First edition of Mann's ominous deconstruction of the Third Reich's methods of indoctrination for German youth — published shortly before the beginning of World War II.
Very good plus.
Price: $850.00
"The Führer's best bet lay, from the very beginning, in the inexperience and easy credulity of youth. [...] Not because of any ignorance of the young but because whoever has them has the adults of tomorrow, and can flatter himself he is lord of the future."
Erika Mann, daughter of Nobel laureate Thomas Mann, was long persistent in her criticism of the Nazi regime. The best-selling SCHOOL FOR BARBARIANS is one of her most impactful pieces of pre-war opposition, offering a comprehensive look at how the Nazis "were transforming a whole generation of Germans by hijacking the education of the almost ten million children entrusted to them" (Munson). Mann — who at various points worked as a travel writer, war reporter, radio broadcaster, cabaret owner, actress, and literary executor for both her father and older brother, Klaus — was forced to flee Germany in 1933 and later gained British citizenship by way of a marriage of convenience with poet W.H. Auden. A compelling examination of Nazi propaganda, with an especially potent cover design.
Read more: Plock, "Erika Mann, the BBC German Service, and Foreign Language Broadcasting During World War II," Modernism/modernity Journal; Munson, "The Talented Erika Mann," German History, Medium.
New York: Modern Age Books, (1938). 7.5'' x 5.5''. Original pictorial wrappers with art by Politzer, cover price 50¢. 160 pages. Light creasing and soil to wrappers, with small repair to front joint. Nicer than typically seen.
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