Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Word Alive (2010), Edition: Illustrated, 512 pages
Description
"The previously untold story of a little-known WWII Allied division whose mission was to track down European art and treasures that had been looted by the Nazis at Hitler's command"--Provided by the publisher.
Media reviews
The hunters' exploits make a fascinating read. Edsel carefully and colorfully backgrounds "The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History" with vivid accounts of the war's progress. But statements that recall films "based on a true story" may put some
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readers off. An author's note says he created dialogue for continuity but not on substance, and always with documentation. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member Oberon
I assume this book will be getting a lot more attention in a couple of weeks as it is the subject of a "major motion picture" complete with big name stars like George Clooney, Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett. I can't speak to the merits of the movie but I can say that the book which it is based on is
The Monuments Men is the story of a small unit of the allied armies in the Second World War known as the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (or MFAA) commonly referred to as the Monuments Men. Starting with a handful of individuals, the Monuments Men are tasked with preserving and restoring the cultural patrimony of Europe. In many ways, the Monuments Men are the Allied response to the Nazi art looting teams. As the Nazis spread across Europe art was a major focus of many of the leaders of the Nazi party including Hitler himself, a failed art student. Art was pursued for ideological purposes and for its value. The Nazis made a show of destroying what they labeled as "degenerate" art (or selling it off) and made claims of ownership to Germanic art. Of course the story is more complex than that; the Nazis systematically looted mundane items too. Collections of eye glasses and shoes remain stark reminders of the special brand of efficiency and horror of the Nazis. However, the art is a special case simply because the Nazi hierarchy invested such importance to its acquisition.
The Monuments Men tells one side of this story by focusing on the people who dream up the Monuments Men and prevail upon the Allied command to prioritize the preservation and recovery of art. The bulk of the book covers the execution of that effort. The action really gets started with D-Day. Monuments Men are on the ground in Normandy shortly after the invasion trying to track down and preserve important works of art like the Bayeux Tapestry. As the Allied forces liberate Paris and begin pushing East, it becomes apparent to the Monuments Men that their job is not just to preserve art and architecture jeopardized by fighting. Rather, it is soon learned that the Nazis have systematically looted the areas of occupation and spirited some of the most important works back to Germany. The Monuments Men hear tales of the theft of the Ghent Altarpiece being packed up in the middle of the night and shipped East to parts unknown. The same is true of much of Paris's art, especially the private collections of its most prominent Jewish citizens.
The work of the Monuments Men becomes a detective story as they attempt to trace the missing art. As if unraveling the theft isn't hard enough, the hunt for the missing art occurs in the midst of a war zone. To heighten the tension, the Monuments Men must race to protect the art from some Nazis who are prepared to follow Hitler's final order to destroy everything of value left in Germany and beat the advancing Soviet army that is intent on keeping the art for Stalin as recompense for the destruction that the Nazis visited on the Eastern front.
Edsel does an excellent job to telling the story with the drama it deserves. He also does a fine job of telling the very human story of the Monuments Men themselves. Ultimately, this is a feel good story. The Allies (mainly Americans) are noble and brave. The art is protected and returned, not looted. And the men who risk so much to save the cultural patrimony of Western Civilization return to quiet, productive civilian lives full of good deeds and civic accomplishments.
This is not to say that Edsel ignores the subsequent injustice that is inflicted on many former owners of the art following the war. Edsel acknowledges that much of the follow through has been been sorely lacking but he rightfully wants the reader to understand and appreciate the accomplishments of the Monuments Men. Edsel admirably succeeds in this goal. The Monuments Men is a great read.
As an addendum, the story of the theft of Europe's art and its subsequent recovery has been told in many other excellent books. Foremost among them is The Rape of Europa by Lynn Nicholas. The Rape of Europa is a fantastic book that covers much more of the initial theft of the art. While the Monuments Men are given their due, Nicholas has a broader focus. The Rape of Europa is a must read for anyone truly interested in the subject.
Other suggested reading:
Lost Lives, Lost Art by Melissa Muller which details the ongoing struggle of many Jewish families to recover art stolen or seized via forced sale by the Nazis.
The Amber Room: The Fate of the World's Greatest Lost Treasure by Catherine Scott-Clark which tells the story of the famed Amber Room from the Hermitage in Russia which was also looted by the Nazis but never recovered.
Stealing the Mystic Lamb by Noah Charney which tells the story of the famous Ghent altarpiece. Much of that book focuses on the theft of the altar piece and its recovery during the Second World War but more of its history, including other thefts, is detailed.
