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615 reviews for:
The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History
Robert M. Edsel
3.73 AVERAGE
615 reviews for:
The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History
Robert M. Edsel
3.73 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Such great research and fascinating stories; this book is not only a story about preserving art and cultural artifacts, but adds depth of understanding to what was going on in the European war zones particularly toward the end of the war.
Until I saw the preview for the movie, I wasn't even aware of these brave men and women. The book was fascinating. I could not put it down for the last 100 pages. I can't wait to see the movie.
The author did a great job of using historical documents to gather information and tell a fantastic story. It was a bit hard to get into at the beginning, but worth the mental investment.
The author did a great job of using historical documents to gather information and tell a fantastic story. It was a bit hard to get into at the beginning, but worth the mental investment.
Really enjoyed this book. The history, the art, the quiet heroes and the fact that it just makes you think about the value of culture.
I've been disappointed with the trailers I have seen for the movie. This is a must read not necessarily a must see.
I've been disappointed with the trailers I have seen for the movie. This is a must read not necessarily a must see.
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I enjoyed my time with this book., although I really need to stop going for audio format on art adjacent books. I have more interest now in art history than I did while actually taking art history in school. but my memory for even iconic pieces is sketchy at best. After mentioning the Ghent Altarpiece and The Astronomer so many times I really wished I had a photo aside to reference, but that's also what smartphones are for I suppose.
I always think I know more than enough about the World Wars, but diving into these books always makes me realize there is always more. While there is the obvious moral discussion of "What is more important, lives or culture?" I think it's almost too complicated to critique. It is easy to look at these events in hindsight and think they focused too much on an inanimate object when lives were at stake.
On the one hand, there are events like the bombing of Monte Cassino that resulted in the destruction of a beautiful monastery at the detriment of the Allies since the Germans were not actually using the building as a fort, and actually felt more comfortable using the ruins for their own defense, when they had avoided entering the Monastery before. This is a great example of the word discussed in this story - because the effort can only be decided worthwhile after the event. Had the Germans been defeated by the bombing, Allied lives drastically saved, then perhaps the sacrifice of the monument itself would have been easier to accept. The "wrong" choice is only known afterwards, and we will lament the loss of a beautiful, sacramental building. If the Monuments Men had succeeded in their efforts to protect their monument, it would have also benefited the Allies, making their intention about whether to protect art or life less of a factor when the goals aligned.
On the other hand, the monuments can be more than just places or things to people, especially when they are tied to a religion. When a whole town can find hope in faith around a depiction of Mary and the Christ Child, is that really just a painting or statue? I did not have to be religious to shed tears at the moment when one of the Monuments Men was able to give an in-tact torah to the rabbi giving sermons to the Jews freed from the camps after - to a people who were targeted to be destroyed by the Nazis for their birth and religion, that was not just paper and words.
As I age, I realize again and again how much I am living through history. It is easy to critique a movement like this, but in reality it was a very small fraction of people dedicated to saving these monuments amongst a plethora of soldiers and fighting. There are wars and fighting happening as I write this book review. As Notre Dame burned in 2019, there were plenty other things happening that were arguably much worse, but it doesn't change the feeling of sadness at the loss of iconic, unique beauties. Major events happen near and far from us, and we continue our lives through them (unless we don't.) We acclimate and live around these events just as much as we live through them. (I think the show Derry Girls is an interesting representation of this - despite taking place during The Troubles, there are still teenage girls going through teenage girl problems - just sometimes modified.) I think for the world to come out of World War II with people having looked after objects that meant so much to people is still an admirable thing. Yes, an object is not as important as a life, but objects can still be invaluable, even if just to one person.
If you lost everything you owned in this life, would it not be comforting to be reunited with something that meant something to you? When we lose cultural objects, we lose history, and we are already bad enough at learning from our history when we have it mostly in tact.
Human beings are complicated, and we always are walking a line between creation and destruction. The Monuments Men are another example of the way we cope. There are the Ghent Altarpiece and Madonna of Bruges that continue representing a part of our history and a symbol of survival, or Notre Dame and Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), damaged drastically or completely and recovered, rebuilt, still as important and beautiful as before, still a representation of survival. And there are the things that are lost and never recovered, but still remembered for their impact while we had them.
I always think I know more than enough about the World Wars, but diving into these books always makes me realize there is always more. While there is the obvious moral discussion of "What is more important, lives or culture?" I think it's almost too complicated to critique. It is easy to look at these events in hindsight and think they focused too much on an inanimate object when lives were at stake.
