if .20 of my grade wasn't depending on the outcome of my report. Cliff Notes didn't have anything on the book and internet didn't capitalize on re-selling term papers just yet.

When I say it's not boring - it does give you insight to Hitler's Mind for goodness sake. Like already said, horrible author.

[Delano]

SPRING TIME, FOR HITLER!!

It was... a laugh riot.

[MTG#10]

Imagine your in an economy worse than ours today in a powerful yet struggling country and he makes all these firm promises if you follow him, just trust him

Sounds strangely familiar...

:hmmm:

[Fish]

Boring? Not by a long shot but can be like reading a stereo installation guide where the author explains everything 2 or 3 times down to every minute detail.

Ummmm....

[Thig Lyfe]

my interest in the book has really peeked lately.

Peeked? Like, around the corner?

[kc rush]

I certainly have, but I'm always interested in exploring the minds of historical figures, whether they were crazy, influential or both. At the moment I'm reading an amazing book about Oppenheimer and Einstein. Haha, upon meeting Einstein, Oppenheimer wrote a letter to his brother saying "Einstein is completely cuckoo"

Sounds interesting. What is the title/author?

[Otter]

Ummmm....

Tedious doesn't necessarily = boring.

Picture it this way - a glimpse into the mind of a man who affected millions of lives even today. A rare opportunity when it's coming straight from the horses mouth.

One of my biggest hopes coming out the book was to understand why he hated Jews so much but it was never really explained. To top it off he shared the same hatred Slovaks who he allied with but later betrayed.

All his reason were contradictory. He fought along Jews in WW I to defend Germany and many of them were very much assimilated to German society and even married Germans, they were just - Jewish.

If I remember correctly he had the equivalent of the German Silver Cross pinned on his uniform for service in WW I from a German Jewish Lieutenant which was the only medal he had on his chest the day he shot himself.

He cherished that medal who was given to him from a man who I don't understand why hated.

Again, it's very contradictory. Not sure how to explain his mind without going into his childhood and playing armchair psychologist.

I found the glimpse into his mind interesting but very hard to understand. That's the best I can say my thoughts on the book.

EDIT: again, if I remember correctly he later regretted publishing the book because it revealed too much about him and contradicted himself.

Take what I've written about recalling the book with a grain of salt, I'm going back 10 years in a time in my life where I was usually inebriated between Tuesday and Saturday.

[Fish]

Tedious doesn't necessarily = boring.

Picture it this way - a glimpse into the mind of a man who affected millions of lives even today. A rare opportunity when it's coming straight from the horses mouth.

One of my biggest hopes coming out the book was to understand why he hated Jews so much but it was never really explained. To top it off he shared the same hatred Slovaks who he allied with but later betrayed.

All his reason were contradictory. He fought along Jews in WW I to defend Germany and many of them were very much assimilated to German society and even married Germans, they were just - Jewish.

If I remember correctly he had the equivalent of the German Silver Cross pinned on his uniform for service in WW I from a German Jewish Lieutenant which was the only medal he had on his chest the day he shot himself.

He cherished that medal who was given to him from a man who I don't understand why hated.

Again, it's very contradictory. Not sure how to explain his mind without going into his childhood and playing armchair psychologist.

I found the glimpse into his mind interesting but very hard to understand. That's the best I can say my thoughts on the book.

EDIT: again, if I remember correctly he later regretted publishing the book because it revealed too much about him and contradicted himself.

Take what I've written about recalling the book with a grain of salt, I'm going back 10 years in a time in my life where I was usually inebriated between Tuesday and Saturday.

I was just giving you shit bud. But I really appreciate the detailed response. Honestly, I've always found Hitler incredibly fascinating, regardless of Mein Kempf. So much so that I also did a research paper on him back in the day. And I don't mean that in such that I approve of anything the man did. But it just completely amazes me the effect he had on so many people. How persuasive the evil bastard was. What an incredible public speaker he happened to be. I hate everything he stood for, but I find the history of it quite amazing. I actually dressed up as Hitler once for Halloween in high school, complete with a swastika on the arm. I thought it was a clever play on dressing as a "monster". I was unprepared for the strong reaction some of the older folk in the town had toward my costume. The hatred was still pretty fresh for that generation. It was a lesson for me.

[Jenson71]

Hitler is definitely an interesting character. The idea that you can't really understand the hatred towards the Jews goes to show the irrationality behind it. They were a perfect scapegoat for so much being that they were basically so defenseless. For why he was rejected to art school, for why Germany gave up in WWI, which led to why Germany was hurting so badly afterwards. One thing that's important to see is that Hitler was an opportunist, and he exploited anti-Semitism. He didn't invent it (he drank it up at German and Viennese pubs). You don't need the Devil or childhood beatings to see the hatred in European circles for these stand-alone Jewish communities that ultimately led to the Holocaust. You can just see how people, good people really, can be led into irrational hatred against a certain type of people.

[Otter]

I was just giving you shit bud. But I really appreciate the detailed response. Honestly, I've always found Hitler incredibly fascinating, regardless of Mein Kempf. So much so that I also did a research paper on him back in the day. And I don't mean that in such that I approve of anything the man did. But it just completely amazes me the effect he had on so many people. How persuasive the evil bastard was. What an incredible public speaker he happened to be. I hate everything he stood for, but I find the history of it quite amazing. I actually dressed up as Hitler once for Halloween in high school, complete with a swastika on the arm. I thought it was a clever play on dressing as a "monster". I was unprepared for the strong reaction some of the older folk in the town had toward my costume. The hatred was still pretty fresh for that generation. It was a lesson for me.

Yeah, not a good Halloween costume dude. That's tough to appreciate without a dissertation pinned to your chest on the point you're trying to make.

The man was evil but his perseverance, ability to manipulate and his shrew ability as an opportunist can only be ignored by the ignorant if you ask me. To pawn his off as a psychopath who won the proverbial lottery is only asking for a repeat of bad times. You learn from history and hopefully as our WWII vets leave this world we learn from what they lived.

There's a couple guys on here who will challenge just about anyone's knowledge of WWII. I also find the mafia clique fascinating for a couple of reasons.

Two peas in the basic pod.

Thanks for the discussion.

[KCCHIEFS27]

Sounds interesting. What is the title/author?

Einstein & Oppenheimer The Meaning of Genius, by Silvan Schweber.

[patteeu]

Tedious doesn't necessarily = boring.

Picture it this way - a glimpse into the mind of a man who affected millions of lives even today. A rare opportunity when it's coming straight from the horses mouth.

One of my biggest hopes coming out the book was to understand why he hated Jews so much but it was never really explained. To top it off he shared the same hatred Slovaks who he allied with but later betrayed.

All his reason were contradictory. He fought along Jews in WW I to defend Germany and many of them were very much assimilated to German society and even married Germans, they were just - Jewish.

If I remember correctly he had the equivalent of the German Silver Cross pinned on his uniform for service in WW I from a German Jewish Lieutenant which was the only medal he had on his chest the day he shot himself.

He cherished that medal who was given to him from a man who I don't understand why hated.

Again, it's very contradictory. Not sure how to explain his mind without going into his childhood and playing armchair psychologist.

I found the glimpse into his mind interesting but very hard to understand. That's the best I can say my thoughts on the book.

EDIT: again, if I remember correctly he later regretted publishing the book because it revealed too much about him and contradicted himself.

Take what I've written about recalling the book with a grain of salt, I'm going back 10 years in a time in my life where I was usually inebriated between Tuesday and Saturday.

What was going on on Sunday and Monday? Where you such a slacker that you didn't even have enough self discipline to keep your buzz going 7 days a week? :p