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excellent.The Monuments Men is the story of a small unit of the allied armies in the Second World War known as the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (or MFAA) commonly referred to as the Monuments Men. Starting with a handful of individuals, the Monuments Men are tasked with preserving and restoring the cultural patrimony of Europe. In many ways, the Monuments Men are the Allied response to the Nazi art looting teams. As the Nazis spread across Europe art was a major focus of many of the leaders of the Nazi party including Hitler himself, a failed art student. Art was pursued for ideological purposes and for its value. The Nazis made a show of destroying what they labeled as "degenerate" art (or selling it off) and made claims of ownership to Germanic art. Of course the story is more complex than that; the Nazis systematically looted mundane items too. Collections of eye glasses and shoes remain stark reminders of the special brand of efficiency and horror of the Nazis. However, the art is a special case simply because the Nazi hierarchy invested such importance to its acquisition.
The Monuments Men tells one side of this story by focusing on the people who dream up the Monuments Men and prevail upon the Allied command to prioritize the preservation and recovery of art. The bulk of the book covers the execution of that effort. The action really gets started with D-Day. Monuments Men are on the ground in Normandy shortly after the invasion trying to track down and preserve important works of art like the Bayeux Tapestry. As the Allied forces liberate Paris and begin pushing East, it becomes apparent to the Monuments Men that their job is not just to preserve art and architecture jeopardized by fighting. Rather, it is soon learned that the Nazis have systematically looted the areas of occupation and spirited some of the most important works back to Germany. The Monuments Men hear tales of the theft of the Ghent Altarpiece being packed up in the middle of the night and shipped East to parts unknown. The same is true of much of Paris's art, especially the private collections of its most prominent Jewish citizens.
The work of the Monuments Men becomes a detective story as they attempt to trace the missing art. As if unraveling the theft isn't hard enough, the hunt for the missing art occurs in the midst of a war zone. To heighten the tension, the Monuments Men must race to protect the art from some Nazis who are prepared to follow Hitler's final order to destroy everything of value left in Germany and beat the advancing Soviet army that is intent on keeping the art for Stalin as recompense for the destruction that the Nazis visited on the Eastern front.
Edsel does an excellent job to telling the story with the drama it deserves. He also does a fine job of telling the very human story of the Monuments Men themselves. Ultimately, this is a feel good story. The Allies (mainly Americans) are noble and brave. The art is protected and returned, not looted. And the men who risk so much to save the cultural patrimony of Western Civilization return to quiet, productive civilian lives full of good deeds and civic accomplishments.
This is not to say that Edsel ignores the subsequent injustice that is inflicted on many former owners of the art following the war. Edsel acknowledges that much of the follow through has been been sorely lacking but he rightfully wants the reader to understand and appreciate the accomplishments of the Monuments Men. Edsel admirably succeeds in this goal. The Monuments Men is a great read.
As an addendum, the story of the theft of Europe's art and its subsequent recovery has been told in many other excellent books. Foremost among them is The Rape of Europa by Lynn Nicholas. The Rape of Europa is a fantastic book that covers much more of the initial theft of the art. While the Monuments Men are given their due, Nicholas has a broader focus. The Rape of Europa is a must read for anyone truly interested in the subject.
Other suggested reading:
Lost Lives, Lost Art by Melissa Muller which details the ongoing struggle of many Jewish families to recover art stolen or seized via forced sale by the Nazis.
The Amber Room: The Fate of the World's Greatest Lost Treasure by Catherine Scott-Clark which tells the story of the famed Amber Room from the Hermitage in Russia which was also looted by the Nazis but never recovered.
Stealing the Mystic Lamb by Noah Charney which tells the story of the famous Ghent altarpiece. Much of that book focuses on the theft of the altar piece and its recovery during the Second World War but more of its history, including other thefts, is detailed.
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LibraryThing member jnwelch
The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel provides the history of several men and one woman who, in the last days of WWII, tracked down and saved from the Nazis beloved works of European art. The Nazis, at the behest of Hitler and Goring, had stolen staggering amounts of art from Jews and others they
Paintings and sculptures we perhaps now take for granted, by Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, and on and on, almost disappeared forever. Stashed in cathedrals, a castle in Germany, a mine in Austria, train cars, you name it. Vermeer's The Artist's Studio and The Astronomer and The Ghent Alterpiece are among those featured in the chase, which also was a race against time, as Hitler sought to destroy everything in his last days. In one mine, over 6500 paintings, 137 sculptures, 122 tapestries and assorted drawings, watercolors, prints, ancient books and other items were rescued. Kudos to Eisenhower, who headed up the directive to, not retain the spoils of war, but instead return all artworks to their respective countries.
Edsel gives you a good feel for the people involved, and the uncertainties of the war surrounding them. Count our blessings that they succeeded to the extent they did. Thousands or artworks remain missing, and as recently as 2007, Pisarro, Monet and Renoir paintings were found in a deceased German's safety deposit box.
