Essays

Which is the Best Translation of Mein Kampf?

knowledge4a

by Martin Kerr

THERE IS an ongoing debate among National Socialists and white nationalists generally over which English language translation of Mein Kampf is the best.

We believe that the Ralph Manheim translation published by Houghton Mifflin, while not perfect, is superior to all others. Despite his undisguised hostility to Adolf Hitler and the NS worldview, Manheim’s translation is the most accurate and best captures the spirit of Hitler’s message.

Translation Not Authorized by Hitler

However, there are some people who prefer the James Murphy translation, first published by the British publishing house of Hurst & Blackett in 1939. Sadly, this preference is not based on the quality of the translation, but rather on the dishonest claim made by the publisher that the Murphy translation is the “official version” and “authorized” by Hitler himself. But that is not true.

Here is a short version of the true story: In 1936, the German government contracted with Murphy to do a translation of Mein Kampf, and Murphy made an initial rough draft. It contains numerous errors, and the prose is stilted and awkward.

However, Murphy was ill and did not have the energy to complete the project. His rough draft was obtained by Hurst & Blackett, which they published, without corrections or modification, in 1939 as the “authorized” English edition. But neither the German government nor Hitler himself ever approved Murphy’s initial draft.

It Gets Worse

But it gets worse: because he was ill, Murphy hired one Greta Lorke as assistant translator to help him out. Unbeknownst to him, Lorke was an operative of the “Red Orchestra” (Rote Kapelle, in German), the notorious Communist espionage and sabotage ring run by the Soviet Union.

Lorke saw working on the Mein Kampf translation as a perfect cover identity that allowed her to participate in Red Orchestra activities without drawing suspicion to herself. Additionally, she saw the assignment as an opportunity to discredit Hitlerism by fiddling with the passages that she translated.

Lorke’s Communist Background Well Documented

An account (sympathetic, of course!) of Lorke’s involvement in the Murphy translation may be found on pages 110-111 of the book Red Orchestra: The Story of the Berlin Underground and the Circle of Friends Who Resisted Hitler by Anne Nelson, Random House, New York, 2009.

A fuller examination into Lorke’s role (including the insertion of deliberately erroneous material) appears in a harder-to-find earlier volume, Hitler’s Mein Kampf in Britain and America by James J. Barnes & Patience P. Barnes, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1980.

Summary

To summarize: (1) the James Murphy translation of Mein Kampf published by Hurst & Blackett was an uncorrected rough draft made by a sick man; (2) it was NOT authorized or approved by either Hitler or the German government; and (3) parts of the translation were done by the Soviet spy and saboteur Greta Lorke, who was pursuing her own anti-NS ideological agenda.

Once again, we NS recommend the Manheim translation — or better yet, the German original

Manheim Edition Not Without Fault

The Manheim translation has its faults, to be sure. Along with some useful technical notes on translation and others on historical context, it also includes a number of gratuitous, negative footnotes, as well as an anti-Hitler introduction.

More troubling are Manheim’s downright errors, however. For example, on page 490, when discussing the SA, Manheim translates Kampfgemeinschaft as “combat group,” whereas the proper translation is “fighting community,” a small but significant difference; Hitler goes out of his way to make the point that the SA should NOT be a military-style “combat group” (pp. 538-543).

On page 623, Manheim inexplicably substitutes “Jewish” for “German” in one phrase, reducing the sentence to nonsense. (Manheim’s version reads “national folkish Jewish intelligensia,” whereas Hitler’s original is “national folkish German intelligensia.”)

It is not surprising that some mistakes should occur here and there in a translation nearly 700 pages long. However, the Manheim version first appeared in 1941, and these errors should have been corrected in the numerous reprints that have been issued since then!

Authorized NS Translation Needed

Yet despite these negative points, the Manheim translation remains the best to date, overall. It is head and shoulders above all the others — especially the Murphy version!

What is needed, of course, is a translation by an expert National Socialist translator. Only a National Socialist will understand Hitler’s text, both subjectively and objectively. No translation, however, will ever beat the original!

END NOTE: A new translation, which we have not yet reviewed, claims to have overcome the limitations of earlier versions: http://www.hitler-library.org/mein-kampf-ford-translation.htm

* * *

Source: New Order

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aa
aa
26 September, 2015 4:39 pm

It sounds like criminals and scalawags translated Hitler’s book. English is a Germanic dialect. It shouldn’t be difficult for an honest translation from the original. Fairness to the author is the first rule of a quote even if it’s the entire book.

