The Poisonous Mushroom is translated from the Third Reich original Der Giftpilz. That rare picture book, published by the St�rmer Verlag of Julius Streicher, is much sought after by collectors. Softcover. 64pp.

Contains a photocopy of Der Giftpilz, published Nürnberg : Verlag Der Stürmer, 1938, and its translation, The poison mushroom, by Herbert Rosenbaum.

Excerpt from Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms: A Descriptive Handbook to Accompany the Author's Colored Chart of Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms The popular and widespread interest in mushrooms of all kinds is almost phenomenal. This is due to their beauty of form and color and the supposed mystery surrounding their origin and growth, as well as to the use of certain kinds for food. Their nutritive value is not great, being about equal to that of cabbage, but they afford variety in flavor and add greatly to the relish for other foods. Mushroom eating is much more common in Europe than in this country. The struggle for existence is greater there, and the edible and poisonous varieties are better known by all classes of people. In China, it is almost impossible for a botanist to get specimens on account of the thorough manner in which all wild food is collected by the natives. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Among the most controversial of Nazi publications was a book for children, published in 1938 under the title Der Giftpilz-or, The Poisonous Mushroom. Here, the Jewish threat to German society was portrayed in the most simplistic and elemental terms. The author, Ernst Hiemer, put together 17 short vignettes or morality stories intended to warn children of the dangers posed by Jews. Jews were depicted as conniving, thieving, treacherous liars who would do anything for personal gain. 'Avoid Jews at all costs, ' was Hiemer's underlying message. Though aimed at children aged roughly 8 to 14, Hiemer's lessons were intended for all readers-older siblings, parents, and grandparents. Following Hitler's lead, and not without justification, Jews were presented as a profound threat to German society; they had to be shunned and ultimately removed from the nation, if the German people were to flourish. Long out of circulation, and banned in Germany and elsewhere, this new edition reproduces a work of historical importance-including full color artwork by German cartoonist Philipp Rupprecht ("Fips"). The book was repeatedly cited at the Nuremberg Trials as evidence of 'Nazi cruelty', and was used by prosecutors to justify a death sentence for its publisher, Julius Streicher. If only for the sake of history, the reading public should have access to one of the more intriguing and notorious publications of the Third Reich.