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conquered. The Allies' department charged with finding them were known as MFAA (Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives), and in pursuit of their mission its members repeatedly put themselves in danger on the front lines in Europe, sometimes fatal. Paintings and sculptures we perhaps now take for granted, by Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, and on and on, almost disappeared forever. Stashed in cathedrals, a castle in Germany, a mine in Austria, train cars, you name it. Vermeer's The Artist's Studio and The Astronomer and The Ghent Alterpiece are among those featured in the chase, which also was a race against time, as Hitler sought to destroy everything in his last days. In one mine, over 6500 paintings, 137 sculptures, 122 tapestries and assorted drawings, watercolors, prints, ancient books and other items were rescued. Kudos to Eisenhower, who headed up the directive to, not retain the spoils of war, but instead return all artworks to their respective countries.
Edsel gives you a good feel for the people involved, and the uncertainties of the war surrounding them. Count our blessings that they succeeded to the extent they did. Thousands or artworks remain missing, and as recently as 2007, Pisarro, Monet and Renoir paintings were found in a deceased German's safety deposit box.
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LibraryThing member wolffamily
This book starts a little bit slow. I've put it down for a while & will pick up later. - Greg
LibraryThing member pbadeer
Admittedly, I know less about WWII than I probably should, and I am interested in Art History far more than my actual knowledge of the subject would indicate. After reading this book, I feel enlightened. Edsel does a wonderful job of outlining some of the more important events of the war in
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relation to the history and historical artifacts impacted by those events. Doing so helped the flow avoid a heavy handed rehash of the military history many may already know. On the flip side, by explaining the historical context of many of the works of art and monuments and the impact of the war, the book avoids drifting into a sterile art history research paper. Highly Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member Schmerguls
This tells the story of a small group of U.S. Army men who in 1944 and 1945 were given the task of locating and saving works of art which the Nazis had stolen from Jews and the countries they occupied. The so-called monument men did not have a lot of help but did a monumental job and succeeded in
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recovering a lot of priceless objects which had been stolen and which some Nazis were intending to destroy rather than let it be returned to the people they had stolen it from. I did not think the story too well told but it is exciting at times and one cannot help but be appreciative of the great job those unsung heroes did for the art world and for civilization. Show Less
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
War is destructive. It destroys the future by prematurely ending the lives and potential achievements of thousands of individuals. The loss of a generation of their children who were never born can only be guessed at, not measured. War also destroys the past in the form of tangible objects of
In The Monuments Men, Robert Edsel recognizes an under-appreciated group of World War II heroes, the 350 men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section. The MFAA's task was often overwhelming as the scope of Hitler's looting became clear. When faced with inadequate resources and the occasional hostility of fellow soldiers and officers, the MFAA improvised to recover stolen and looted cultural property and to protect monuments damaged during military action from sustaining further damage when the fighting ended.
This passage is illustrative of the MFAA's mission in Europe:
When the Allies arrived at Chartres, they found the cathedral at risk of being damaged and possibly destroyed by twenty-two sets of explosives placed on nearby bridges and other structures. Demolitions expert Stewart Leonard, who after the end of active hostilities would himself become a Monuments Man, helped defuse the bombs and save the cathedral. As he later explained to Monuments Man Bernie Taper over drinks in a Berlin apartment, “There's one good thing about being in the bomb disposal unit: No superior officer is ever looking over your shoulder.”
But was art worth a life, Taper wanted to know. Like all Monuments Men, it was a question that haunted him. “I had that choice,” Leonard said. “I chose to remove the bombs. It was worth the reward.”
“What reward?”
“When I finished, I got to sit in Chartres Cathedral, the cathedral I had helped save, for almost an hour. Alone.”
Since the MFAA's work in Western Europe began during and after the invasion of Normandy, this book covers roughly the same time period as Stephen Ambrose's Citizen Soldiers. Highly recommended for all World War II and art history readers.
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cultural significance: the art, architecture, and other artifacts that represent past cultures and that in some way have helped to define the present.In The Monuments Men, Robert Edsel recognizes an under-appreciated group of World War II heroes, the 350 men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section. The MFAA's task was often overwhelming as the scope of Hitler's looting became clear. When faced with inadequate resources and the occasional hostility of fellow soldiers and officers, the MFAA improvised to recover stolen and looted cultural property and to protect monuments damaged during military action from sustaining further damage when the fighting ended.
This passage is illustrative of the MFAA's mission in Europe:
When the Allies arrived at Chartres, they found the cathedral at risk of being damaged and possibly destroyed by twenty-two sets of explosives placed on nearby bridges and other structures. Demolitions expert Stewart Leonard, who after the end of active hostilities would himself become a Monuments Man, helped defuse the bombs and save the cathedral. As he later explained to Monuments Man Bernie Taper over drinks in a Berlin apartment, “There's one good thing about being in the bomb disposal unit: No superior officer is ever looking over your shoulder.”