Alex Wells
Alex Wells
Reply to  aa
7 November, 2020 9:49 pm

As a German speaker, I can tell you with confidence that German is very different from English. If English really were a Germanic dialect, it would be fairly easy to make English translations of German texts. Unfortunately, it is not so simple. English is actually the least pure of all European languages, being a hybrid of Saxon, French, Gaelic, Latin, Greek, and one or two other languages. The translation difficulties come from the fact that German idiom is so different than English idiom. It takes years of study to become familiar enough with the German way of phrasing things to use the language the way the Germans do. Even if you have a flawless German accent, you must choose the words that a German would choose to express an idea… Read more »

Waldemar
Waldemar
26 September, 2015 5:45 pm

I recommend that every intelligent person interested in knowing the true character of Hitler and NS learn german and read the original. The english and german languages are quite different and it’s hard to translate from one to the other. I know both english and german well and when I read english translations of german NS texts I’m always puzzled by the different impression they give; I barely recognize the meaning of the original. Modern english is loaded with cultural baggage that is alien to the german spirit. It would be better to translate into middle english (Shakespeare) or still better, old english (similar to old norse), but if you can handle such language you easily pick up german too. Those who know dutch or scandinavian but not german should… Read more »

Tracy
Tracy
Reply to  Waldemar
19 September, 2023 6:23 pm

Even if you try to translate it yourself… you still aren’t going to comprehend it correctly unless you’re very fluent in German. I say reading any copy is better than not reading it at all.

James Harting
James Harting
26 September, 2015 9:30 pm

I recently had a chance to look through the Ford translation. It is a simplified or dumbed-down version of the German original, presumably for readers who feel that an exact translation is too challenging for them. It is not really wrong or bad, but is lacks the precision of the Ralph Manheim edition. It gives the reader the general drift of Hitler’s thought, but not with Manheim’s detail or accuracy.

I agree with Waldemar above: ideally, it is best to read MEIN KAMPF in the original German. Use a bilingual dictionary as needed.

William W Williams * National Alliance Chairman
William W Williams * National Alliance Chairman
Reply to  James Harting
9 February, 2022 7:20 pm

James Harting: …it is best to read MEIN KAMPF in the original German. Use a bilingual dictionary as needed. — James, It is going on seven years now since you wrote that. Have you had a chance yet to read Thomas Dalton’s more recently published bilingual edition of MK? If so, how do you rate it against the other English-only versions? For those wish to own the English-only translation, Dalton’s translation is available here: https://cosmotheistchurch.org/product/mein-kampf-volume-1-and-2-by-adolf-hitler-translated-by-thomas-dalton/ Mein Kampf (volume 1 and 2) by Adolf Hitler translated by Thomas Dalton$50.00 New translation of the classic work by Adolf Hitler in modern and highly readable American English. This is the first such effort since the 1940s, and it far surpasses all existing versions. This edition includes section headings, helpful footnotes, bibliography, and useful… Read more »

Martin Kerr
Martin Kerr
Reply to  William W Williams * National Alliance Chairman
19 February, 2022 5:03 am

Mr. Williams: I have read several chapters of Thomas Dalton’s translation of Mein Kampf, as well a selected key passages from other chapters, and I have skimmed through the whole text in a cursory manner. I wholeheartedly recommend this translation of Mein Kampf without hesitation. It is equal to the Manheim translation in every respect and corrects some of the minor errors found in Manheim. Because TD has broken up the text into sections corresponding to the page headings of the original, it is very easy to navigate. The words flow smoothly and are an accurate representation of Hitler’s thought. Now let me be clear: I am not saying that it is perfect – there are occasional mistakes that I hope can get cleaned up in following printings. Also, Hitler’s… Read more »

Will W. Williams * National Alliance Chairman
Will W. Williams * National Alliance Chairman
Reply to  Martin Kerr
19 February, 2022 12:38 pm

The Dalton translation of Mein Kampf is a major scholarly accomplishment, long overdue, and Dr. Dalton is to be commended for it.

That is quite an endorsement from you, Martin — the man I consider to be the foremost expert on all things pertaining to National-Socialism and Mr. Hitler.

Our bookstore currently carries 18 of Dr. Dalton’s titles, including this one that you recommend:
Mein Kampf Volume 1 and 2: Dual English-German Translation by Adolf Hitler – Cosmotheism (cosmotheistchurch.org)

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C.E. Whiteoak
C.E. Whiteoak
27 September, 2015 12:03 am

I don’t see how any translation can beat the so-called “Stalag Edition.” It was translated into English before the war by an unknown National Socialist. After the war broke out, it was distributed to POW camp libraries for English speaking prisoners, and so became known as the Stalag Edition. The Kindle version of this is the only Mein Kampf I have ever read, and believe me it is excellent. It is available from Amazon in Kindle format for only $3.49.

For me, a good deal of the enjoyment of reading it was the knowledge that it was a “friendly” translation, and not something that had been annotated or otherwise “adjusted”
to suit the you-know-whodies.

Harry Ayeball
Harry Ayeball
Reply to  C.E. Whiteoak
8 February, 2022 11:24 am
Heinemann
Heinemann
27 September, 2015 11:03 am

The original Mein Kampf has always been unlawful in Bundes Republik. Many German immigrants brought them after the war.

However printed versions were sold to other lands. Mine is very small print and still 782 acquired many years ago.

It is inconceivable that an English version with its progressive verbalism could be less than 800 pages.

Interpretations are an art and can be done but the original German is different even than present German, suffering from the plague of occupational anti culture.

I am not surprised at the little busy bee espionage agents like Greta Lorke , who were active before , during and after the war. These were the greatest enemy just as they are in America today .

Elsman
Elsman
28 September, 2015 2:33 am

The Ford translation is the best. I have Manheim, Murphy, the NS edition, Stackpole and Ford and have read all of them. The Ford translation is clearly the best translated. I have compared all of them side by side and they all have the same basic information, however Ford’s translation is far easier to read and in comparing them Ford’s version is obviously more well stated. By that I mean that some editions translate German into a jumble of English word because the translator did not understand what was being translated(Very true of Murphy and Manheim) but Ford’s version is very clearly stated. Ford’s version also has lots of inserted notes which explain vague references the other translators either did not understand and left uncommented or did not understand and… Read more »

Lord Sardon the Unwise
Lord Sardon the Unwise
Reply to  Elsman
8 February, 2022 3:20 pm

Wow you are obsessed! I use the Ford translation too. I recently picked up the Stalag Edition, but haven’t cracked it yet. I should say- there are probably other things that will be more useful to you. Diminishing returns, and all. For a general understanding of surveillance capitalism, you might try Permanent Record: Meine Geschichte. I haven’t touched “Everything You Know about the Constitution is Wrong”, but I hear its good and mean to read it. I like to get outside of my box alot. So I would recommend Romance of the Three Kingdoms – it is one of the ‘big 4’ Chinese novels. You can contrast that with The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, but it will do you no good. Because of the difference in eras- so it won’t lead… Read more »

Charles.M.
Charles.M.
3 March, 2017 9:09 pm

The best english translation of Mein Kampf is the one published by the Germans in 1940 for the planned invasion of England. Here is a link to this book that can be downloaded for free:

https://archive.org/details/MeinKampf.StalagEditionOfficiallyAuthorizedByTheNSDAPIn1940ForTheInvasionOfBritain

Mark
Mark
Reply to  Charles.M.
21 June, 2018 2:30 pm

There was never a planned invasion of England. Hitler didn’t want or start the war in the West. He could’ve killed everyone at Dunkirk but let them go, hoping England would come to her senses, even after numerous generous peace offers. Which Churchill kept secret from the British people.

Enoch. P.
Enoch. P.
Reply to  Mark
14 December, 2019 4:46 pm

Operation Sea Lion was drafted for the invasion of the UK but called off by Hitler in September 1940.

Will Williams
Will Williams
19 June, 2018 11:50 am

Thanks, James and others, for your analysis and recommendations. So many versions of the great man’s book, so little time to read them…

Trivia: What was Mr. Hitler’s book’s title before settling on Mein Kampf?
Answer: Heard here: https://nationalvanguard.org/2016/08/new-music-cd-call-of-the-blood/
Click on “Listen to the Call of the Blood sampler,” and follow the cuts to Landsberg Am Lech

The first cut in the sampler is the Horst Wessel Song. If there is a more rousing redition of it in English, I’d like to hear it.

cc
cc
19 June, 2018 3:26 pm

Does anyone know the name of the publisher of this print of Mein Kampf?

http://www.hitler.org/writings/Mein_Kampf/

Martin Kerr
Martin Kerr
Reply to  cc
19 June, 2018 5:03 pm

This is the Ralph Manheim translation, first publish in 1943 and never equaled since.

