Episode · Behind the Bastards · 2018-05-22
Books mentioned on Hitler: Y.A. Fiction Fan Girl
Who was Karl May? And why was Hitler so obsessed with him?
Laci Mosley discussed Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Robert Evans discussed The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, Winnetou by Karl May, On War by Carl von Clausewitz, Old Surehand by Karl May, Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler, and Winnetou und Old Shatterhand. by Karl May.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
-
Twilight
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer is a globally popular young adult fantasy romance novel that follows the intense and complicated relationship between a human high school girl and a century-old vampire.
Discussed“That's I used to read those horrible Twilight books in high school. That's fine. And that little uh kitty kitty porn. No, that's bad. I'm not going to Like raunchy book, yeah.”
Where to get it
-
The Last of the Mohicans
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper is a classic historical adventure novel set against the backdrop of the French and Indian War.
Discussed“Karl was allowed access to a vast library, and he read constantly. He also started writing fiction. His favorite books were adventurous stories about America by writers like James Fenimore Cooper, who wrote The Last of the Mohicans.”
Where to get it
-
Winnetou
Discussed“He starts writing travel books and articles for magazines and eventually starts writing novels. In 1893, he published the first novel in what would become known as the Winnetou series. Uh these books would become the 19th century German equivalent of Harry Potter. I read the first of these books.”
Where to get it
-
On War
On War by Carl von Clausewitz is a foundational treatise on military strategy, political theory, and the nature of armed conflict, written by the Prussian general following the Napoleonic Wars.
Discussed“So Carl von Clausewitz is is like right up there with Sun Tzu in the pantheon of the best military minds in history. He fought against Napoleon and helped beat Napoleon. He invented the term fog of war and he wrote a book titled On War that is required reading in every military academy on Earth pretty much to this”
Where to get it
-
Old Surehand
Discussed“So, obviously, Karl May's novels, by Hitler's own admission, were the first time he really read anything about America. They opened his eyes to geography. And in May's novels, America is a land dominated by German immigrants. Almost every white person in the story with a speaking role in these novels is a German transplant. In the first book, Old”
Where to get it
-
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is an autobiographical manifesto by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler that outlines his political ideology and future plans for Germany.
Discussed“This makes a little more sense when you understand what I'm calling the Adolf Hitler theory of how to read, uh as laid out in Mein Kampf. Uh Hitler stated, "Reading is no end in itself, but a means to an end."”
Where to get it
-
Winnetou und Old Shatterhand.
Discussed“So the last question of this podcast is what did happen to Karl May in the end and that's a story worth telling too. As I said, he got rich and wealthy and started to claim that he himself was Old Shatterhand. He bought a big fancy mansion which he nicknamed Villa Shatterhand.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (9) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“And uh Lacy, did you have a favorite book or series of books when you were a young adult, like a teenager? Oh, like a teenager. I was about to say Junie B. Jones.”
“In 1893, he published the first novel in what would become known as the Winnetou series. Uh these books would become the 19th century German equivalent of Harry Potter.”
“He's only beaten by Martin Luther, who wrote the German translation of the Bible. Wow. Um so, yeah, he's he's ridiculously popular. Uh and when he is at the height of his fame and wealth and like the biggest author in Germany, Karl May reveals to everyone in Germany that his stories are all true. He was Old Shatterhand the”
“Yeah, yeah, it's like if Donald Trump grew up reading, I don't know, yeah, Harry Potter like you were saying earlier and then just never stopped reading it as adults.”
Passing Winnetou
“The plane crashes, it's just pages of Karl's books. It's just copies of Winnetou. THIS IS A YOU KNOW, IT'S actually it's scary how close to the truth that is.”
“That really is like if you're president and you're like, "Give me my Harry Potter book." "Oh, Harry." These are my Bible. What should I do now? Tell me how to open the Chamber of Secrets in my heart.”
Passing The Cat in the Hat
“Yo, I wonder what book Trump is reading. What's his Karl May? I mean, Dr. Seuss? Does he read? Cat in the Hat? It's a lot of pictures in that. You don't have to read as much.”
“Which I got to say, like people talk about how J. K. Rowling has kind of gone a little bit a little bit wacky and in her fame and like all the new stuff she releases about her characters and whatnot and her social media presence, but like she's got nothing on Karl May's game.”
Passing Winnetou
“I was reading some Karl May books. I was like, "How am I I was like, this is my destiny." Yeah, so thank you so much, Karl. You've changed my life forever.”