But was art worth a life, Taper wanted to know. Like all Monuments Men, it was a question that haunted him. “I had that choice,” Leonard said. “I chose to remove the bombs. It was worth the reward.”
“What reward?”
“When I finished, I got to sit in Chartres Cathedral, the cathedral I had helped save, for almost an hour. Alone.”
Since the MFAA's work in Western Europe began during and after the invasion of Normandy, this book covers roughly the same time period as Stephen Ambrose's Citizen Soldiers. Highly recommended for all World War II and art history readers.
Show Less
LibraryThing member OscarWilde87
Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel provides a somewhat different look at World War II and the atrocities committed by the Nazis. Next to all the books written about World War II, this one most certainly stands out as regards its point of focus. Edsel relates the efforts of the MFAA, the Monuments,
Finding looted Nazi treasures was just the first step of a very long process. The treasures had to be inspected and catalogued, then packed and shipped out of the mines, castles, monasteries, or simple holes in the ground where they had been stored.
Eventually everything had to be returned to the respective owners or museums in case the owners had been murdered.
When one thinks of such a mission, one would think of many people being involved. However, at the beginning of the program there were only six monuments men who traveled with the Allied troops. Until the end of the war about 350 men and women served in the MFAA effort, some of them losing their lives in the war. Considering this rather small number of people and the vast area they had to cover in Europe, their achievement is truly an astonishing feat and definitely worth mentioning or writing a book about.
The book is in many respects a very interesting one. Not only does it provide a lot of detailed background information about a war that has already been covered by tons of books. What is more, Monuments Men relates the stories of civilians who decided that something had to be done about the looting of treasures in Europe and who did not hesitate to serve at the frontlines of a war they were not trained to fight in.
The reading process was not always easy as some of the chapters were very detailed. This is probably a bonus for art aficionados, but for me, being just averagely interested in art, it was a bit too much at times. Other chapters, however, were almost gripping, which says a lot for a work of non-fiction. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in art or gaining deeper insight into World War II from a completely different perspective. On the whole, 3 stars.
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Fine Arts, and Archives program of the Allied Armies that was started in 1943. The so-called 'monuments men' were not necessarily soldiers, they were art experts. Now, what was their role in the war? During the war, the Nazis stole and 'appropriated' pieces of art all over Europe. Among them were Michelangelo's Bruges Madonna, the Ghent altarpiece, and a huge amount of paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer and many others. Towards the end of the war, Hitler issued the so-called Nero Decree, saying that additionally to infrastructure and ressources, all art should be burnt lest it fall into the hands of the 'enemy'. The job of the monuments men then was to rescue the stolen pieces of art and thereby help keep alive an integral part of human culture. Finding looted Nazi treasures was just the first step of a very long process. The treasures had to be inspected and catalogued, then packed and shipped out of the mines, castles, monasteries, or simple holes in the ground where they had been stored.
Eventually everything had to be returned to the respective owners or museums in case the owners had been murdered.
When one thinks of such a mission, one would think of many people being involved. However, at the beginning of the program there were only six monuments men who traveled with the Allied troops. Until the end of the war about 350 men and women served in the MFAA effort, some of them losing their lives in the war. Considering this rather small number of people and the vast area they had to cover in Europe, their achievement is truly an astonishing feat and definitely worth mentioning or writing a book about.
The book is in many respects a very interesting one. Not only does it provide a lot of detailed background information about a war that has already been covered by tons of books. What is more, Monuments Men relates the stories of civilians who decided that something had to be done about the looting of treasures in Europe and who did not hesitate to serve at the frontlines of a war they were not trained to fight in.
The reading process was not always easy as some of the chapters were very detailed. This is probably a bonus for art aficionados, but for me, being just averagely interested in art, it was a bit too much at times. Other chapters, however, were almost gripping, which says a lot for a work of non-fiction. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in art or gaining deeper insight into World War II from a completely different perspective. On the whole, 3 stars.
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LibraryThing member pierthinker
Really quite a disservice to the men who faced great danger with poor support in rescuing works of art during the Second World War. This book is neither one thing nor the other: it does not give the historical and political context of this effort; nor does it focus on the work of the men
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themselves. Too much of this book is 'X went to Y and looked at some art' without offering any more. The style is journalese at its least finest, almost always referring to 'evil Nazis' with a firm eye on the parochial USA market - 'Paris, France'. I particularly remember the comments about the USA 'standing alone' against Germany. A poor historical narrative of a subject that could have been much more excitingly covered. I only give it 2 starts because of the good use of historical documents and letters home from these brave men. Show Less
LibraryThing member rexvaughan
I was only vaguely aware of the amount of art pillaged by the Nazis in WWII and virtually totall ignorant of the men and work involved in finding and restoring it. This is a wonderful account of this small group of men who worked to preserve the cultural monuments and heritage of Western
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Civilization; and also of many brave and dedicated European civilians who assisted and made much of it possible. Just some of the better known items involved were the Bayeau Tapestry, the Brugge Madonna, the Ghent Altarpiece and each of these has an exciting an interesting story in their journey through the war. A great read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mathenam
Fascinating story of the Monuments Men, 350 allies from various countries, commissioned to protect, hide, and/or find artwork and pieces destroyed by or stolen by the Nazi party during WWII. This was an aspect of the war that I hadn't read much about. The book was a little dry, and slow in parts,
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but overall, a great read! Can't wait to see the movie. Show Less
LibraryThing member EllenH
Wow! What a story. This group of men who saved the world's art treasures from the Nazi looters worked under war conditions with little support. They were basically forgotten and to this day in the very Cultural institutions where they worked there is very little knowledge of the huge job they did.
