US election campaign - Memoirs of Trump's Vice Candidate are in German a bestseller
The German translation of J.D. Vance's Memoirs, an American Politician, was previously out of stock - now the new edition is already several days before its release a sales hit. "We have printed 20,000 copies and expect to sell them all immediately," said a spokesperson of Munich publisher Yes Publishing to the German Press Agency (dpa).
Although the official publication date of the new translation is August 15, the first books will already be delivered on July 30, the spokesperson announced. This is because everything had to happen so abruptly. "Normally, one sets the delivery date months in advance. We want to cover the immense demand as quickly as possible." The e-book will be available on July 31.
Previous Publisher declined license extension
The US Republicans had only officially nominated Senator Vance as Vice Presidential candidate for the US Presidential Election in November in mid-July. He is now Trump's right hand.
At the beginning of Trump's Presidency, Vance was a vocal critic, calling Trump "dangerous." However, his opinion had changed six years later when he himself entered the political spotlight and courted Trump's support.
Earlier editions of "Hillbilly Elegy" were published by the Ullstein Publisher in Berlin, who view Vance's transformation critically. The politician offered an authentic account of growing up in the impoverished white working class in the American hinterland in the book, and he had distanced himself from Trump at the time, said an Ullstein spokesperson to "Spiegel" inquiry in retrospect. "Now he is officially acting on Trump's side and advocating an aggressive-demagogic, exclusionary politics."
Ullstein also added in response to dpa inquiry: "The decision to let the 2024 ending German rights expire and not renew them was made long ago, when J. D. Vance was nominated as Vice Presidential candidate. We simply decided against extending the rights and printing new copies due to economic considerations."
Understanding the Political Situation in America
The Yes-Publishing spokesperson declined to comment on Ullstein's stance. However, the spokesperson emphasized: "Anyone who wants to know who this Vice Presidential candidate is, where he comes from, and anyone who wants to understand the current political situation in America, should read this book."
In the book about his family, which was filmed by Ron Howard in 2020, J.D. Vance tells a story of failed upward mobility and the resignation of a neglected population sector in the American hinterland.
- The high demand for the new edition of J.D. Vance's memoirs in Germany is due to his role as Vice Presidential candidate for the US Election 2024, serving alongside Donald Trump.
- The US campaign of the Republicans, featuring Vance and Trump, has sparked intense interest in German readers, leading to the publication of Vance's German translation becoming a sales hit before its official release.
- Despite the controversy surrounding Vance's transformation from a critic to a supporter of Donald Trump, the United States of America's people continue to seek understanding of their political landscape through literature like Vance's 'Hillbilly Elegy'.
- As the Germans prepare for the US Presidential Election 2024, publications like J.D. Vance's Memoirs offer valuable insights into the American political scene, providing a comprehensive overview of the different parties and their candidates.
- The removal of license renewal for the German translation of 'Hillbilly Elegy' by the Ullstein Publisher in Berlin was a strategic decision made in response to Vance's vice-presidential nomination, with economic considerations playing a significant role.
- The Munich-based Yes Publishing has seized the opportunity to capitalize on the increasing interest in American politics and released a new edition of Vance's memoirs, illustrating the fast-paced nature of the publication industry in Germany.
- J.D. Vance's 'Hillbilly Elegy' provides an essential perspective on the United States of America, shedding light on the social and economic struggles faced by its rural population sectors, offering a compelling narrative for both international and domestic readers.
