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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
I may have been listening to this one at a time when I wasn't paying the most attention, but I had a hard time following the main storyline and the cast of characters. In this instance, maybe watching the movie would be better than reading the book.
Fascinating, easy to read book about the efforts of a few members of the US military assigned to locate and save great works of art during the last few months of WWII. The book focuses on the stories of a few of the soldiers involved with the effort, as well as some key British and French figures involved with the location and rescue of art. Germans are included also, both those who were involved with the theft and those who helped with the rescue efforts. It is amazing how close we came to losing many treasures, including the Ghent Altarpiece and the only Michelangelo statue outside of Italy, if it wasn't for the effort of the soldiers working on the mission.
My favorite portions of the book was the art, descriptions, the history and all.
Excellent story of an overlooked part of WWII. The men and women who protected and hunted down the art and cultural record of Europe as the Nazi's looted with abandon. This is a great story that was slightly romanticized in the book. But after being forgotten by so many maybe they deserve some of that. I can't wait to see the movie. Also if you are interested in this topic I highly recommend the documentary The Rape of Europa. Great movie that explains how much Hitler was driven by his obsession with acquiring art, treasures etc.
life's too short to read things i don't find compelling anymore. the me of maybe 3 or 4 or 5 years ago would have probably stuck through to the end, enjoyed it. but me now? there's other things to read that will hit my brain better. so i will do that. also my loan from the library expired and i don't care enough to reborrow it, so that's pretty telling i think.
I’m pretty well convinced everyone should read this book, or at the very least do some googling to familiarize themselves with the MFAA and the work they did. Although the many characters got to be a little hard to keep track of at times, Edsel manages to keep the focus on a few primary players and is good at giving small reminders when necessary. The story is fascinating and well-written, and I’m probably gonna be really annoying in telling everyone I know about the monuments men (especially Rose Valland!) and their largely-forgotten work.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Very informative and inspiring. A bit long and “into the weeds” at some points.
Good for art and military lovers
I think to really enjoy this book, you have to really have an interest in arts and military history. because I love this period of history so much I powered through it, but at times it did become a little difficult to keep interest. it was also a little difficult to keep track of who was where when and remember their background and specialty.
I think to really enjoy this book, you have to really have an interest in arts and military history. because I love this period of history so much I powered through it, but at times it did become a little difficult to keep interest. it was also a little difficult to keep track of who was where when and remember their background and specialty.
This was fantastic as an audiobook. It felt like a really knowledgeable person was telling you a story. Yes, it was a little overly detailed and frankly a little overdramatic in parts, but it was also fascinating and I learned a lot about both Nazi art theft and the war in general.
The movie ... takes a lot of liberties. In fact, although it mangles facts to create what should theoretically make a more intense narrative, I thought many parts of the book were more exciting overall. It's a tough book to adapt, really.
Challenge 16: An audiobook.
The movie ... takes a lot of liberties. In fact, although it mangles facts to create what should theoretically make a more intense narrative, I thought many parts of the book were more exciting overall. It's a tough book to adapt, really.
Challenge 16: An audiobook.
Well-written and researched book about some of the unsung heroes of the cultural heritage of the world. Fascinating story. This is definitely one I would buy.