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Mind boggling to think of the Mona Lisa and millions of other pieces of art sitting in a salt mine near Austria all because of the greed of men like Hitler and Goring. Show Less
LibraryThing member melissarochelle
Read from October 25 to November 04, 2013
An interesting look at a largely unknown group of World War 2 heroes. I first became interested in the story because I vaguely knew about the upcoming movie, then I read The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes and realized the movie was based on real life.
While there were many times I found it difficult to follow the story -- jumping back and forth between the Monuments Men made it difficult to keep up with any one road to art recovery -- I was fascinated by the men and women that were involved. I think I would have preferred it to be broken down into the path each MFAA officer took to recover the art, but that probably would have been just as tricky because there are so many moving parts. (Plus my biggest issue with any book that deals with war battles is that I become lost in the terminology and trying to keep 1st Army something separated from 3rd or 7th in my head.)
I'm very interested to see how they make this work as a film. I imagine they'll make them more of a cohesive group rather than the disorganized "group" the MFAA was. Either way, art history, true stories, WWII combined with George Clooney, Matt Damon, moving pictures in color -- can you really go wrong there? It'll be like Ocean's 11 meets the greatest art history story never told.
An interesting look at a largely unknown group of World War 2 heroes. I first became interested in the story because I vaguely knew about the upcoming movie, then I read The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes and realized the movie was based on real life.
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It wasn't just some story George Clooney made up!While there were many times I found it difficult to follow the story -- jumping back and forth between the Monuments Men made it difficult to keep up with any one road to art recovery -- I was fascinated by the men and women that were involved. I think I would have preferred it to be broken down into the path each MFAA officer took to recover the art, but that probably would have been just as tricky because there are so many moving parts. (Plus my biggest issue with any book that deals with war battles is that I become lost in the terminology and trying to keep 1st Army something separated from 3rd or 7th in my head.)
I'm very interested to see how they make this work as a film. I imagine they'll make them more of a cohesive group rather than the disorganized "group" the MFAA was. Either way, art history, true stories, WWII combined with George Clooney, Matt Damon, moving pictures in color -- can you really go wrong there? It'll be like Ocean's 11 meets the greatest art history story never told.
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LibraryThing member TLCrawford
The theft of art and gold by Hitler’s Nazis is still, sixty plus years after the war. a stock plot line in movies and on television. The Monuments Men: Allied heroes, Nazi thieves and the greatest treasure hunt in history, is the first book I know of to take a look at the actual history of Allied
The book has plenty of photographs, many that you could have seen before. In fact while reading the book I saw one of the included photos used in a recent episode of the television program “Bones”. This story has seeped into our culture. However in this book the men are identified, the captions tell you more than “US soldiers with recovered art”. In spite of having a good supply of photos in the book it was nice to access to the internet to find color images of locations and art work mentioned in the text.
I need to confess that part of my enthusiasm for this book could be my personal biases. I enjoy visiting art museums and historic buildings, for most of the 1980s almost all of my reading was WWII history, and I hope to someday work in a museum, paid or volunteer, I don’t really care. I loved this book and I think everyone will, but like I said, I am biased. There is one bit of criticism I have for the authors. Creating sentences for the subjects to say, conversations that may have happened but are not documented, hurts the historical value of the work much more that it helps the story move along.
As impressed as I was by the work done by the these men (and women) during the war, learning about their accomplishments after was a surprising bonus. I envy their commitment to their life’s work. Edsel and Witter produced a book I am very happy to have read, even if it was disappointing to learn just how much the Burt Lancaster’s movie “The Train” was fictionalized.
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efforts to protect and preserve the cultural treasures of Europe. This well researched book is brought alive by the use of letters the Monuments Men wrote to friends and family while on duty in the war zone. The story is so interesting and so well told that I could not believe how quickly I read the book.Book coverThe book has plenty of photographs, many that you could have seen before. In fact while reading the book I saw one of the included photos used in a recent episode of the television program “Bones”. This story has seeped into our culture. However in this book the men are identified, the captions tell you more than “US soldiers with recovered art”. In spite of having a good supply of photos in the book it was nice to access to the internet to find color images of locations and art work mentioned in the text.
