Mein Kampf

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Summary: GENIUS!
Review: These are the words of wisdom of the one of the greatest leaders of the twentieth century. Love him or hate him, there's simply no denying his depth and genius. Think about it this way: One man, poorly educated, penniless, singlehandledley lifting not just Germany but the WORLD out of the Great Depression, turning a war-torn, economically and militarially crippled wasteland into a world superpower. So get over your textbook-influenced prejudice, and gather your OWN OPINION. Read the book and think for yourself.

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Summary: Mein Kamph is ingenious!
Review: Mein Kamph is an ingenious work straight from one of the most intelligent minds (albeit twisted and warped) of our century. Most people will complain of the book's legnth, choice of language and topics, and its sometimes illogical arguments. But you must remember that this book is not a check list of how to do things. I compare it to The Polotics (Aristotle) and the The Prince (Machiavilli). It is more of a text book than literature. It offers Hitler's plans, ideas and suggestions. This Book can be very dangerous in the wrong hands, but very inlightening in the right ones.

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Summary: Blueprint of Evil
Review: This book should have been read as a sign, read it now as a warning. In it's pages, all the grotesque unreality and empty claptrap that is evil manifests itself. Page after meandering page, untruth uncoils itself in missives of hate. It's all here - extreme, virulent racism, self idolatry, the thirst for domination and revenge. People ask how the Holocaust and all the other violent bloodshed unleashed by Hitlerite hate could have happened: after reading this book, you will know that once it's malevolent author seized power, it was inevitable. Has humankind learned it's terrible lesson?

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Summary: An exhausting bout of racist cant
Review: How can you write an objective review of a book like this? The views (or rather harangues) contained in it are so illogical and distasteful that I felt that on that alone, it deserved only one star. As an historical document, however, it is very valuable in that it gives what feels like a true insight into the mind of one of the twentieth century's most important historical figures, and into the state German politics had gotten into by the early to mid 1920s. For those reasons, I'm kicking myself that I didn't read "Mein Kampf" years ago when I was studying modern history. What of the book itself? It's always difficult to tell in translation, but the style is ponderous, and the structure falls apart regularly as Hitler meanders off into one of his frequent harangues. The arguments are profoundly ill-considered: for example Hitler (in Volume 1) argues that possession of large land masses is a powerful protection against invasion and a great strength should another country try to invade, yet in Volume 2 advocates greater living space for Germany without addressing the problems of achieving this(other then doing it forceably). Much of the work is a social-Darwinian racist rant - that is distasteful enough in itself, but by the time I was into Volume 2 and left wondering if there was anyone in the world Hitler didn't hold in comtempt, I began to get thoroughly exhausted. Still, I would advocate reading it if you are really interested in modern European history, but wash your hands (and mind) after doing so.

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Summary: Simply a poorly written book.
Review: No matter what you think of Hitler's philosophy, this book is poorly written. Mr. Hitler despite his keen ability to commit a coup d'etat, run a fascist nation, and run a murderous holocaust he certaintly has trouble keeping his train of thought.

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Summary: This Evil Book Must Not Be Ignored
Review: It is a horrendous mistake to ban Adolph Hitler's evil manifesto -Mein Kampf- written about a decade before the dictator came to power. Well meaning censors are indeed right in prudentially warning immature minds to be cautious. One most certainly should not offer -Mein Kampf- to a child. This book, however, allows us to more fully understand the mindset of the Nazi leader who unleashed pure hell upon the world. We must remember that Hitler wrote this work in 1924 during his incarceration in Landberg Am Lech Prison. Few believed this minor league figure had a political future. The Nazis were mostly perceived to be a collection of losers, a fanatical fringe group that need not be taken seriously. Hitler and his goons were not feared as much as ridiculed. The American journalist William Shirer, for instance, recalled the barroom fellowship of colleagues who made fun of the Nazis. Charlie Chaplin even did a comedy routine imitating the mannerisms of Hitler.

