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611 reviews for:
The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History
Robert M. Edsel
3.73 AVERAGE
611 reviews for:
The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History
Robert M. Edsel
3.73 AVERAGE
Fascinating subject but not a very well-written book. The made-up conversations didn't lend any credibility, either.
I'd seen the trailer for the movie and knew there was a book to so I knew I'd want to read it first.
I'm glad I did.
Still haven't seen the movie but am excited to see what got in and what was (most likely) changed.
I've always been a bit of a history buff and an art fan, so this combination of the two was great for me. Very informative without being dry. The excerpts from personal journals and letters was wonderful.
I'm glad I did.
Still haven't seen the movie but am excited to see what got in and what was (most likely) changed.
I've always been a bit of a history buff and an art fan, so this combination of the two was great for me. Very informative without being dry. The excerpts from personal journals and letters was wonderful.
The book was good enough, but the going was slow and I was never fully engrossed.
I did like this book overall, but I struggled with what to rate it. The story it tells is amazing and one that everyone should know about. It brings up interesting questions of where the line is drawn between the lives of humans and timeless cultural treasures--between what destruction is necessary and what would help each side get ahead. This book exposes another horrible side to the Nazis, that they didn't just want to kill people they found inferior, they wanted to exterminate their culture and all physical records that they existed. However, the book's format results in a story that can be a little difficult to follow. There are so many people in the story that it is impossible to keep them all straight. If you take this book as little vignettes showing the most important events without trying to keep multiple consistent narratives flowing I think it will be easier to follow. This is an important topic to learn about so I think the book is still worth reading through any structure issues. I think a lot of the problems with the structure and flow are inescapable unless the author only focused on one individual Monuments Men narrative, so it works with what it can well. I would also suggest the excellent documentary the Rape of Europa (on Netflix currently) which does an excellent job of covering this topic and is a project of one of the collaborators on this book.
Before the movie made from this book came out, I knew nothing about the Monuments Men and the awesome work they did to preserve cultural treasures during and after the Second World War. But seeing the movie spurred me to the book, for which I'm grateful.
I thoroughly enjoyed and learned from the story of these incredible heroes who fought many battles to save as much of the treasures of the past as they could. Their efforts kept so much heritage from utter destruction that we owe them a debt that can never be repaid, except by seeing these treasure and appreciating those who preserved and protected.
There are many moving tales within the larger story, and it is fascinating to see each triumph as they secured vast storehouses of treasured items. The people involved are true heroes, and should be remembered as such. This book stands as its own remembrance of the Monuments Men (and women).
I thoroughly enjoyed and learned from the story of these incredible heroes who fought many battles to save as much of the treasures of the past as they could. Their efforts kept so much heritage from utter destruction that we owe them a debt that can never be repaid, except by seeing these treasure and appreciating those who preserved and protected.
There are many moving tales within the larger story, and it is fascinating to see each triumph as they secured vast storehouses of treasured items. The people involved are true heroes, and should be remembered as such. This book stands as its own remembrance of the Monuments Men (and women).
I said it before and I will say it again: this book needs a better editor. I like some of the stories but so many of them are repetitive. And I am not interested in reading letters from these men to their wives. Who cares? Give me details on the art saving stuff!
God, the movie sucks.
These scenes never happened:
- no French member. So The Artist wouldn't have died in the arms of Mr. Flintstone
- romance thingy between Valland and Jason Bourne's character
- Lord Grantham did not die in a stupid way - it was an explosion
- the SS guy confessed before being asked. And HE told the Monuments Men about Altausse.
- no prisoners of war eavesdropping stunt, no silly Canadian French, no singing of Christmas song in the Ardennes, no finding the Bruges Madonna in the last minute....
gosh so MANY silly made up scenes made for cheap dramatic effect! I hate you George Clooney and your screenwriter!
Ok done ranting.
I think there are many useful and interesting bits of information in this book but it was a tedious read so one has to be very, very patient.
God, the movie sucks.
These scenes never happened:
- no French member. So The Artist wouldn't have died in the arms of Mr. Flintstone
- romance thingy between Valland and Jason Bourne's character
- Lord Grantham did not die in a stupid way - it was an explosion
- the SS guy confessed before being asked. And HE told the Monuments Men about Altausse.
- no prisoners of war eavesdropping stunt, no silly Canadian French, no singing of Christmas song in the Ardennes, no finding the Bruges Madonna in the last minute....
gosh so MANY silly made up scenes made for cheap dramatic effect! I hate you George Clooney and your screenwriter!
Ok done ranting.
I think there are many useful and interesting bits of information in this book but it was a tedious read so one has to be very, very patient.
It's rare when history actually reads anything like a cohesive narrative, Monuments Men can be forgiven its probably necessarily dry parts; a lush ode honoring an almost forgotten chapter of heroes in a time when heroes and villains were more easily distinguished.
Too many characters for an audio book. I am thinking I will just catch the movie
Slow read but I did learn some interesting facts about WWII that I did not previously know.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Took some time to get into this, 80 pages in I didn't really feel it had said very much for the pages read and it felt very scattered jumping here, there and everywhere.
But from that point it did have a narrative and I got used to the jumps from location to location.
This was a highly informatative book about a niche area of the war most people know nothing about.
It is important because we should know that there were a group of people responsible for protecting the art and culture we can see now around the world, and to tell us their names.
But from that point it did have a narrative and I got used to the jumps from location to location.
This was a highly informatative book about a niche area of the war most people know nothing about.
It is important because we should know that there were a group of people responsible for protecting the art and culture we can see now around the world, and to tell us their names.