I need to confess that part of my enthusiasm for this book could be my personal biases. I enjoy visiting art museums and historic buildings, for most of the 1980s almost all of my reading was WWII history, and I hope to someday work in a museum, paid or volunteer, I don’t really care. I loved this book and I think everyone will, but like I said, I am biased. There is one bit of criticism I have for the authors. Creating sentences for the subjects to say, conversations that may have happened but are not documented, hurts the historical value of the work much more that it helps the story move along.
As impressed as I was by the work done by the these men (and women) during the war, learning about their accomplishments after was a surprising bonus. I envy their commitment to their life’s work. Edsel and Witter produced a book I am very happy to have read, even if it was disappointing to learn just how much the Burt Lancaster’s movie “The Train” was fictionalized.
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LibraryThing member michellebarton
The Monuments Men tells the story of the brave men and women determined to save art from rampant looting and possible destruction not only by the Nazis during (and leading up to) WWII, but by the Allied forces, as well. Most of the men recruited to become part of this Allied military effort called
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the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program were art experts and all were so dedicated to the mission of preventing damage to and the recovery and restoration of art, artifacts, and monuments that they were willing to risk their lives. I found the story of their amazing struggle and heroic effort, with very little staff or equipment (most of their "equipment" was provided by or scrounged up by the MFAA officers themselves), fascinating. The narration on the audio version of this book and the writing really brings these people to life. Their ability to hunt down clues and information, work with locals, crisscross countries in the middle of a war, and coordinate their efforts, resulting in what seemed like superhuman achievements, was enthralling. I especially loved the integral part played by Rose Valland, a French museum curator, in this accomplishment - her love of art, her drive to be involved with art in her career no matter what the cost to herself personally, and her incredible bravery during the war are inspiring! The vivid descriptions of the various works of art and their histories led me to do a little more research and learn more about and actually see images of the art itself, and hopefully they will do the same for you. Show Less
LibraryThing member ecataldi
This book was super intriguing! I love learning about aspects of history that are overlooked or simply forgotten and this is a prime example of WWII material that was left out of most text books!
Robert Edsel sets the stage with an odd assortment of characters, a bunch of middle aged museum curators
The story is amazing, finding Rembrandts and Vermeers hidden in mines, thousands of works of art hidden in railcars, saving historic cities from Allied bombbings and more. It's just incredible. The monuments men saw and cared for more priceless works of art than most people even see or hear of in a lifetime of museum visits. They rescued and discovered works that most curators and art afficiandos would sell their souls to see.
It's an amazing story and I can't wait to see the movie version coming out this spring. My only complaint is that the story wasn't the most fluid reading ever. It was good, but lagged in the beginning and then some parts were confusing or overexplained. Still worth a read though!
Robert Edsel sets the stage with an odd assortment of characters, a bunch of middle aged museum curators
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and art officials who have been assembled to become the Monuments Men, destined to save European art from nototiously bad looting Nazis during the second World War. They quickly discover that no one is in charge there is no budget, no supplies, few men, and a nearly impossible task to complete. It's chaos. But amidst all their hardships they work together to carry out one of the most amazing and under appreciated jobs in the war, saving priceless artifacts, artworks, archives, and monuments, from destruction, not only from the Germans but from the Allies as well.The story is amazing, finding Rembrandts and Vermeers hidden in mines, thousands of works of art hidden in railcars, saving historic cities from Allied bombbings and more. It's just incredible. The monuments men saw and cared for more priceless works of art than most people even see or hear of in a lifetime of museum visits. They rescued and discovered works that most curators and art afficiandos would sell their souls to see.
It's an amazing story and I can't wait to see the movie version coming out this spring. My only complaint is that the story wasn't the most fluid reading ever. It was good, but lagged in the beginning and then some parts were confusing or overexplained. Still worth a read though!
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LibraryThing member busyreadin
A very interesting story. Another piece of history that wasn't taught in school. I'm guessing the movie won't do justice to these men.