Although it contains occasional errors, it is the closest in both word and spirit to Hitler’s original German.

Some other translations claim to be easier to read, but they are all less accurate. If you are interested in PRECISELY what Hitler had to say, stick to Manheim. If you are only interested in the general drift of his thoughts, I guess some of the others translations, like Ford, are sufficient.

Steve Sandin
Steve Sandin
20 June, 2018 4:35 pm

Has anyone had a chance to read/review The newest English translation of Mein Kampf by Thomas Dalton in which Hitler’s original German is on the facing page?
Only Volume 1 has been published. It was released in 2017. Has anyone heard when Volume 2 is slated to be released?

Dominic Cornett
Dominic Cornett
12 October, 2018 11:01 pm

There is another edition: Mein Kampf: The Stalag Edition: The Only Complete and Officially Authorised English Translation Ever Issued. According to Book Despoitory, it “is the only complete, unabridged, and officially authorised English translation ever issued by the Nazi party, and is not to be confused with any other version. Translated by a now-unknown English-speaking Nazi party member, it was printed by the Franz Eher Verlag in Berlin for the Central Press of the NSDAP in limited numbers during the years 1937 to 1944. Most copies were distributed to the camp libraries of English-speaking Prisoner of War (POW) camps, and became known as the “Stalag” editions (Stalag being a contraction of the German word Stammlager, or POW camp) because they all carried a camp library rubber stamp on the title… Read more »

EPHR
EPHR
14 December, 2018 1:51 pm

I agree with the other comments here. The Stalag edition is the best, better than Manheim. I don’t see how you can beat what was officially distributed by Party officials, even if only in POW camps. This is the best scan I’ve found of the Stalag edition and it claims to be from 1940: https://archive.org/details/MeinKampfTheStalagEditionTheOnlyCompleteAndOfficiallyAuthorisedEnglishTranslatio Here is another version of the Stalag edition I’ve seen floating around, but it’s not a scan. It also seems to be the only version of the Stalag edition available for purchase as a hard copy. However, it seems to have minor differences in some sections from the scanned version: https://endchan.xyz/.media/a18332e643d7cb83515627b693496fc0-applicationpdf All things considered, I stick to the scanned version of the Stalag edition because I don’t see how you can beat a translation done… Read more »

Martin Kerr
Martin Kerr
14 December, 2018 10:07 pm

Contrary to what you and others claim, the so-called “Stalag” translation was not made by members of the NSDAP. It is a slightly revised and corrected version of the grossly inferior Murphy translation. Some errors have been removed, and the stiff, awkward wording of Murphy’s first draft in places have been smoothed over – but that is all. A simple comparison of the first two paragraphs of each translation (Murphy and “Stalag”) will show this. I also object to the dishonest way in which the “Stalag” translation has been marketed. This translation was not produced for prisoners of war, as is claimed, but rather for the English-speaking population of the Channel Isles, which was the only English-speaking territory to be occupied by the Germans during the War. Any distribution to… Read more »

EPHR
EPHR
Reply to  Martin Kerr
26 December, 2018 2:06 pm

Thank you for the insight, Martin. I was not aware of these facts surrounding the “Stalag edition” (I will continue to call it this, since I have no other designation for this version). I had thus far only compared it cursorily to Manheim, but upon closer inspection I do see that some passages are translated better by Manheim. I had discounted Manheim early on, due to the presence of footnotes as well as the clear bias from him. This was compounded by the fact that Manheim was Jewish. The other thing convincing about the “Stalag edition” was that the title page shows it to be published by Franz Eher Nachfolger GMBH, which was the company behind many NSDAP publications. This same company, with the same logo and everything, is the… Read more »

Enoch. P.
Enoch. P.
Reply to  EPHR
14 December, 2019 4:55 pm

The ‘Stalag Edition’ is actually the ‘Operation Sea Lion Edition’ as it was printed in the summer of 1940 for the invasion of the UK. Since Herr Hitler called off the invasion in September 1940 the only use they had for these volumes were for distribution to English speaking POW Camps in Germany and Poland. They were popular with the soldiers as toilet paper and as such most copies didn’t survive the war.
This is the ONLY unabridged English language edition ever authorized by A. Hitler and the NSDAP. The Ralph Manheim translation was intentionally pieced together to frustrate the American reader into giving up trying to digest this work.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/24303851?seq=1

Walt Hampton
Walt Hampton
23 October, 2020 10:21 pm

I have never read MK, so I will be sure
to watch this item closely. I could be
wrong about this – but it seems I do
recall the April 1966 PLAYBOY – interview
with Commander GLR where he mentions
MK. I believe at that point – in my young
life – was the first time I’d ever even heard
of it.

