The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel
No one could ever accuse Hitler of not having delusions of grandeur. He saw himself as not only ruling the entire world, but at the same time planning to design and build the world's largest museum displaying most of Europe's finest art treasures. How these art treasures might end up in his possession, is not a concern of his. But it was a concern of a little known group of Allied soldiers, called the Monuments Men.
This book tells the fascinating, if little known, story of a special force of American and British museum directors, curators, art
historians, and others, who risked their lives, often unarmed and behind enemy lines, scouring
Europe to prevent the theft and destruction of thousands of years of culture. Some of the worlds greatest masterpieces were involved, from the Mona Lisa to the Ghent Altarpiece to Michelangelo's Bruges Madonna.
But what makes this story even more significant in my opinion, is the fact the allied armies knew, understood and appreciated the importance and value of saving these cultural icons. A fact our current military leaders seemed to have forgotten. Edsel compares the efforts of World War II in preserving the history and culture of various countries, to the U.S. military's total disregard for a country's history and culture during the bombing, destruction and looting of the national treasures housed in the Museum in Baghdad. The establishment of the MFAA marks the first time, and currently the only time, an army fought a war while comprehensively attempting to mitigate cultural damage.
Not only is this a fascinating tale, but it should also make a tremendous motion picture. In the right hands and screenplay writer, the natural suspense inherent in the printed story could easily become the main focus of a feature film. I have read the adaptation of this story is in the hands of George Clooney. Based on his track record, it will be one of the highlights of the movie season when the film is released. But that should not stop you from picking up a copy of this book as well as Edsel's sequel, which is being released this month, and focuses on the Monuments Men in Italy during World War II. The title of his new book is, "Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis."
Not only is this a fascinating tale, but it should also make a tremendous motion picture. In the right hands and screenplay writer, the natural suspense inherent in the printed story could easily become the main focus of a feature film. I have read the adaptation of this story is in the hands of George Clooney. Based on his track record, it will be one of the highlights of the movie season when the film is released. But that should not stop you from picking up a copy of this book as well as Edsel's sequel, which is being released this month, and focuses on the Monuments Men in Italy during World War II. The title of his new book is, "Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis."
