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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
The Nazis were perhaps the greatest art-thieves in history, intent not just on conquering nations and enslaving and murdering large groups of people, but also on appropriating the most important cultural and artistic items in Western Europe for the benefit of Germany and the Third Reich. Untold numbers of paintings, sculptures, prints, documents, even stained glass windows and carved doors were all packed up and transported to Germany, many for Hitler and Göring's private collections. But many more by far were hidden away in secret storehouses, bunkers, abandoned mines, all for the future day when the war would be over and Germany victorious.
That such a day never came is obviously the subject of an endless number of books - this book is concerned with the effort of a small group of men and women to discover the locations of these artistic treasure troves and to ensure the art was returned to the nations and individuals it had been stolen from. The MFAA (Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives program) scarcely numbered more than 400, and the majority of these were only assigned after the end of the war. In the final years of the war, the main figures in the MFAA, followed in this book, operated almost entirely alone, with no resources, no infrastructure, no guidance, sometimes not even transportation - often in a race against time to discover the locations before they were destroyed in accordance with Hitler's scorched earth 'Nero Decree'.
It's a fascinating story, a real life Indiana Jones tale, and it's no surprise this book is now being turned into a film. The men and women detailed in this book are real heroes, risking their lives for the sake of artistic treasures, to return the cultural heritage of nations to their rightful places, even those belonging to Germany. It's very easy to overlook such 'minor' considerations in the middle of war - one only needs to use as example the looting of the Baghdad Museum during the invasion of Iraq in recent years - but the culture of a nation plays such an important part in its identity, all the more important in the wake of a devastating war like World War 2.
My one criticism is that is almost entirely US-focused; there is scarcely a mention of the work done by any non-American members of the Monuments Men, which was an Allied venture, not merely an American one.
That such a day never came is obviously the subject of an endless number of books - this book is concerned with the effort of a small group of men and women to discover the locations of these artistic treasure troves and to ensure the art was returned to the nations and individuals it had been stolen from. The MFAA (Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives program) scarcely numbered more than 400, and the majority of these were only assigned after the end of the war. In the final years of the war, the main figures in the MFAA, followed in this book, operated almost entirely alone, with no resources, no infrastructure, no guidance, sometimes not even transportation - often in a race against time to discover the locations before they were destroyed in accordance with Hitler's scorched earth 'Nero Decree'.
It's a fascinating story, a real life Indiana Jones tale, and it's no surprise this book is now being turned into a film. The men and women detailed in this book are real heroes, risking their lives for the sake of artistic treasures, to return the cultural heritage of nations to their rightful places, even those belonging to Germany. It's very easy to overlook such 'minor' considerations in the middle of war - one only needs to use as example the looting of the Baghdad Museum during the invasion of Iraq in recent years - but the culture of a nation plays such an important part in its identity, all the more important in the wake of a devastating war like World War 2.
My one criticism is that is almost entirely US-focused; there is scarcely a mention of the work done by any non-American members of the Monuments Men, which was an Allied venture, not merely an American one.
This is a well- written book about a little-known part of WWII. It's very interesting and extremely informative but, as pure documentaries can be, a bit tedious at times.
I've long been fascinated by the role art played in the Third Reich, from its use as a tool of propaganda against the Jews, to its systematic looting of art, to the efforts to preserve the glories of Western Civilization by the Allies. With that said, I found this particular telling to be a bit of a slog for the first half which reads much more like military history, which is not exactly my thing.
Interesting subject matter, mediocre/strange writing. Lots of telling-instead-of-showing, as mentioned by a previous reviewer. The author seems to take a lot of liberty in presenting conversations and thoughts of the subjects. I ended up wondering a lot about sources and the details within while reading.
At times, the book moved too slowly for the information presented. Some parts could have been condensed.
At times, the book moved too slowly for the information presented. Some parts could have been condensed.
I read this for my husband...my version of WW2 nonfiction. It was interesting but a little slow.
There are several interesting anecdotes here about the search for art plundered by Nazis during World War II, but this plodding book had me looking forward to its conclusion, and not in a good way.
I enjoyed reading about the Monuments men and the art they sought to save. I have read a bit about World War II, but I had never read much about the stolen art, the caches where they were hidden, or the efforts made to get them back and return the pieces to their rightful owner. And it offered another facet of the Nazis--and still not a good one. I thought the book quite readable and accessible.
It was an interesting read - a part of the WWII story that often goes overlooked.
So. Darn. Good. Such an intersting look at a part of history that isn't largely recognized.
It always takes me longer to read non-fiction, but add in a long list of characters, slow plot and timing around the holidays, and this book took me much longer than usual. The author also has notes to read along the way (apparently the work in Italy alone was enough to fill another book). The book starts slowly as the Monuments Men are being formed, though that is a loose term, as they were never a "unit" but working independently for the most part. A handful of men are given the job of protecting Europe's cultural heritage, including artwork and historical places. Many of them were museum workers before enlisting so were very dedicated to the cause. The beginning chapters seem disjointed as the reader is taken along with each of the men in various parts of Europe. The Nazis had been hoarding artwork throughout the war and the Monuments Men are given the task to preserve, repair and return anything that is deemed to have cultural significance. Whereas this may not be the main concern during conflict, the world would truly miss these items once peace returns. The story is punctuated by exciting finds, saves and sacrifices that kept me reading and is an important, though forgotten, part of history. I can see how this may make a more exciting movie and the cast looks promising.