On the one hand, there are events like the bombing of Monte Cassino that resulted in the destruction of a beautiful monastery at the detriment of the Allies since the Germans were not actually using the building as a fort, and actually felt more comfortable using the ruins for their own defense, when they had avoided entering the Monastery before. This is a great example of the word discussed in this story - because the effort can only be decided worthwhile after the event. Had the Germans been defeated by the bombing, Allied lives drastically saved, then perhaps the sacrifice of the monument itself would have been easier to accept. The "wrong" choice is only known afterwards, and we will lament the loss of a beautiful, sacramental building. If the Monuments Men had succeeded in their efforts to protect their monument, it would have also benefited the Allies, making their intention about whether to protect art or life less of a factor when the goals aligned.
On the other hand, the monuments can be more than just places or things to people, especially when they are tied to a religion. When a whole town can find hope in faith around a depiction of Mary and the Christ Child, is that really just a painting or statue? I did not have to be religious to shed tears at the moment when one of the Monuments Men was able to give an in-tact torah to the rabbi giving sermons to the Jews freed from the camps after - to a people who were targeted to be destroyed by the Nazis for their birth and religion, that was not just paper and words.
As I age, I realize again and again how much I am living through history. It is easy to critique a movement like this, but in reality it was a very small fraction of people dedicated to saving these monuments amongst a plethora of soldiers and fighting. There are wars and fighting happening as I write this book review. As Notre Dame burned in 2019, there were plenty other things happening that were arguably much worse, but it doesn't change the feeling of sadness at the loss of iconic, unique beauties. Major events happen near and far from us, and we continue our lives through them (unless we don't.) We acclimate and live around these events just as much as we live through them. (I think the show Derry Girls is an interesting representation of this - despite taking place during The Troubles, there are still teenage girls going through teenage girl problems - just sometimes modified.) I think for the world to come out of World War II with people having looked after objects that meant so much to people is still an admirable thing. Yes, an object is not as important as a life, but objects can still be invaluable, even if just to one person.
If you lost everything you owned in this life, would it not be comforting to be reunited with something that meant something to you? When we lose cultural objects, we lose history, and we are already bad enough at learning from our history when we have it mostly in tact.
Human beings are complicated, and we always are walking a line between creation and destruction. The Monuments Men are another example of the way we cope. There are the Ghent Altarpiece and Madonna of Bruges that continue representing a part of our history and a symbol of survival, or Notre Dame and Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), damaged drastically or completely and recovered, rebuilt, still as important and beautiful as before, still a representation of survival. And there are the things that are lost and never recovered, but still remembered for their impact while we had them.
The only visible memento of Harry's war years is a small photograph on a nearby end table. Taken in the Heilbronn mine in early 1946, it shows Monuments officer Lieutenant Dale Ford and (recently promoted) Sergeant Harry Ettlinger staring down at a self-portrait by Rembrandt. The painting is perched on a mine cart, with the rock walls and steel rails of the mine clearly visible. In 1946, the photograph was used by the army for promotional purposes and reprinted around the world. The caption simply said, "American soldiers with a Rembrandt." No one seemed interested in the fact that the painting was the Rembrandt from the museum in Karlsruhe, and that the nineteen-year-old soldier standing next to it was a German Jew who had grown up three blocks from that museum, and by chance had descended seven hundred feet into a mine to behold, for the first time, a painting he had always heard about, but never had the right to see.
I harbor a fear and loathing of history books thanks to unfortunate classroom experiences from 4th grade right on up to the last history class I was forced to take as a sophomore in college. The writing style of this book had me harking back to the days of nodding off over my textbook. It’s a mercy that Mr. Smalley (9th grade world history) isn’t around any more to say “Take out a half-sheet of paper,” which was his way of saying he was giving a pop quiz.
I’m glad I stuck with it, however. The good part is definitely the last third of the book, when the Nazis start retreating, and the Monuments Men are locating caches of stolen art treasures scattered across France and Germany. It’s an important story, one that I can’t believe faded into obscurity so quickly after the war.
Spoiler alert: The Allies win!
I’m glad I stuck with it, however. The good part is definitely the last third of the book, when the Nazis start retreating, and the Monuments Men are locating caches of stolen art treasures scattered across France and Germany. It’s an important story, one that I can’t believe faded into obscurity so quickly after the war.
Spoiler alert: The Allies win!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Fascinating -- I learned so much about the topic of Nazi art looting and Allied recovery efforts. I listened to it on audio book but plan to buy my own copy so I can bookmark a few particularly important/moving passages.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced