Known by many names and created by the fossilization of tree resin, amber, (or "Bernstein" in Low German), has been connected to the low countries and the German people for centuries; in written Roman accounts, records of the Germanic amber trade predate the actual word "Germania", and the shoreline west of Koenigsberg (renamed Kalingrad following World War II) is still one of the key sources of amber on the modern market. Normally found in relatively small pieces, large works in amber are traditionally assembled "jigsaw" style from multiple panels, with both the shape and the color of the individual pieces being taken into account to produce the desired effect. Measuring 4 5/8 inch wide, 7 1/2 inches tall and approximately 1/4 of an inch thick, the cover plate of this book is assembled from 27 individual rectangular pieces of bright orange Baltic amber set into a silver finished brass frame with a lightly beveled edge, a square silver rivet in each corner, a raised silver Nazi Eagle in the center and the title lettering "Adolf Hitler/Mein Kampf" above and below, with a single piece amber swastika on the darkened brass cover latch. An "830" purity stamp is present on the lower arm of the swastika. The rest of the exterior binding is tan leather, with a set of four small rivets on the rear cover. A tiny metal plaque inside the front cover bears the maker's mark of the North German Amber Industry firm Naujoks, Mann & Gedenk of Koenigsberg and the first page bears a presentation marking; most of the marking is illegible, but the final lines are clearly the signature "A. Hitler" and "Berlin Juni (June) 1941". With the exception of the crisp "H" in his own last name, Hitler's handwriting is borderline unreadable, though the first line may be addressed to Margarete Slezak an actress and singer with a career stretching from Weimar Germany to West Germany. Slezak is noted as a contemporary of both Adolf Hitler and Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl. The full nature of her relationship to Hitler is a matter of speculation, with both Slezak and Riefenstahl being among the women accused of being in secret relationships with the Fuehrer. Amber-covered Mein Kampf recipients were typically well connected to the Nazi regime and often Hitler himself, which were also given as personal tokens to high ranking SS men and used as trophies for important sporting events; Slezak would certainly count as 'close' to the party leadership. The remainder of the book is essentially no different than any other copy of Hitler's noted manifesto, with deep brown edges and crisply printed text. Included with the book is a blue leatherette case, with a French cut white velvet bottom and a white rayon covered padded lid.

Fine overall, with some light scuffing on the leather and a few sections of filler material absent from between the amber panels and the frame. The silver "Adolf" plate is a bit loose, otherwise the silver is solidly attached and shows a mixed aged patina. The pages are in exceptional order, with a few light spots concentrated on the front pages and a few rubs on the exterior, with a small piece of putty applied behind the cover for support staining the paper, and the cover latch is solid. The contents are Mein Kampf. The case is very good, with some wear and staining; the lid padding in particular has taken on a very deep imprint of the cover, including visible border lines of the individual amber panels. A fine silver framed presentation Hitler portrait which also appears signed to Slezak can be seen in Lot #1597.