Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by beckmank
The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel
4.0
In history class, when learning about WWII, I had never heard of the Monuments Men. Over the years I have heard stories of Nazi looting, and museums hiding artwork, but nothing about the small group of Allied soldiers responsible for saving history. This book follows six of the men from the landing in Normandy (June 1944) through the German surrender in Austria (May 1945). The Monuments Men had a tough job - they had no resources, no supplies, and little authority. There were so few of them, they worked mostly alone over a large geographic area. And they were charged with saving what monuments and art they could.
The book really details the destruction the war caused, especially in Germany - once the allies made it that far. Starting in France, one of the great mysteries the men faced was, where had all the art gone? What had the Nazis done with it? They took from museums, and they also took from private collections, especially from the Jewish owners. They took paintings, sculptures, antiques. The Monuments Men were tasked with finding and saving this art, and then returning their finds to the originating country to be returned to rightful owners. They also did their best to save historic buildings from total destruction.
Very interesting account of WWII and the allied effort to save mankind's history. It's one of those stories that was all but forgotten in the aftermath of the war, as the world learned of the true horrors the Nazis committed to their fellow man.
This book concentrates on France, Germany, and Austria. The author tried to fit the Monuments Men's effort in Italy in the book as well, but the result was too long. Mr. Edsel will be writing a follow-up book detailing the work in Italy, which I look forward to reading.
The book really details the destruction the war caused, especially in Germany - once the allies made it that far. Starting in France, one of the great mysteries the men faced was, where had all the art gone? What had the Nazis done with it? They took from museums, and they also took from private collections, especially from the Jewish owners. They took paintings, sculptures, antiques. The Monuments Men were tasked with finding and saving this art, and then returning their finds to the originating country to be returned to rightful owners. They also did their best to save historic buildings from total destruction.
Very interesting account of WWII and the allied effort to save mankind's history. It's one of those stories that was all but forgotten in the aftermath of the war, as the world learned of the true horrors the Nazis committed to their fellow man.
This book concentrates on France, Germany, and Austria. The author tried to fit the Monuments Men's effort in Italy in the book as well, but the result was too long. Mr. Edsel will be writing a follow-up book detailing the work in Italy, which I look forward to reading.