LibraryThing member briandrewz
Good book for those interested in WWII, art, and art history. A big drawback for the book was the incredible amount of people involved. I know that the author had to cull from an even more extensive list, but I had to make my own list to keep everybody straight. It's amazing to think that without
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these men some of the world's greatest art treasures would not have survived. We do indeed owe them a tremendous debt. Show Less
LibraryThing member labdaddy4
I really enjoy having "historical doors" opened. While I have read quite a bit of WWII history, this is an area I knew very little about. The author brings it all to life - mixing personal stories and reflections with historical fact. I saw the movie before reading the book but feel that both were
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well worth my time. Show Less
LibraryThing member themythicalcodfish
A fantastic look at the efforts made by the Allied forces to attempt to preserve the artistic and cultural legacy of Europe even as war eroded the foundations of civilization, and the Nazis (and later Soviets) looted every artistic treasure in their path. The book also gives a very interesting look
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at the scientific background of art preservation as we know it today, which I was surprised to find out is a very recent innovation. Show Less
LibraryThing member cathyskye
While living in Florence, Italy, author Robert M. Edsel wondered how so many brilliant works of art could have survived the cataclysm that was World War II. What he discovered was the MFAA-- the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program-- a group of dedicated museum curators, artists, art
Like many readers, I came to The Monuments Men first through the film starring George Clooney. Although I did enjoy it, I couldn't get over the feeling that most of the story had been left untold. The Nazis stole millions of pieces of art and either kept them for themselves, destroyed them, or placed them in caches for Hitler's master plan art museum (which, thankfully, was never built). I had to learn more; thus, I turned to Edsel's book.
Edsel covers the period of time from D-Day to V-E Day in northwestern Europe. (In a second book, Saving Italy, the author covers MFAA efforts in that country; there's simply too much story to tell in one book.) The first third of the book is rather disjointed as Edsel jumps from location to location, relating the difficulties of implementing the MFAA objectives (which were backed by Eisenhower), introducing the Monuments Men, and explaining the scope of Nazi plundering. I was so fascinated by the subject matter that this choppiness scarcely phased me.
Once the stage has been set and the Allies fight their way out of France and Belgium, the book picks up speed, and the action does take on the appearance of a treasure hunt. When the Allies reach Germany, they discover that it's a race against the Russians to find over 1,000 caches tucked away mainly in the southern part of the country. Whereas the Allies are working to return the recovered art to its rightful owners, the Russians-- who have suffered horrendously at the hands of the Nazis-- will keep everything they find as war reparations.
I found this book to be fascinating on so many counts: the fact that people actually recognized the need to save their culture, the men and women of the MFAA who worked so hard under extreme circumstances (many of whom never spoke of what they did once the war was over), and yet more examples of Nazi rapaciousness. This is a topic that has importance today. Hundreds of thousands of works of art are still missing, and any online news source will provide recent stories of artwork stolen by the Nazis being uncovered. Edsel's book is fascinating reading for anyone interested in World War II or in art, and I fully intend to read more.
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restorers, art historians, and soldiers who risked their lives to save hundreds of years worth of European culture. Rightfully overshadowed by the horrors of Nazi concentration camps, the work these men and women did-- often with no weapons, no transportation, and no cameras or film-- has now come to light.Like many readers, I came to The Monuments Men first through the film starring George Clooney. Although I did enjoy it, I couldn't get over the feeling that most of the story had been left untold. The Nazis stole millions of pieces of art and either kept them for themselves, destroyed them, or placed them in caches for Hitler's master plan art museum (which, thankfully, was never built). I had to learn more; thus, I turned to Edsel's book.
Edsel covers the period of time from D-Day to V-E Day in northwestern Europe. (In a second book, Saving Italy, the author covers MFAA efforts in that country; there's simply too much story to tell in one book.) The first third of the book is rather disjointed as Edsel jumps from location to location, relating the difficulties of implementing the MFAA objectives (which were backed by Eisenhower), introducing the Monuments Men, and explaining the scope of Nazi plundering. I was so fascinated by the subject matter that this choppiness scarcely phased me.
Once the stage has been set and the Allies fight their way out of France and Belgium, the book picks up speed, and the action does take on the appearance of a treasure hunt. When the Allies reach Germany, they discover that it's a race against the Russians to find over 1,000 caches tucked away mainly in the southern part of the country. Whereas the Allies are working to return the recovered art to its rightful owners, the Russians-- who have suffered horrendously at the hands of the Nazis-- will keep everything they find as war reparations.
I found this book to be fascinating on so many counts: the fact that people actually recognized the need to save their culture, the men and women of the MFAA who worked so hard under extreme circumstances (many of whom never spoke of what they did once the war was over), and yet more examples of Nazi rapaciousness. This is a topic that has importance today. Hundreds of thousands of works of art are still missing, and any online news source will provide recent stories of artwork stolen by the Nazis being uncovered. Edsel's book is fascinating reading for anyone interested in World War II or in art, and I fully intend to read more.
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LibraryThing member DramMan
Interesting but necessarily episodic account of how a handful of men, mainly academics and art curators, searched for and found vast quantities of looted works or art, in the final phase of World War II in Europe.