Will W. Williams * National Alliance Chairman
Will W. Williams * National Alliance Chairman
24 October, 2020 5:24 pm

Steve Sandin asks: Has anyone had a chance to read/review The newest English translation of Mein Kampf by Thomas Dalton in which Hitler’s original German is on the facing page? Only Volume 1 has been published. It was released in 2017. Has anyone heard when Volume 2 is slated to be released? — Steve, Cosmotheist Books has both bilingual volumes, Here: https://cosmotheistchurch.org/product/mein-kampf-volume-1-dual-english-german-translation-by-adolf-hitler/ Mein Kampf Volume 1: Dual English-German Translation by Adolf Hitler$37.00 Translated by Thomas Dalton New English translation of the classic work by Adolf Hitler. Now, for the first time ever, in dual English-German text. This is a complete and unedited translation of Volume One of Mein Kampf, in modern and highly readable American English. This is the first such effort since the 1940s, and it far surpasses all… Read more »

Alex Wells
Alex Wells
7 November, 2020 9:38 pm

Although Hitler undoubtedly gave his approval to everything that appears in Mein Kampf, it would appear that not all of the ideas in it are his own. As David Irving has pointed out, the book was written in collaboration with Rudolf Hess and Emil Maurice. Not all of it is autobiographical, and in the case of the more theory-oriented passages there is no way to tell which ideas are Hitler’s and which originated with Hess or Maurice.

Diane
Diane
7 November, 2020 11:28 pm

Is Manheim or Mifflin Jewish?

PrinzEdelhart
PrinzEdelhart
8 November, 2020 8:29 am

Why not read it in the original language ?
German isn’t easy to learn, but it does share the same roots as English and no, the Nazis would NOT have ‘forced’ Brits or Americans to speak German had they been victorious…..
They didn’t try to force anyone else.
My edition is from Midgård in Sweden, a somewhat unwieldy size, but containing both volumes, apparently unedited and complete, including the original page breaks and typos.

Kent
Kent
9 September, 2021 4:25 pm

I discovered an extreme false translation in Stalag Edition. A serious problem with Stalag. “Nature, the eternal, takes merciless vengeance on those who defy her laws. Therefore, I believe to-day that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator. In resisting the Jew I AM DEFENDING THE HANDIWORK OF THE LORD.”(Stalag). Original German:“Die ewige Natur rächt unerbittlich die Übertretung ihrer Gebote. So glaube ich heute im Sinne des allmächtigen Schöpfers zu handeln: Indem ich mich des Juden erwehre, kämpfe ich für das Werk des Herrn” Software Translation: “Eternal nature relentlessly avenges the violation of its commandments. So today I believe I am acting in the spirit of the almighty Creator: By defending MYSELF against the Jew, I fight for the work of the Lord “ Ralph… Read more »

William W Williams * National Alliance Chairman
William W Williams * National Alliance Chairman
9 February, 2022 7:06 pm

Cosmotheist Books carries 18 titles by Dr. Thomas Dalton, including this: https://cosmotheistchurch.org/product/mein-kampf-volume-1-and-2-dual-english-german-translation-by-adolf-hitler/ Mein Kampf Volume 1 and 2: Dual English-German Translation $65.00 Translated by Thomas Dalton New English translation of the classic work by Adolf Hitler. This is a complete and unedited translation of Volumes One and Two of Mein Kampf, in modern and highly readable American English. This is the first such effort since the 1940s, and it far surpasses all existing versions. This edition includes section headings, helpful footnotes, bibliography, and useful index. Mein Kampf is the autobiography and articulated worldview of one of the most consequential leaders in world history. It is also one of the most maligned and least understood texts of the 20th century. A major problem in the Anglophone world has been the poor… Read more »

Anthony Collins
Anthony Collins
19 February, 2022 8:27 am

Unlike Donald Trump, Mein Kampf is literally Hitler. What’s not to like?