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| [[Army of God Manual]] || [[Anon]] || Crime || Classic 3rd edition, copies seized by court in Alexandria,Virginia, USA. Features 99 covert ways to stop abortion.
| [[Army of God Manual]] || [[Anon]] || Crime || Classic 3rd edition, copies seized by court in Alexandria,Virginia, USA. Features 99 covert ways to stop abortion.
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| [[Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret]] || [[Judy Blume]] || Young adult fiction || Banned in some American schools and libraries due to discussing puberty.
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| [[Animal Farm]] || [[George Orwell]] || Political novella || Publication delayed in UK because of anti-Stalin theme. Confiscated in [[Allied Occupation Zones in Germany|Germany]] by Allied troops. Banned in 1946 in [[Yugoslavia]].{{Fact|date=May 2007}}
| [[Animal Farm]] || [[George Orwell]] || Political novella || Publication delayed in UK because of anti-Stalin theme. Confiscated in [[Allied Occupation Zones in Germany|Germany]] by Allied troops. Banned in 1946 in [[Yugoslavia]].{{Fact|date=May 2007}}
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| [[Bible]] || Various authors || Religious text || Many translations of The Bible were banned by the [[Index Librorum Prohibitorum]] in the Catholic Church.
| [[Bible]] || Various authors || Religious text || Many translations of The Bible were banned by the [[Index Librorum Prohibitorum]] in the Catholic Church.
Banned in Saudi Arabia for not being of the Muslim faith.
Banned in Saudi Arabia for not being of the Muslim faith.
Banned in the USSR and Red China for their antireligious reasons.
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| [[Biko (book)|Biko]] || [[Donald Woods]] || Biography || Banned in South Africa for its criticism of the apartheid system and white government.
| [[Biko (book)|Biko]] || [[Donald Woods]] || Biography || Banned in South Africa for its criticism of the apartheid system and white government.

Revision as of 01:05, 2 January 2008

Many societies have banned certain books. This is a partial list of books which have been banned.

Various scriptures have been banned (and sometimes burned) at several points in history. The Bible, the Qur'an, and other religious scriptures have all been subjected to censorship and have been banned in various cities and countries. In Medieval Europe, the Roman Catholic Church created a program that lasted until 1966 to deal with dissenting printed opinion; it was called the Index Librorum Prohibitorum (index of prohibited books). Over the years many books based on the scriptures have also been banned, such as Leo Tolstoy's The Kingdom of God is Within You, which was banned in Russia for being anti-establishment.

Books deemed critical of the state or its interests are another common target for banning.

Books that deal with criminal matter have also been subjected to censorship. Small-press titles that have become infamous by being banned include The Anarchist Cookbook, E for Ecstasy, and Hit Man.

In the four-volume series Banned Books published by FactsOnFile in 1998, the volumes were divided by grounds for banning: political, religious, sexual and social. The first three are often cited together as taboo in polite conversation.

Notably, children's books that deal with death or other teenage angst or various crimes often find themselves banned perhaps because of parental worries about teenage suicide or copycat crimes. Many publications are targeted on the premise that children would be corrupted by reading them. This fear led to the creation of the Comics Code Authority in 1954.

List of banned books

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.


A

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
The Age of Reason Thomas Paine Philosophical treatise Banned in 18th century UK for blasphemy
All Quiet on the Western Front Erich Maria Remarque Anti-war novel Banned in Nazi Germany for demoralizing and insulting the Wehrmacht.
American Psycho Bret Easton Ellis Crime novel Sold wrapped in plastic and only sold to adults in Australia. Banned completely in Queensland. Banned for graphic sex and graphic violence.
The Anarchist Cookbook William Powell Guide book Banned in the US because of security reasons, as the book contains recipes for numerous explosives. Sale of the book is prohibited to any one under 21 in some areas.
Army of God Manual Anon Crime Classic 3rd edition, copies seized by court in Alexandria,Virginia, USA. Features 99 covert ways to stop abortion.
Animal Farm George Orwell Political novella Publication delayed in UK because of anti-Stalin theme. Confiscated in Germany by Allied troops. Banned in 1946 in Yugoslavia.[citation needed]
Angaray Sajjad Zaheer Progressive short stories Banned in 1936 by the British government

B

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
Bible Various authors Religious text Many translations of The Bible were banned by the Index Librorum Prohibitorum in the Catholic Church.