Adolph Hitler was not subtle and discrete. The charismatic Fuehrer readily indulged in pseudoscientific jargon to convey an intellectual authority to support his lunatic theories. Chapter XI of Volume I entitled "Nation and Race" wherein the Nazi leader charged Jews with "poisoning" the German race alone should have alerted the world. Democracy was viewed as nothing more than a swindle perpetuated by the weaker races to defeat the master German elite. The enemy of my enemy is my friend is how many justified their awkward and uneasy alliances with the Nazis. Hitler's contempt for Russian Communism encouraged these people to naively let down their guard. This was especially true of those religious adherents of the Roman Catholic and Lutheran Protestant traditions. It was not all that unusual to find individuals who dismissed Hitler's vile utterances as nothing more than exaggerated tongue in cheek rhetoric. The at least metaphorical reality of Original Sin guarantees that Adolph Hitler will regrettably not be the last of his kind. We need to study -Mein Kampf- to guide us concerning similar dangers that will forevermore threaten humankind. Should -Mein Kampf- be prominently displayed in one's personal library? I will not disparage others of laudable intentions who boldly place this book in public view, but I've long ago personally decided that a more fitting place is in the back of my garage. The legitimate study of Nazism does not seem to me to require a constant blatant reminder of Hitler's diabolical era. Remembering history so as not to repeat it is one thing. Nevertheless, allowing it to dominate every waking moment is also not wise. A spiritual and psychological balance must be maintained.

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Summary: Art Literature.
Review: Adolf Hitler does an credible job of providing the reading about the history of his life, philosophy, and nation before he peacefully took power in the 1930's. The very fact that Hitler was an artist(his specialty was oil-painting), becomes understandably apparent after reading "Mein Kampf." Simply put, this author creates a book that is a literary representation of art.

The literary stile that Adolf Hitler uses reads like a novel. Some have said that his book may drag at certain points, I would only argue that Hitler's artistic nature becomes translated into an immeasurable literary genius. But in the sense that Hitlers literary composition may "drag" for some readers, I recommend the book "Nature's Eternal Religion" by Ben Klassen. Klassen's book provides a more modern perspective for the reader that most people in the 21st century just can't understand with works such as "Mein Kampf."

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Summary: Basic Source MAterial for understanding Nazism
Review: This book is *the* single most important book for understanding the phenomenon of Adolf Hitler and the rise of Nazism, and nowadays for an understanding of neo-nazism, as it exists today.

Mein Kampf is a ponderous read, with many references to the political issues that were rocking Germany in the 1910-1920 period. Hitler was not a white supremacist. His book reveals him as a German ultra-nationalist. His audience was the average German citizen, seeking a vision of a strong confident imperialistic Germany, during an era when Germany was occupied, broke, and racked with left-right strife. He speaks in Darwinian fashion, when he describes the imperative that the strong shall subjugate the weak, and ruminates that national borders are not set in stone for all time, but that the destiny of world conquest belongs to the nation which has the master race. For Hitler, the Darwinistic imperative excuses the brutal treatment of all "sub-races." As history demonstrates, that world-view was made real when he seized power, and began the systematic conquest of Europe and the extermination of undesireables, with the "parasitic Jews" at the top of his list. The socialistic part of National Socialism was aimed at raising a German middle class out of poverty, since only a prosperous people could create a healthy, motivated military force. After reading Mein Kampf, one has a better feel for the visions of glory that captivated the average German, and that sustained them during the horrendous struggles that they engaged in during WWII. This book and its historical aftermath is *the* object lesson of what happens when the imperative for power is not checked by considerations of ethics, fairness, and humanity. For us today, Mein Kampf stands as a warning, that America's might must be used to further the ideals of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. For instance, The War for Kuwaiti Oil should have been also a War for Iraqi Democracy. The importance of Chinese trade should not lead us to ignore the barbarism of Tien-An-Men Square. To the extent that we put our democratic ideals to the side, is the extent to which we become nazi-like ourselves. To the extent that we mistreat any member of our society, we end up resonating back to the same impulse that ratified the Final Solution as acceptable domestic policy. Hitler's Mein Kampf is indispensible reading for anyone who questions whether morality, compassion and fairness have a place in public policy. Hilter has shown us what happens when those concepts are ignored.

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Summary: The only review of Mein Kampf you need...
Review: This book is outlawed in several European "democracies." This alone is reason enough for every intelligent person to read it, if not buy it, if you're so inclined. Whether one agrees with a book or not, one should read and understand the author's viewpoint and ideas in a banned book.

Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: I became interested in Hitler greatly in high school history class, and should've bought the book then. No complaint other than it drags. I like politics also, because out of reason rather than genuinely wanting to be different, I differ greatly in political stance. What he says in some ways has bearing in real life. It's so funny, too. Most people view anything they deem deviant with bias. This is real world history- not just some racist talking. Hitler is an icon- the media made him one just like Charles Manson. Manson was a scapegoat for the love generation, Hitler was a scapegoat for the melting pot generation. Imagine what a swell world we would live in instead of a mixed world resulting in all these problems.