LibraryThing member peggy.s
I loved the purpose of this book – to inform the reader of a little-known part of WWII. Much is made of the battles fought, lives lost, and atrocities committed, but almost nothing has been said about the fate of some of the world’s greatest works of art. Robert M. Edsel wrote this book to tell
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the story of the art and the small group of people who worked diligently to save it. Mr. Edsel introduces us to the members of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section (MFAA) and tells of the work they did. I started the book intending to give it 5 stars – but as I read, I became bogged down with all of the details the author gave – much of it not really necessary to the story he was telling. If I were a major art aficionado, it probably would have been fine; since I have just a normal knowledge and appreciation of the art in Europe, I did find it a bit long. It would have been just as informative and more enjoyable for me if he had been more general - he really didn’t have to tell the stories of all of the “finds” that he did. I did enjoy learning that the MFAA existed – and what they accomplished, but I didn’t need to know quite so many details. Show Less
LibraryThing member heidip
I finished reading The Monuments Men for my book club, and I'm going to count this towards my Paris in July challenge. The sections on Paris are fascinating.
The author focuses on a very narrow time period (between D-Day and V-E Day) and selects 7 or 8 men to follow as they try to save famous works
George Stout spent ten years before the war experimenting with art restoration chemicals and procedures. He ushered in a new era of art conservation. He pushed to establish an art conservation corps. He was exacting and became the go-to guy for the early conservation efforts.
But James Rorimer, curator of the Metropolitan Museum, was assigned to Paris. There he worked with Jujard, the director of the French National Museums. Jujard protected The Bayeaux Tapestry and was in charge of all the art in the French collection. Under his advice Rose Valland stayed at the Jeu de Paume, worked for free, and spied on the Germans who were looting the country's greatest works of art. She kept incredible documentation, photos, names, places, where the art was from, where the art was going, who stole it, etc. The trouble was she didn't know who to trust. Finally, she was convinced Rorimer would protect the art and return it, so she handed her documentation over to him.
Rorimer went into Germany to track down France's national treasures.
Kind of scarey, huh?
Most of the looted artwork from France was found at Neuschwanstein Castle.
Incidentally, I thought they could have done a much better job on the recent movie of The Monuments Men. They didn't portray the climax as a climax. The whole flooding of the salt mine was skipped over. It wasn't a very exciting movie, but it could have been. The movie changed several key incidents making it historically inaccurate.
The author focuses on a very narrow time period (between D-Day and V-E Day) and selects 7 or 8 men to follow as they try to save famous works
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of art from destruction.George Stout spent ten years before the war experimenting with art restoration chemicals and procedures. He ushered in a new era of art conservation. He pushed to establish an art conservation corps. He was exacting and became the go-to guy for the early conservation efforts.
But James Rorimer, curator of the Metropolitan Museum, was assigned to Paris. There he worked with Jujard, the director of the French National Museums. Jujard protected The Bayeaux Tapestry and was in charge of all the art in the French collection. Under his advice Rose Valland stayed at the Jeu de Paume, worked for free, and spied on the Germans who were looting the country's greatest works of art. She kept incredible documentation, photos, names, places, where the art was from, where the art was going, who stole it, etc. The trouble was she didn't know who to trust. Finally, she was convinced Rorimer would protect the art and return it, so she handed her documentation over to him.
Rorimer went into Germany to track down France's national treasures.
Kind of scarey, huh?
Most of the looted artwork from France was found at Neuschwanstein Castle.
Incidentally, I thought they could have done a much better job on the recent movie of The Monuments Men. They didn't portray the climax as a climax. The whole flooding of the salt mine was skipped over. It wasn't a very exciting movie, but it could have been. The movie changed several key incidents making it historically inaccurate.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ouladybird2005
I give the Monuments Men 4 stars, mainly for content. I found this books actually very difficult to get started reading and I am a huge fan of historical nonfiction. Getting to know each of the men though and seeing each discovery being made actually made this book more readable and got me more
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into the stories of each of the men. It is amazing story and for me at least triggered a deeper wonder about the lost works that are still out there. Interestingly enough while I was reading Monuments Men a news story came out that a huge cache of artwork was found in an apartment in which the offspring of an SS officer had been living and hiding works from authorities. To conclude, Monuments Men is a great book, the content in interesting and an amazing history lesson, but can be dry, especially at the start. Anyone who has an interest in WWII history I think would enjoy this book, but keep in mind there is a significant amount of time jumping between each of the 'men' and that I think can slow things down with regard to reading rhythm. Show Less
LibraryThing member DuffDaddy
Destiny is not one push...but a thousand small moments that through insight and hard work you line up in the right direction, like a magnet does with metal shavings.
Plenty, misery, recriminations, sympathy. All such an exaggerated picture of the man-made way of life in a God-made world. If it all
Plenty, misery, recriminations, sympathy. All such an exaggerated picture of the man-made way of life in a God-made world. If it all
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dosen't prove the necessity of Heaven, I don't know what it means. Show Less
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009
Physical description
8 inches
ISBN
1599951509 / 9781599951508