false 54270 39 The angry ranting of an obscure, small-party politician, the first volume of <I>Mein Kampf</I> 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 <I>lebensraum</I> 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.<p> Beyond the anger, hatred, bigotry, and self-aggrandizing, <I>Mein Kampf</I> 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." <I>Mein Kampf</I>, therefore, must be read as a reminder that evil can all too easily grow. <I>--Sunny Delaney</I> 2049624 book 1927 Mein Kampf total:1236|5:151|4:167|3:359|2:295|1:264| 1236 3354 2528 256 1 10 false false Sat Feb 16 10:42:53 -0800 2008 Sat Feb 16 11:12:32 -0800 2008
Call me a crazy talking liberal if you want, but I am against burning human beings in big ovens. I don't care how trendy and cool it was considered back in the day, that's just the way I was raised.

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend....more...]]> 1 8 false false Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Tue Jun 05 21:19:37 -0700 2007 Tue Jun 05 21:19:37 -0700 2007
I find this kind of hard to believe, because the book is amazing. Amazing that one person could have not only thought these things but had the audacity to write them down for posterity.

I read a good chunk of this in it'...more...]]> 4 11 false false Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2003 Mon Jul 30 22:57:49 -0700 2007 Mon Jul 30 22:57:49 -0700 2007 Okay, Chomsky of all people talked me into reading this book.
Hitler, like all believers in traditional government, held that his vision of government was best for everyone. He was as an individual,...more...]]> 0 7 false false Mon Jun 16 10:00:24 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 16 10:00:24 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1 5 false false Tue Sep 25 12:04:31 -0700 2007 Tue Sep 25 15:14:32 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 7 false false Fri Dec 14 23:18:23 -0800 2007 Fri Dec 14 23:39:29 -0800 2007 more...]]> 1 5 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Mon Sep 10 20:16:58 -0700 2007 Mon Sep 10 20:22:10 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 5 false false Fri Feb 29 11:25:17 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 29 11:26:37 -0800 2008 5 10 false false Thu Jul 31 16:11:06 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 31 16:11:34 -0700 2008 Best romantic comedy I've ever read.]]> 3 2 false false Wed Dec 03 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 02 08:11:07 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 03 15:23:23 -0800 2008
I found Mein Kampf a difficult read. Not only for the content but for the way in which it is written. Think - textbo...more...]]> 0 2 false false Tue May 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Dec 29 11:46:54 -0800 2007 Sat Jun 14 00:24:36 -0700 2008
The rantings of a deranged lunatic, or one of the most important documents of the 20th century? Any way you look at it, Mein Kampf is a must-read for at least two reasons besides the obvious: ...more...]]> 1 3 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1963 Wed Dec 03 19:39:59 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 03 19:47:40 -0800 2008 1 more...]]> 5 3 false false Thu Oct 09 15:21:03 -0700 2008 Thu Oct 09 15:24:52 -0700 2008
If I had a kid this would be the perfect bedtime's reading...]]> 0 1 false false Sat Dec 29 08:38:46 -0800 2007 Sun Dec 30 03:45:35 -0800 2007 more...]]> 3 1 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1984 Fri Dec 05 03:05:08 -0800 2008 Thu Oct 08 10:19:38 -0700 2009 2 more...]]> 2 2 false false Thu Jun 26 02:29:52 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 07 15:03:56 -0700 2008 a) As psychology, to know why there was a Hitler
b) In historical context, to know how there was a Hitler
c) With perspective, because there hasn't been a decade without genocide during the lifetime of any reader ...more...]]> 3 1 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1995 Tue Jul 08 01:35:55 -0700 2008 Fri Jul 11 00:24:43 -0700 2008 The most important message that this book sends is that the conspiracy, policy of hegemony and foreign occupation in any form including...more...]]> 0 1 false false Thu Mar 26 17:16:25 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 26 17:47:53 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 1 false false Thu Mar 19 19:47:09 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 19 19:58:39 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Apr 11 13:18:48 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 11 13:29:51 -0700 2009
This pretty much s...more...]]>