Banned in Saudi Arabia for not being of the Muslim faith.

Biko Donald Woods Biography Banned in South Africa for its criticism of the apartheid system and white government.
Black Beauty Anna Sewell Novel Was banned in South Africa because of the use of the word 'black' in the title.[1]
Beautiful Retard Matthew Hansen Novel Banned in some US states because of its offensive title.[citation needed]
Bhavsagar Granth Baba Bhaniara Religious text Banned in Punjab, India because it is deemed heretical by orthodox Sikhs.
The Blue Lotus Hergé Graphic novel Banned in China for its pro-Kuomintang view and support.
The Book of One Thousand and One Nights Collection Banned in many primarily Muslim countries for promoting non-muslim faith
Brave New World Aldous Huxley Novel Banned for its continuous criticism of censorship and lack of freedom of speech
Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson Novel Previously banned in the US for its offensive language and depictions of the occult.

C

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
Call of the Wild Jack London Novel Banned in Yugoslavia, Italy, and burned in Nazi bonfires.[2]
Candide Voltaire Novel Seized by US Customs in 1930 for obscenity.[2]
Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau Essay Removed from US libraries during McCarthyism. Banned in South Africa
The Communist Manifesto Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels Economic treatise Banned in anti-Communist countries and the US during the Red Scare. Challenged in libraries for political reasons.
Comentarios Reales de los Incas Inca Garcilaso de la Vega History of the Inca Empire and its conquest by the Spanish Published in Spain by the son of Spanish conquistador and an Inca princess, its publication in Lima was forbidden by Carlos III of Spain during the uprising led by Tupac Amaru II, and was only published again in the Americas in 1918.

D

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
Dakar - The story of the Israeli submarine unit Mike Eldar, Captain Navy Israeli Navy History The book was banned in 1997 by a district court, due to an alleged charge according to the "Official Secret Act" following the ban of Eldar's previous book "Flotilla 11" regardless the fact it had been approved by the Israeli military censor and despite the fact that over 2000 copies had been sold. Eldar was accused of "espionage", his home was searched, his website was shut down and his computer and documents were confiscated. Following a 4-year legal struggle, the book was released and all charges against Eldar were dropped.
Did 6 Million Really Die? Richard Harwood Holocaust denial Previously banned in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and most of mainland Europe, Germany and Austria in particular, for Holocaust denial.
Doctor Zhivago Boris Pasternak Novel Banned within the USSR until 1988 for its criticism of the Bolshevik Party.
The Death of Lorca Ian Gibson Biography, True crime Banned briefly in Spain. [2]

F

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
Flotilla 11 - The battle for citation Mike Eldar, Navy Captain Israeli navy history The book was banned in 1997 by a government book committee acting under the "Official Secret Act" after it had been approved by the Israeli military censor and regardless of the fact that about 500 books had been sold. The book was republished in 2002 with no changes.
For Whom the Bell Tolls Ernest Hemingway Novel Banned in Spain during Francisco Franco's rule for its pro- Republican views.

G

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments Robert Brent Textbook Banned in the 1960s because the Chemistry experiments told as "simple" in the introduction of the book were simple but very dangerous.

H

J

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
Journal of Current Pictorial Chinese Alliance Manhua Banned by China's Qing government for spreading anti-Qing propaganda.

K

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
Karlsson-on-the-Roof Astrid Lindgren Childrens fantasy Banned in North America for subversive views on babysitters
Key of Solomon Unknown Grimoire/Magic Banned in Europe by Pope Innocent VI 1350 (& burnt), and again in 1559 for being dangerous.
The Kincora Scandal Chris Moore True crime Banned in UK for alleging British cover up over Satanic Abuse.
The King Never Smiles Paul M. Handley Biography Banned in Thailand for its criticism of King Bhumibol Adulyadej[3]
The Kingdom of God Is Within You Leo Tolstoy Religious treatise Banned in Tzarist Russia for its Christian anarchist content.

