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florida_yeti 's review for:
The Monuments Men is an interesting segment of World War II history that hasn't been over-analyzed and subjected to countless mediocre documentaries. The preservation and restoration of art during war has not been given the same consideration as famous battles or the infamous atrocities. Having watched the recent film fictionalizing the Monuments Men and finding it largely disappointing, I sought out the book that inspired it. I did receive a better version of the tale, at least, but still came away wanting something a little more substantive.
The biggest problem of the book is that the author tries too hard to create a narrative. Each Monuments Man is given backstory, which is often repeated every time they are mentioned. Unfortunately, these backgrounds are often too brief to be interesting or give substance, and often have no bearing on the actual history being presented. Dialogue, both spoken and inner, is often added to scenes that becomes distracting. The writing itself is often clumsy while trying to be clever, and beyond the first chapters there is little analysis of the inherent issues with preserving art at the possible expense of human lives.
Still, the story of the Monuments Men is interesting enough to make even a mediocre book worth reading. It's a decent gateway into a fascinating segment of history, though it might take a little effort to get through some of the more sentimental passages.
The biggest problem of the book is that the author tries too hard to create a narrative. Each Monuments Man is given backstory, which is often repeated every time they are mentioned. Unfortunately, these backgrounds are often too brief to be interesting or give substance, and often have no bearing on the actual history being presented. Dialogue, both spoken and inner, is often added to scenes that becomes distracting. The writing itself is often clumsy while trying to be clever, and beyond the first chapters there is little analysis of the inherent issues with preserving art at the possible expense of human lives.
Still, the story of the Monuments Men is interesting enough to make even a mediocre book worth reading. It's a decent gateway into a fascinating segment of history, though it might take a little effort to get through some of the more sentimental passages.