There are alot (Too Many) english versions on amazon. I've looked up some info on it, and it seems there alot of pc versions where stuff has been omitted. Also there are alot of neo nazi versions. I just wanna know what version would be the most untampered with.Which English translation of Mein Kampf is most true to the Original German version?
The Ford translation is by FAR the best. It is easier to read and it has corrected errors in the older versions. It also has historical notes that explain people and places which are not in the older versions.
Here is a quick summary.
Murphy's translation is about 20% shorter than the original German version. It has many embellishments where he exaggerated what Hitler said.
Manheim's version is very hard to read and filled with double talk. This is why many people falsely say the book is rambling or disjointed. It is because Manheim's translation is so poorly written.
Reynal and Hitchcock produced a version which is no lognger sold(because it was so bad). It is also very hard to read and filled with errors. The scholars who are credited on the book front had little to actually do with the translation. Most of the work was done by nameless assistants who did a sloppy translation job.
The Ford translation is the newest one made in 2009. He included a great deal of research in this edition which is clearly shown by the supplementary book Mein Kampf: A Translation Controversy. If you want to compare the editions, I highly recommend you check out that book first. It is on amazon and also available free from the publisher as a download. It really reveals the errors in past translations and I think it strongly establishes Ford's ability to understand and translate the material. He goes into great depth in some areas with his analysis of even single words to extract the truest meaning(the one Hitler intended).
Oh, also many of the older translators missed common sayings like "more harm than good" and gave crazy translations that made no sense. The same phrase exists in German and English but the older Manheim, Murphy, and Reynal translations completely missed it. It is funny to read through some of their errors. The older translations also missed many of Hitler's sarcastic jabs and edited out some of his jokes. It appears they did this simply because they did not understand what they were translating. Fortunately Ford recovered these parts of the text.
The Ford translation also has historical notes in the text that explain people and places that would not be familiar to the modern reader. Hitler also makes referencs to ancient Greek stories which are explained. Sometimes the explanation Ford gives is amazing. He clearly did a lot of research into exactly what Hitler was referring to. None of his references are general.
I thought the Ford translation was really well done and easy to read. Just comparing it to Manheim you can see Ford is a much better edition.
Beyond the translation, I found the book itself fascinating. Where else can you get a glimpse into the mind of a dictator? I can see why the German people followed him, even though I dont agree with most of his ideas. Also, the book is not the racist rant most people who have not read it assume it is. It is much more about Hitler, how he built his beliefs, how he built the Nazi party, and the political and economic problems they faced then(which is very similar to now).
It was a great read.
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