View Single Post
  #2  
Old 17th January 2005, 20:13
Hawk-Eye
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Galland's book

As far as I know the difference between various German editions is only that some passages were deleted or not. Galland was never able to obtain from his German publishers that even errors, or printing errors, were corrected. Pocket books are mostly shortened versions. I don't really know how you can see if the text is comprehensive. A good criterion is to look at the "Spanish" part and how detailed it is (it's fairly detailed in the German original). Same thing for "Donnerkeil operation" - Galland was very proud of his achievement and gave many details including on the purely naval operations and fighting. The French edition "Les premiers et les derniers" is absolutely comprehensive : you can use it to check what's missing.

The English version is approx. 20 % shorter than the German one, especially as far as the Spanish civil war is concerned - not because of censorship or for political reasons (I think) but just to save paper and weight.

The first French version "Jusqu'au bout sur nos Messerschmitt ("All the Way on our Messerschmitts), published 1954 by Robert Laffont, was 60 % shorter than the original (no censorship, just saving paper). So the original is 2.5. times longer (+ 150 %). The countless translating errors are absolutely TERRIBLE : for example on 21 June 1941 A. Galland was sitting on an "ejection seat" and wearing two parachutes ("my second parachute...").

Fortunately a comprehensive, correct French translation (NO cuts, no translating errors) was published 1985 (see above).

Most translations contain many errors. Sitck to the original if you can.
Reply With Quote