What to do with Mein Kampf?!

[Bannedcontent]

My late DF was a history buff and after he died we gave a lot of his books to charity but kept a few.

Among them was an English translation of Mein Kampf. It’s a first edition from 1939.

I held on to it as a historic artefact but would now like to move it on.

I can’t sell it on Amazon or eBay as it’s banned.

So the question is: do I bin it? (YABU)
Do I donate it to a library or something? (YANBU) Where?!

@Bannedcontent

I wouldn't go beyond sending it to @WeIoveyouMissHannigan. Perfect solution.

Why should it be binned?

It's got huge historical significance and should be kept and studied, not just chucked away.

Absolutely don't deatroy first editions.
Historians or libraries who have some collections will be interested.

Lol at destroying it because peopel don't agree with it

You can sell it on AbeBooks - they have some rare editions listed currently

Sell it to a second hand bookshop.

Actually I've got a brilliant suggestion... sell it to a respectable (non-Nazi) collector or historian for a massive profit, then give proceeds to a Jewish charity.

Or does that in itself present ethical problems?

Look into having it appraised by an antiquarian book specialist in the first place. First edition doesn't always mean it has value. They'll be able to tell you if it does, and then you can decide if it's worth contacting a non-lending library (like the British Library) or a museum to see if they'd be interested in taking it.

Ring up a specialist book shop or dealer, they’ll buy it. The text is all over the internet so it’s not like it’s not out there. Failing that donate to a university with a good history dept. I don’t think your local museum would want it!

are you now..

Interesting thread! I have a copy which I bought in a UK charity shop - I bought it for the very carefully worded reviews at the front. The reviews are chilling, in retrospect - they scream 'We are very uncomfortable but can't say it explicitly'. From a language use standpoint they're fascinating in themselves.

The content of the book itself is a bit dull by contrast! He wasn't a great writer.

I had one in my school library that history studying sixth formers could read
I read it too

Give it to a museum. Not sure why you can't sell it if you wanted to, the text is freely available online and there are printed versions you can buy from places like Amazon.

I bought a copy from Amazon a few years ago and tried to read it, like most people I gave up after about three pages because the writing is appalling, it perhaps unsurprisingly reads like the incoherent ramblings of a madman.

(I wanted to read it to try to understand why what happened, happened. We know what happened but I've never understood the motivation behind it. There are plenty of racists out there, there have been plenty of totalitarian leaders, but nobody has succeeded in pushing such an extreme genocide through like the Germans in WWII. Other leaders may have killed more people in total, eg Stalin, but that was more of a scattergun approach. What was the root of Hitler's beliefs - and why was it so attractive to the 1930s German citizen?)

Don't destroy it whatever you do, that would be irresponsible and is the sort of thing IS do - destroy everything you don't agree with.

The Imperial War Museum has copies already (former IWM employee here) so you'd be better finding someone who would like it, there will be many. It's an important historical artefact, please don't destroy it.

If it is a first edition translation, it may have some historical importance based on who translated it. Could they have been a sympathiser who translated it as propaganda to stoke British interest? I think it would have historical interest to a university or museum so would recommend donate.

Interesting range of opinions.

I tried listing on both Amazon and eBay and both times it was rejected.

It is odd as I’ve found completed listings of a similar edition on there.

DF wanted to donate something else he’d collected (not controversial in any way) to a National Trust property. They hummed and hawed for ages and eventually declined it. So I’m not sure museums etc always want donations.

If I do sell this book, I will definitely donate some or all of the proceeds to charity.

What is all this guff about Wannabees Nazis desperate to buy it? For gawds sake. There are plenty of ways to get it even just reading online or copies floating around, it's not like OP has the only copy! Also the comments about not profiting. It's an olsish book. It is an artefact. You should sell it to a book collector or history enthusiast.

I wonder if a city library would be interested (I'm thinking like Birmingham library as my nearest city). No idea if they would or not though

Oldish*

Please don't destroy it

It's of historical value and a quick Google shows it's easily worth a few hundred pounds.
In your position I'd either find a good secondhand dealer or donate it.

If you don’t need the money then I’d donate to a museum or historical society, definitely don’t burn it.

Please don't bin or destroy. Horrible as this book is - erasing history is not the right thing to do.
I am a historian myself and would be inclined to keep it but if you don't want it then let an auction house see it.

This is a first edition though - probably worth much more than £20.

phone around the bookshops of Hay-on-Wye (lots of specialists in old books) and see if someone will buy it from you. then donate the money to charity.