The monuments men book is a story by Robert Edsel about a group determined to rescue as much fine art as possible from capture or destruction during the way with Hitler. The group also includes women and the aim was to save cultural treasures that were about to be destroyed by Nazi fanatics. They had to work fast because there were racing against time.
The treasure rescuers did not have information or a map that indicated where the artwork was hidden. They had to work through destroyed cathedrals and museums, journals and secret notes. One lady who proved very resourceful was Valland Rosa who was employed at the French museum. She was very instrumental in finding hints in rail yards and following the leads provided by her sources. One such source was a dentist who was performing a root canal procedure.
It is a story of sacrifice where family men in their middle age desert successful careers to secure cultural treasures. The treasures were by famous artists like Vermeers, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Van Eycks among others. These artists produced the best paintings in Europe and the world at the time.
The Second World War was marked by extensive destruction and imminent death. The group was not immune but put their lives at risk for a greater mission. It took passion to try and safe items that had no value to most people. It represented a generation that understood the value of art and culture. They understood the irreparable damage that would be occasioned by loss of the artifacts. Those who executed the mission included curators, educators, architects, museum directors, art scholars and archivists.
The mission had the support of President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower. The support was not substantial considering that it did not include the vehicles needed, authority during war, typewriters and gasoline for the mission. Despite such difficulty, the determination and understanding of the gravity of the matter kept the group going. They aimed at protecting the structures that housed the art from bombing but adopted a different approach when it became impossible. They turned to rescuing the artifacts.
The author offers a lay mans creation of the characters of these individuals. This is necessary considering the difficulty they are facing. It is a journey into their young lives, their passions and goals and how each finds himself in the mission. The extent of sacrifice is huge since some of them give-up their lives for the course.
It is worth noting that Hitler wanted to construct the largest museum in the world by collecting the best works during war. Immediately he invaded Poland, he began an attack on churches, private art collections and museums. This is how he got the finest art and hid it in remote castles and secret mines waiting for the war to end. He wanted to show that Aryan artists were superior to Jewish artists.
The perspective of World War II presented by The Monuments Men Book is unique from the plain historic narration. Beside the destruction and death that happened, there were personal sacrifices that went beyond conquest. This is a story that tells of determination and sacrifice for nationhood. A movie developed out of the book was released in 2013, December.
The treasure rescuers did not have information or a map that indicated where the artwork was hidden. They had to work through destroyed cathedrals and museums, journals and secret notes. One lady who proved very resourceful was Valland Rosa who was employed at the French museum. She was very instrumental in finding hints in rail yards and following the leads provided by her sources. One such source was a dentist who was performing a root canal procedure.
It is a story of sacrifice where family men in their middle age desert successful careers to secure cultural treasures. The treasures were by famous artists like Vermeers, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Van Eycks among others. These artists produced the best paintings in Europe and the world at the time.
The Second World War was marked by extensive destruction and imminent death. The group was not immune but put their lives at risk for a greater mission. It took passion to try and safe items that had no value to most people. It represented a generation that understood the value of art and culture. They understood the irreparable damage that would be occasioned by loss of the artifacts. Those who executed the mission included curators, educators, architects, museum directors, art scholars and archivists.
The mission had the support of President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower. The support was not substantial considering that it did not include the vehicles needed, authority during war, typewriters and gasoline for the mission. Despite such difficulty, the determination and understanding of the gravity of the matter kept the group going. They aimed at protecting the structures that housed the art from bombing but adopted a different approach when it became impossible. They turned to rescuing the artifacts.
The author offers a lay mans creation of the characters of these individuals. This is necessary considering the difficulty they are facing. It is a journey into their young lives, their passions and goals and how each finds himself in the mission. The extent of sacrifice is huge since some of them give-up their lives for the course.
It is worth noting that Hitler wanted to construct the largest museum in the world by collecting the best works during war. Immediately he invaded Poland, he began an attack on churches, private art collections and museums. This is how he got the finest art and hid it in remote castles and secret mines waiting for the war to end. He wanted to show that Aryan artists were superior to Jewish artists.
The perspective of World War II presented by The Monuments Men Book is unique from the plain historic narration. Beside the destruction and death that happened, there were personal sacrifices that went beyond conquest. This is a story that tells of determination and sacrifice for nationhood. A movie developed out of the book was released in 2013, December.
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