Will I love The Monuments Men?

I was traveling Europe as I read this one, about the art theft and its recovery during WWII. So much interesting history! It changed my entire perspective on the museums I was visiting.

Without the Monuments Men, the artworks plundered by the Nazis might never have been recovered. A lot might still be missing.

The Monuments Men were art experts, scholars, and historians who had volunteered for a specially-formed military unit. They followed the Allied armies through Europe and made sure no historical monuments or irreplaceable artworks were inadvertently destroyed. Using Rose Valland’s notes from the Jeu de Paume, they tracked down stolen treasures in castles, monasteries, and even a salt mine!

Engaging and well-written, this book is a must-read. I borrowed it from the library, but ended up buying my own copy.… show more.

Many people know of the art thefts conducted by the Nazis in WWII.

In this book, Edsel reveals the story of tracing these treasures through the POV of the Monuments Men, the special group of American and British men tasked with identifying and rescuing these stolen art treasures. The unfolding of their struggles and the location of these art pieces is fascinating – done behind enemy lines while the war still raged.

It was literally a race against time in some instances, as when they were trying to locate the hoard eventually found in the Austrian salt mine, for it… show more.

Robert Edsel became fascinated by the story of art looting and preservation during WWII after living for a period in Florence. Being a wealthy businessman from Texas, he used his money to bring attention to the story of the men and women who fought to preserve art during WWII. He has written four books on the subject, but The Monuments Men is the most well-rounded and suitable for someone who is beginning to investigate this riveting slice of history. His book was made into a movie starring George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, and Matt Damon in 2014.