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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
Such an interesting depiction of the people who saved countless monuments and artworks during World War II. It would have been more interesting had Edsel told the story in a story like manner, but the narrative was a little too fact oriented. It is really interesting to see the lengths to which these men and women went to save all of these priceless works in the first instance when they were really under severe threat, at least to such an extreme and widespread scale.
DNFing. It's a neat topic and I wanted to learn more about it but I can't keep anyone straight and my brain is fried enough from school to require a strong plot.
May come back to this at some point. Also, would probably do better with a physical copy.
May come back to this at some point. Also, would probably do better with a physical copy.
Super fascinating! I am ashamed to say I never knew this existed during WWII and now that I do it makes SO MUCH SENSE. I feel somewhat attached to these guys, because there are so many old buildings and monuments that I see get ruined and a little part of me dies - and when the Monuments Men mourned the destruction of a hundred-year-old cathedral I did too. A compelling story and well-written. Looking forward to the movie!
The Monuments Men is a well-written, absorbing bit of history about a military unit during WWII tasked with the salvation and restoration to their rightful owners of artwork throughout Europe. The work of several high profile monuments men are traced through seamlessly through the book, as they search out and protect thousands of artifacts. Some of these are named, and their movement as they were taken by the Nazis, is tracked in concert with the expeditionary work of the monuments men. I have seen a few of the pieces so described, and am grateful for the work of these men and women who fought to preserve them for future generations.
It was an inspiring historical account, and I especially appreciated the brief accounts at the end of the various figures involved, both good and bad. Too often, accounts such as these take the reader through the events of the time period, and then seem to abruptly drop them as if they are no longer of interest. That was not the case here.
Well done, Mr. Edsel.
It was an inspiring historical account, and I especially appreciated the brief accounts at the end of the various figures involved, both good and bad. Too often, accounts such as these take the reader through the events of the time period, and then seem to abruptly drop them as if they are no longer of interest. That was not the case here.
Well done, Mr. Edsel.
So interesting! Now I want to go to museums. Can't wait to finally see the movie too.
I think this book would make a decent introduction to the Monuments Men and what they did, on the hand it is very dry being very fact based not a lot of 'story telling' involved. I came to this book after reading about specific artworks (Mona Lisa, Ghent Altarpiece, etc...) that had history during WWII. I knew about the Monuments Men contribution to the recovery of art such as the well known Altaussee salt mine, so I enjoyed the greater detail of events I found in this book. I would say this book is best for people that have deep interest for art and WWII.
After seeing the movie and watching the rape of Europa, I'm glad I finally read the book. It was interesting, well researched (to an almost confusing geographic point) and left me wanting to know more of what was found was found where and what has happen to sorry of the art since.
Wonderfully done for balancing the realities of the holocuast with the pace and thesis of the book. Powerful read with the 70th anniversary of the end of the war and just days ago Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Wonderfully done for balancing the realities of the holocuast with the pace and thesis of the book. Powerful read with the 70th anniversary of the end of the war and just days ago Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Well, this wasn't engaging in the sense that it was a wild page turner, but I have to give it four stars since it is such an amazing story. Plus, as a librarian, these are my people! I don't have an archivist's bone in my body, but for my archival friends, this is a must read. It is fascinating how Hitler and his Third Reich went about looting the public and private art, library, jewelry and more collections of all of Europe. They even stole four different tombs! I can see how this will make a fascinating movie, if it's done well. I would recommend this to art lovers, history lovers, WWII aficionados, and librarians. I had to read it in medium sized chunks because sometimes it could drag on, but the author did a nice job of explaining the drama that was attached to the hunt across Europe to find, protect and return millions of stolen pieces of artistic property, the heritage of a continent.
Really interesting story about Nazi Germany and the fight against Hitler on the art front. Some of the book dragged a bit for me when it talked about the men making plans or their background stories. I found the actual action parts of the book more fascinating, but overall a great book about a piece of art history I never knew. People saving culture from being demolished. Some of the actions they took in order to save pieces of history are just amazing.