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Friday, January 3, 2014

Bestselling Monuments Men Book Review

By Marcia Marks


The Monuments Men books is a bestseller that takes the reader on a high-paced treasure hunt through war torn Europe in the closing days of World War II. It is the story of the men and women who made up the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives unit, a highly secretive and little known group formed under the orders of President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower. Their orders were to seek out and protect our cultural patrimony from the clutches of Hitler, theft and destruction.

Towards the end of World War II world leaders and experts in the arts world became concerned at the very real danger of some of the world's patrimony being lost forever. The threat of theft and destruction of valuable pieces of art and monuments was already happening and had to be brought under control. This led to the creation of the special unit whose chief orders were to seek out and protect these for the future of mankind's cultural heritage.

This often neglected aspect to the war in Europe makes for fascinating reading. You are invited into the world of intrigue as a collection of specially chosen unit members ranging from professiona such as archivists, curators and educators hunt down priceless artworks and save them from the Nazis. Much was at risk as the Nazis picked off masterpieces and destroyed without a second thought art that was determined to be "degenerate".

This incredible book is written by Robert M Edsel and co-written with Brett Witter. Robert Edsel became fascinated by this chapter in European war time history after quitting his job in mining and oil in the USA and moving to Florence, Italy. The catalyst for the book came from visiting the many museums over Italy and wondering what had happened to them during the World Wars.

Edsel has also written and published Rescuing Da Vinci, which directly draws upon the experience he had in Italy. He has also been involved with documentary film making about this time in history and the protection of culture when under attack in time of war. Most recently, the book has been made into a movie produced and screen-written by George Clooney.

Robert M. Edsel has also authored Rescuing Da Vinci, which directly chronicles some of the research he undertook while living in Florence, Italy. After giving up his job in gas and oil, he left the United States to live in Europe. While visiting the museums there he began to wonder about how it had all been saved from damage during World War II.

The movie is based on the book and closely follows the excitement of the original tale. It stars an incredible cast that includes Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett. It has been distributed by Columbia Pictures with 20th Century Fox and will be released in 2014.

For a non-stop, twisting and turning tale that offers roller coaster after loop the loop of adventures, the Monuments Men book is a fantastic choice. Not only is it an incredible read, it offers a unique glimpse into an aspect of war torn Europe that has previously been largely ignored in popular culture. This book opens your eyes to a whole new class of war time hero.




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