L

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
The Last Temptation of Christ Nikos Kazantzakis Religious novel Banned for blasphemy and its portrayal of Jesus.
Lady Chatterley's Lover D. H. Lawrence Novel Temporarily banned in the United States and UK for violation of obscenity laws. Banned in Australia.
Lolita Vladimir Nabokov Novel Banned in Iran[citation needed] and Saudi Arabia for its content of pedophilia.
The Lorax Dr. Seuss Children's book Banned in parts of the US for being an allegorical political commentary.[4]

M

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
The Malay Dilemma Mahathir bin Mohamad Political ideology Banned in Malaysia for its criticism of UMNO and the May 13 Incident. But the ban was lifted when Dr. Mahathir himself is made the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia.
The Manchurian Candidate Richard Condon Political novel Banned in Communist states[citation needed] for political reason. Condemned by the American Legion.
Mein Kampf Adolf Hitler Political ideology Possession and sale for historical reasons is legal in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Only reproduction is forbidden due to copyrights (held by Bavarian state, expiring 70 years after the death of the author: 31. December 2015).
Mephisto Klaus Mann Political novel / Satire In 1968, Gustaf Gründgens' adopted son Peter Gorski sued Nymphenburger Verlagsbuchhandlung, then the publisher of Mephisto in West Germany. The Federal Constitutional Court of Germany ruled that Gründgens' personal freedom (Article 2 of the Basic Law) was more important than the freedom of art (Article 5).
Mirror of the Polish Crown Sebastian Miczyński Anti-Semitic pamphlet Because this pamphlet published in 1618 was one of the causes of the anti-Jewish riots in Cracow it was banned by Sigismund III Vasa
The Moon is Down John Steinbeck Political novel Banned in Nazi Germany and Nazi-occupied countries during World War II. Distributed Illegally by various resistance movements.
The Mountain Wreath Petar II Petrović Njegoš Drama in verse Banned in Bosnia schools by Carlos Westendorp.[5]

N

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell Sci-fi/Dystopian novel Banned in the USSR for political reasons. Accused of anti-semitism. Challenged in Florida for pro-communist and sexual themes.
Notre ami le roi Gilles Perrault Biography of Hassan II of Morocco Banned in Morocco for political reasons.[6]

O

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Novel Banned in the USSR for political reasons. Author was sent into exile.
On the Origins and Perpetual Use of the Legislative Powers of the Apostolic Kings of Hungary in Matters Ecclesiastical. Adam F. Kollár Legal-political Banned by the Vatican in 1764 for arguments against the political role of the Roman Catholic Church.[7] Original title: De Originibus et Usu perpetuo...

P

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
The Peaceful Pill Handbook Philip Nitschke and Fiona Stewart Instructional manual on euthanasia Banned in Australia for political reasons.
Perfidy Ben Hecht Historical novel Banned by certain Jewish Federation and Zionist libraries because of its poor depiction of the Zionist response to the holocaust.

Q

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong Mao Zedong Collection Banned in South Vietnam and anti-Communist nations in Asia.

R

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
The Radsters Anonymous author Self Help Banned in Australia as deemed excessively 'turgid'.
Rights of Man Thomas Paine Political Banned in the UK and author charged with treason for supporting the French Revolution.[2] Banned in Tzarist Russia after the Decembrist revolt.
Rangila Rasul Pt. Chamupati Religious Currently banned in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.[8]

