The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel-474 pages
⭐⭐⭐1/2
At the same time Adolf Hitler was attempting to take over the western world, his armies were methodically seeking and hoarding the finest art treasures in Europe. The Fuehrer had begun cataloguing the art he planned to collect as well as the art he would destroy: "degenerate" works he despised.
In a race against time, behind enemy lines, often unarmed, a special force of American and British museum directors, curators, art historians, and others, called the Monuments Men, risked their lives scouring Europe to prevent the destruction of thousands of years of culture.
Focusing on the eleven-month period between D-Day and V-E Day, this fascinating account follows six Monuments Men and their impossible mission to save the world's great art from the Nazis.
Thoughts: In the beginning of the book, there is a bit too much background info. and lead-up to the actual events of "The Monuments Men." The group was officially known as the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives, but were simply called The Monuments Men. They never participated in combat, but did witness the horrors of war and at least two were killed. It's an interesting, if uneven read. I especially found the parts with Rose Valland and James Rorimer interesting. I think it's a story worth telling, but it could have been told better.
