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The Protocols Of The Learned Elders Of Zion

by Sergyei Nilus, Trans. By Victor E. Marsden

As some readers may be aware, a hoax e-mail has been circulating widely that falsely claims Amazon.com has favorably reviewed this book. This allegation is, of course, absolutely untrue. Nevertheless, this rumor has become so widespread on the Internet that it's already a recognized "urban legend," just like alligators living in the sewers. Amazon.com obviously does not endorse The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. This book is one of the most infamous, and tragically influential, examples of racist propaganda ever written. It may be useful to some as a tool in the teaching of the history of anti-Semitism, but it's unquestionably propaganda.

Does Amazon.com sell this book? Of course we do, along with millions of other titles. The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion is classified under "controversial knowledge" in our store, along with books about UFOs, demonic possession, and all manner of conspiracy theories. You can also find books in other sections of Amazon.com's online bookstore that analyze The Protocols' fraudulent origins and its tragic historical role in promoting anti-Semitism and Jewish persecution, including .

Should Amazon.com sell The Protocols and other controversial works? As a bookseller, Amazon.com strongly believes that providing open access to written speech, no matter how hateful or ugly, is one of the most important things we do. It's a service that the United States Constitution protects, and one that follows a long tradition of booksellers serving as guardians of free expression in our society.

Not all countries view these issues the same way. And one of our greatest challenges is to work cooperatively with other governments to respect their laws without compromising our core values of free expression and free exchange of information--values that the Internet embodies on a global scale.

Nevertheless, Amazon.com believes it is censorship not to sell certain books because we believe their message repugnant, and we would be rightly criticized if we did so. Therefore, we will continue to make this book and other controversial works available in the United States and everywhere else, except where they are prohibited by law.

Furthermore, because we strongly believe that the appropriate response to repugnant speech is not censorship, but more speech, we will continue to allow readers, authors, and publishers to express their views about the books and other products we offer on our Web site.

We hope we have eliminated any confusion surrounding this book. If you happened to be one of the many who received the infamous e-mail, we would appreciate it if you would pass this along to your friends. It is very hurtful to everyone at Amazon.com to be accused of racism.

Thank you for your consideration.

*****

Amazon.com, April 6, 2000 Review

Although it's a pernicious fraud, The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion has unfortunately had a widespread influence--all of it evil--on the history of the 20th century. It was exposed as a hoax in 1921, yet it has been used as a justification for the Holocaust and for innumerable pogroms in Russia and the Soviet Union.

The Protocols was supposedly written in 1897 from the minutes of 24 secret meetings between Jews and Freemasons in which they conspired to bring down Western civilization and jointly rule the world. In reality, it is nothing of the sort. In 1921, Philip Graves of the London Times revealed The Protocols to be a fraud, showing it to be based on a French satire aimed at Napoleon III. In a series of side-by-side extracts printed in the Times, Graves demonstrated that the forgers took long portions of the original text, titled Dialogues in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquieu, and simply replaced "France" with "Zion" and "The Emperor" with "We the Jews." Further investigations by the Russian historian Vladimir Burtsev revealed other sources for The Protocols, including a fantasy novel by Hermann Goedsche and, more darkly, the hand of the Russian secret police.

Sadly, despite its clearly fraudulent nature, The Protocols continues today to feed the fears of the credulous and to fan the flames of fanaticism and hate. --Perry M. Atterberry

From Amazon.com Please note that Amazon.com does not endorse the views expressed in this book or those in the publisher's book description below.

Book Description
Translated from the Russian by Victor Marsden. This is the full-blown version, as opposed to the shorter condensed booklet we offer. Some have asked us not to offer this book. Many wish to see it banned altogether, as it claims to expose a world-wide Jewish conspiracy. We neither support nor deny its message, we simply make it available for those who wish a copy. 299 pages 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 comb binding.

From the Publisher
This content was submitted by the publisher, The Book Tree

The Book Tree specializes in publishing rare, hard to find, and, often times, controversial books. In reissuing The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, The Book Tree has no agenda. We are not a "hate group," nor are we connected or affiliated with any such group. It is claimed that this book caused the deaths of many people, and we do not argue this point. After careful study we have concluded and publicly state that we do not endorse this book as being valid except, if anything, by coincidence alone. Even after overwhelming proof surfaced that proved it was a forgery, Henry Ford continued to print this book, based on coincidence (a strong coincidence to Ford) but on nothing more than that. As far as we can tell, there was no master plan made by Jewish leaders to rule the world as outlined in this book. People were mis-led and mistakenly believed it.

Although it is in all likelihood an outright forgery, we still offer this book in the same way we publish and offer a book called Malleus Malificarum, which also caused the deaths of thousands of innocent people (accused of witchcraft). We do not support what The Protocols claims any more than we support the burning of "witches" at the stake. Some people still believe there are witches and they should die, based on a Bible scripture that was misinterpreted (or even forged) during the time of King James. Some also believe in the message of The Protocols, which is to the best of our knowledge an unquestionable and fraudulent hoax a forgery. We offer both of these books -- not in support of their messages -- but as a tool for people to understand how nations and people can be duped into thinking and doing insane things. It is sometimes referred to as mass hysteria.

A number of these books (The Protocols) are being used in college classrooms, and it seems clear that professors are using it as an educational tool -- they are not preaching hate with it. Nor are we trying to preach hate by offering it. We at The Book Tree were unaware of the evidence that proves conclusively that The Protocols is a hoax, and had taken a neutral stand in the Introduction to a previous edition, saying people should read the book and decide for themselves. We extend our apologies for being unaware of this evidence, and now support those who claim it to be a hoax.

Approximately 175 excerpts, over 60% of the book, are said to almost precisely match French satirist Maurice Jolys novel from 1864 entitled, Dialogues in Hell Between Machiavelli and Monttesquieu. If this is true, and we take it on good authority that it is (having seen some examples), then we stand by those who have exposed it as a forgery. A known forger and German anti-Semite named Hermann Goedsche (aka Sir John Retcliffe) took Jolys Dialogues and adapted them into what eventually became The Protocols. The Russian secret police then found it useful as a propaganda tool on a number of levels.

There are those few who are still adamant that The Protocols are genuine. They are free to read this book as a matter of choice and form their own opinions, while keeping in mind the conclusions of both the publisher and myself. The Book Tree is not a believer in the suppression of information, as all people have a God-given right to read and investigate what they wish. There is much to be learned from this book by examining it closely. Plutarch once said, "To make no mistakes is not in the power of man, but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future." It is our hope that past mistakes will not be repeated, and we believe that open dialogue and education is the key (rather than suppression). Another famous philosopher once said, "If we do not learn from our past mistakes, then we are doomed to repeat them." Those who believed The Protocols made a terrible mistake. But society as a whole has evolved beyond witch burnings and the systematic murder of Jewish people. Instead of covering up or suppressing the books which caused such things, The Book Tree believes they should be made available and studied.

From the Anti-Defamation League
The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, circulated by the Czarist secret police at the turn of the 20th century, is plainly and simply a plagiarized forgery. The Protocols has been a major weapon in the arsenals of anti-Semites around the world, republished and circulated by individuals, hate groups and governments to convince the gullible as well as the bigoted that Jews have schemed and plotted to take over the world.

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