Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' Surges in E-Book Sales

[Sunni Man]

Adolf Hitler's anti-Semitic political testament "Mein Kampf" is surging up electronic book bestseller lists, even as sales of the printed version have been stagnant for years.

As of Wednesday, two electronic versions of "Mein Kampf" ranked 12th and 15th in the Politics & Current events section of the iTunes book store. On Amazon, Hitler's polemic ranked number one in the Propaganda & Political psychology section. There are currently six e-book versions of "Mein Kampf."

One explanation offered for the surge in electronic sales concerns the relative anonymity offered by e-books as compared to their printed counterparts.

"These are things that people would be embarrassed to read otherwise," journalist Chris Faraone, who wrote about the trend for Vocativ.com told ABC News. "Books that people would probably be a bit more embarrassed to read or display or buy in public, they are more than willing to buy on their Kindle, or iPads."

Faraone believes the phenomenon is similar to that surrounding erotic novel "Fifty Shades of Grey," which in 2012, became the first to sell more than 1 million copies on Amazon's Kindle e-reader.

Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' Surges in E-Book Sales - ABC News

 

[westwall]

And?

 

[JakeStarkey]

One, it offers anonymity to white nationalists and white supremacists.

Two, it is cheaper for students assigned to read the book.

 

[HenryBHough]

I'd like to think they're reading it as a cautionary tale. But I suspect they're seeing in it a sort of crude blueprint. Reaction. A scary thing.

 

[Sunni Man]

I think for the liberals/progressives the book is like an instruction manuel for the Obama administration.

And for the conservatives a look into the Democrat mindset and agenda. ...

 

[westwall]

One, it offers anonymity to white nationalists and white supremacists.

Two, it is cheaper for students assigned to read the book.

Quite the contrary. ANYTHING bought online is easily tracked. I know many fringe type people, on both sides of the aisle, who will only buy material like that face to face.

 

[HenryBHough]

Careful what you buy; Obama's NSA is watching.

Careful, too, about what you fail to buy.........

 

[waltky]

Profits from sales of Hitler's book gonna help aging Holocaust survivors...

‘Mein Kampf’ sales to go to Holocaust survivors: publisher
Fri, Jul 01, 2016 - A Boston-based publishing company has decided to donate proceeds from Adolf Hitler’s infamous manifesto Mein Kampf to a local organization that works with aging Holocaust survivors.

The move comes after publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt was criticized by Jewish advocates for its plans to donate proceeds and royalties from the book to Boston-area cultural organizations, and not necessarily to those that combat anti-Semitism. Following the backlash, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt partnered with Boston-based Combined Jewish Philanthropies to determine “how best to provide aid directly to the victims of the horrific events of the Holocaust,” Andrew Russell, the publisher’s director of corporate social responsibility, said in a statement. Moving forward, the proceeds from Mein Kampf will be donated to Jewish Family & Children’s Service [JF&CS} of Greater Boston for “direct support of the health and human services needs of [Holocaust] survivors,” Russell said.

Different editions of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” are on display at the Institute for Contemporary History in Munich, Germany​

The publisher had been donating proceeds from sales of the book to organizations that combat anti-Semitism since 2000, but last year announced they were going to widen the scope to include other cultural organizations. That caused Jewish advocates to speak out. They now welcome the decision to focus on Holocaust-specific causes. “JF&CS will direct the grant money exclusively to support the needs of the Holocaust survivors we meet with every day,” JF&CS chief executive Rimma Zelfand said in a statement. “As Holocaust survivors grow increasingly frail, many of our clients have a far greater need for care than is covered by our existing funding.” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt declined to provide the annual amount of proceeds generated from the book.

Hitler wrote Mein Kampf after he was jailed following the failed 1923 coup attempt known as the Beer Hall Putsch. Millions of copies were printed after the Nazis took power in 1933. The rambling tome set out his ultranationalist, anti-Semitic and anti-communist ideology, which would culminate in the Holocaust and a war of conquest in Europe. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has published a version of the book continuously since 1933. During World War II, proceeds were directed to the US Department of Justice. In 1979, the publishing firm reclaimed its royalty rights and kept the book’s proceeds for itself until 2000, when it began donating the funds to combat anti-Semitism, the Boston Globe said.

‘Mein Kampf’ sales to go to Holocaust survivors: publisher - Taipei Times