Why no Steiner vols translated ?

[Mark C. Yerger]

With all the "Death/Killers/Murders/atrocities/all served in camps, etc of the SS" type books being done, I wonder why neither of Felix Steiner's books have been translated, if for nothing else to have English gain insight into the author, perspective, etc.

Yet much by Degrelle is available in English and his career was neither long actually at the front and until the latter stage of Cherkassy rather unimpressive. The rest of that battle, as far as performance of the unit, owes credit to posthumous GC winner and commander Lucien Lippert.

[Klaus Richter]

I agree. I would love to see Steiner's works in English.

[MarcRikmenspoel]

I've wondered this too, but at the rate even relatively obscure books are seeing translation, I imagine that Steiner's will get that treatment eventually.

About Degrelle, my colleague Eddy De Bruyne established definitively in his works (which are summarized in our English-language collaboration For Rex & For Belgium) that Degrelle had no formal military education. He wasn't trained in military leadership, which is why he always needed a trained staff officer to actually direct the Walloon unit in battle. These were first Lucien Lippert, and then Lippert's mentor, Frans Hellebaut. Degelle himself only acted in a true command capacity during the fighting around Dorpat/Tartu, and then out of necessity. He did well in a desperate circumstance, and earned the EL.

Finally, for Mark, nice avatar! I guess that WAS you I saw once, making a comment on the Black Sabbath forum

[Mark C. Yerger]

Having just finished the manuscript for volume 7 of "German Cross in Gold Holders of the SS and Police" I agree with Marc regards Lucien Lippert. A posthumous German Cross winner, all credit for leading the Belgian unit when attached to "Wiking" (and before) is his, not Degrelle's. However propoganda, the fact he survived, awards, etc give the impression Degrelle was "the" Belgian commander. He wasn't even field grade rank when attached to "Wiking."

Degrelle, as stated, had no tactical training and though a leader, was not capable in that sense and was still dependent on a Ia and staff later when commanding the very understrength 28SS division (with well under 10,000 men more a brigade at best). Aside from a small battle group period, after Cherkassy Degrelle spent most of 1944 giving speeches and recruiting. Even his 28SS command was more desperate than earned, though not until 1945 after the loss of Heilmann. Marc's mentioned book is the best available for understanding Degrelle's political background and aspirations, as well as the Rexist Party itself and Belgium's troop contribution to the German war effort..

Others were equally Ia dependent, such as Eicke, Dietrich, and Lammerding. A few seemed to have been "naturally gifted" in that sense such as Bruno Streckenbach.

In the reverse, a significant number of Ia eventually commanded divisions including Lehmann and Ostendorff, both of whom I (my opinion) were among the best Ia in the Waffen-SS.

One reason, I assume, that Steiner's have not been done in English to date is they are texts. Most of the mindless prefer photo books.

[PanzerPeter]

Translations are expensive

Hello All!

As a publisher I must say, that translations are very expensive - I talk about professional translations.

A book with only picture captions may be one thing, but a book with text is a lot of work for the translator and a lot of work to pay by the publisher (one could buy a car instead). And afterwards the printing is to be paied too.

And in the end people say that they'd like less text an more pictures...

The decision to publish a book in a foreign language is an investment and has to be considered deeply.

There are a lot of books that never will be translated not due poor content, but because it is a risk.

just my thoughts
Regards
Peter
www.historyfacts.biz/en/

[pasoleati]

True, translating is not cheap. But there are many far less worthy translations out there than Steiner's books would be. Or Rendulic's.

By the way Peter, when will HistoryFacts improve the layout of their books to a decent level instead of big font looking like typewritten text, wide line spacing and wide margins resulting in a book that would be nearly 50% shorter if laid out properly (just compare e.g. the new Monte Cassino Then & Now side-by-side with a HistoryFacts title and see the difference between excellence and mediocrity in book design). Plus the quality of photo reproduction is not what one may expect from a book costing 50 euros or more.

[Mark C. Yerger]

Hello All!

As a publisher I must say, that translations are very expensive - I talk about professional translations.

A book with only picture captions may be one thing, but a book with text is a lot of work for the translator and a lot of work to pay by the publisher (one could buy a car instead). And afterwards the printing is to be paied too.

And in the end people say that they'd like less text an more pictures...

The decision to publish a book in a foreign language is an investment and has to be considered deeply.

There are a lot of books that never will be translated not due poor content, but because it is a risk.



just my thoughts
Regards
Peter
www.historyfacts.biz/en/

I think you'll find, after a "qualified" translator finishes, there a a lot of people with knowledge willing to assist with the massive corrections normally needed and/or help with images. I've done so for several books books done by others who know a language but not the topic equally well. Goal being to share the knowledge, though agree a high percentage want photos which also drives me nuts. Seems like the ability to read and grasp is fading a bit, even if it would provide actual knowledge of the period (that most totally lack).

I do have 1, forget by who, sold by a dealer online that you paid and downloaded as a pdf, though no images (I welcomed that), so a possible solution ?? Considering some of the junk (a lot) that is published, a shame many worthwhile books have not. And the memoirs, if I'm correct, need not be on such heavily coated paper that comprises a significant amount of costs.