S

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
The Satanic Verses Salman Rushdie Novel Banned in India, Singapore,[9] and Muslim nations for blasphemy.
Shanghai Baby Wei Hui Novel (fictionalized memoir) Forty thousand copies of Shanghai Baby were burned by the Chinese government. Rights were subsequently sold in 19 countries. 200,000 copies are in print in Japan alone.
Soft Target: How Indian Intelligence Service Penetrated Canada Zuhair Kashmeri & Brian McAndrew Investigative Journalism Banned in India [10]. It is an investigative journalism work that accuses Indian intelligence of playing a role in the Air India Flight 182 bombing. Further claiming that the Indian intelligence manipulated Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Spycatcher Peter Wright Autobiography Banned in UK 1985-1988 for revealing secrets. Wright was a former MI5 intelligence officer and his book was banned before it was even published in 1987.
Steal This Book Abbie Hoffman How-To Book Banned in the U.S. until the late 1980's. This book was highly controversial because of its anti-government views.
Suicide mode d'emploi Claude Guillon Essay This book, reviewing all the accessible recipes for committing suicide, was cause of a great scandal in France in the 1970's and the subject of a law edicted in the French parliament which forbids not only this book to be sold in France but any medium giving tips or recipes on the way to kill oneself.

T

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
Thalia Arius Songbook Banned in the Roman Empire in the 330s+ for contradicting Trinitarianism. All of Arius writings were ordered burned and Arius exiled, and presumably assassinated for his writings.[11] banned by the Catholic Church for the next thousand plus years.
The Turner Diaries William Luther Pierce Novel Book stores and libraries refuse to distribute it because of its racist theme.[12] Banned in Germany for its Nazi ideology theme and Pierce leadership in the American Nazi Party. Blamed for a number of crimes allegedly inspired by the novel.[13]
Tropic of Cancer Henry Miller Novel (fictionalized memoir) Banned in the US in the 1930s until the early 1960s, seized by US customs for sexually explicit content and vulgarity. The rest of Miller's work was also banned by the United States.[14] Also banned in South Africa until the late 1980s.

U

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
Ulysses James Joyce Novel Challenged and temporarily banned in the US for its sexual content. Ban overturned in United States v. One Book Called Ulysses.
Uncle Tom's Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe Novel Banned in the Southern States and Tzarist Russia. Challenged by the NAACP for allegedly racist portrayal of African Americans and the use of the word "Nigger".[15]
United States-Vietnam Relations: 1945-1967 Robert McNamara and the United States Department of Defense Government Study President Nixon attempted to suspend publication of classified information. See: New York Times Co. v. United States

W

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
We Yevgeny Zamyatin Sci-fi novel Banned in the USSR for political reasons.
The Wealth of Nations Adam Smith Economic treatise Banned in Great Britain and France for criticizing Mercantilism[citation needed].
Banned in communist nations for its capitalist content.[16]
The Well of Loneliness Radclyffe Hall Novel Banned in the UK in 1928 for its lesbian theme, republished in 1949.[17]
What my Mother Doesn't Know Sonya Sones Novel Banned in some school libraries for use of sexual content.
Wild Swans Jung Chang Novel Banned in China for political reasons.
Winds of Change Reza Pahlavi Political science Banned in Iran for political reasons.

Z

Title Author Type of Literature Reason
Zweites Buch Adolf Hitler Transcript Possession and sale is illegal in Germany and Austria because of Nazi content. [18]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Why Were These Books Banned?".
  2. ^ a b c "Banned Books Online".
  3. ^ Warrick-Alexander, James (February 06, 2006). Thailand Bars Univ. Website. Yale Daily News.
  4. ^ "Why Were These Books Banned? - The Lorax".
  5. ^ "New World Order's Inquisition in Bosnia".
  6. ^ [1]
  7. ^ Andor Csizmadia, Adam Franz Kollár und die ungarische rechtshistorische Forschung. 1982.
  8. ^ Self and Sovereignty: Individual and Community in South Asian Islam Since 1850 by Ayesha Jalal
  9. ^ "Singapore will not Allow Publication of Prophet Cartoons". Bloomberg.com. 2006-02-10. Retrieved 2007-06-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ "Amazon Soft Target Book listing". Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  11. ^ "Edict Against Arius". 333.
  12. ^ "Extremism in America".
  13. ^ "'Turner Diaries' introduced in McVeigh trial".
  14. ^ "From Henry Miller to Howard Stern". 2004-03-09.
  15. ^ "Stowe Debate".
  16. ^ "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations".
  17. ^ Smith, David (2005-01-02). "Lesbian novel was 'danger to nation'". The Observer. Retrieved 2006-10-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "Anti-Nazi Laws".

External links

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