Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
17th out of 137 books
—
101 voters
The Rape of Europa: The Fate of Europe's Treasures in the Third Reich and the Second World War
Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award
The cast of characters includes Hitler and Goering, Gertrude Stein and Marc Chagall--not to mention works by artists from Leonardo da Vinci to Pablo Picasso. And the story told in this superbly researched and suspenseful book is that of the Third Reich's war on European culture and the Allies' desperate effort to preserve it...more
The cast of characters includes Hitler and Goering, Gertrude Stein and Marc Chagall--not to mention works by artists from Leonardo da Vinci to Pablo Picasso. And the story told in this superbly researched and suspenseful book is that of the Third Reich's war on European culture and the Allies' desperate effort to preserve it...more
Hardcover, 498 pages
Published
April 12th 1994
by Knopf
(first published 1994)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Dec 18, 2008
Michelle
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
abandoned,
non-fiction
Dear Lynn Nichols,
I'm very sorry that I have had to give up on your informative, well-researched, and extensively annotated book. I'm sure that if I'd finished it, it would have been awesome, so I'm going to go ahead and give it five stars anyway.
You see, Netflix has this great new feature where you can download movies and watch them immediately. I'm going to watch the documentary instead. Yes, I normally prefer to read the book, but in this case I'm going to make an exception.
Oh, and another re...more
I'm very sorry that I have had to give up on your informative, well-researched, and extensively annotated book. I'm sure that if I'd finished it, it would have been awesome, so I'm going to go ahead and give it five stars anyway.
You see, Netflix has this great new feature where you can download movies and watch them immediately. I'm going to watch the documentary instead. Yes, I normally prefer to read the book, but in this case I'm going to make an exception.
Oh, and another re...more
19 likes · like · see review
view all 21 comments
Feb 23, 2009
John and Kris
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
all-time-favorites
I really enjoyed the enlightening Rape of Europa; it is now on my All-Time Favorites shelf for the following reasons:
1) For posing the question: Ultimately, what is art worth? Is it worth human life?
2) It was different look at the historic events of Europe in the 1930’s and 1940’s all while adding to my disgust, disbelief, and hatred of the Nazis. As a Band of Brothers character says: “The Nazis appear to be bad, very bad.”
3) I am fascinated by art and know almost nothing about its history, sty...more
1) For posing the question: Ultimately, what is art worth? Is it worth human life?
2) It was different look at the historic events of Europe in the 1930’s and 1940’s all while adding to my disgust, disbelief, and hatred of the Nazis. As a Band of Brothers character says: “The Nazis appear to be bad, very bad.”
3) I am fascinated by art and know almost nothing about its history, sty...more
World War II was, for a few, a historic opportunity to loot and pillage. And the theft of artwork, along with other forms of national treasure, was perfected and institutionalized on the grandest scale by the Nazis. Hitler was of course involved, but Goering was considerably more preoccupied. He stole, traded, and hoarded an enormous quantity of valuables (paintings, sculptures, tapestries, precious metals, gems, ceremonial objects, rare books, furniture, you name it) to fill his cavernous estat...more
I have read "Rescuing Da Vinci" and also seen the DVD "The Rape of Europa", so I am now reading the original book that was the catalyst for the book and DVD. Lynn Nicholas is interviewed in the DVD and I decided to read her book and learn more.
******** after reading the book *********
Having read "Rescuing Da Vinci" and having watched the DVD "The Rape of Europa", I thought I would read the book that started it all. Lynn Nicholas, who is interviewed extensively on the DVD, wrote this book to docu...more
******** after reading the book *********
Having read "Rescuing Da Vinci" and having watched the DVD "The Rape of Europa", I thought I would read the book that started it all. Lynn Nicholas, who is interviewed extensively on the DVD, wrote this book to docu...more
4 likes · like · see review
Dec 05, 2010
Susanna
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Susanna by:
art lovers group here at GR
Shelves:
art-history,
nazis
This one has some interesting choices in structure, and reads a little as if Nicholas were suffering from "I did all this research, so you're going to read about it!" syndrome. But very, very interesting.
All about the passions aroused by art in wartime. How to protect? How to find (by thief or otherwise)? To whom to return it?
Also I love the factoid learned here that Hitler was reading a biography of Ghengis Khan during the sack of Warsaw.
All about the passions aroused by art in wartime. How to protect? How to find (by thief or otherwise)? To whom to return it?
Also I love the factoid learned here that Hitler was reading a biography of Ghengis Khan during the sack of Warsaw.
2 likes · like · see review
This book was assigned summer reading when I was in high school. I was in the IB program, and we were going to discuss this book extensively in my social studies class. I hated it. It seemed so tedious and just packed through with boring facts. This is what happened to work of art A; this is what happened to work of art B; this is what happened to work of art C... On and on. So I didn't read much of it. I sort of skimmed. Really it probably couldn't even be called skimming. I was really afraid I...more
I finished reading this book almost exactly a year ago. And in the year that has since passed, I have attempted to wrap my head around everything meticulously laid out in the 450 pages of tiny black print that make up this book. I find that I grapple with the knowledge I gained here more often than I could have possibly imagined. You know how people use solar eclipses to glance directly at the sun? Well, I have found that it is through this book that I have started to honestly fathom the horrifi...more
8 likes · like · see review
Nicholas, Lynn. THE RAPE OF EUROPA: The Fate of Europe’s Treasures in the Third Reich and the Second World War. (1994). ****. This is a meticulously researched and documented study of the less-than-legal and outright theft of art works by members of the German Third Reich before and during the period its dominance of conquered countries. These include such diverse works as the treasures of Quedlinburg, the Trojan Gold, and the Amber Room at Catherine’s Palace. This is a dense book that attempts...more
This book is an excellent text book of the period of the Second World War and the treasures that were stolen during the same. I got weary with all the names thrown in that the Author assumes the reader knows. I was reading this book to learn more about Art and the book failed in this respect. I finally finished the book. It is an excellent reference book but not too readable to me.
This is a fascinating book about the looting of art in Europe during WWII. I enjoyed reading this book because the subject matter is very interesting. However, it is very dense and filled with hundreds of names, places, dates, and details. If you're interested in art history and conservation, then this book is perfect for you!
Really, really enjoyed this book. I found the chapters on illicit art trading in Holland, art dealing in the Vichy government, and the last three chapters on the resolution of the war and after to be especially engrossing.
Mar 05, 2011
Suzanne
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
world-war-ii
"Art was very fashionable in the new regime. In October 1933, only months after becoming Chancellor, Hitler laid the cornerstone of the Haus der Deutschen Kunst in Munich, his first major public building project. Only later did the fact that the ceremonial hammer broke in his hands assume significance."
The Rape of Europa is a culmination of years worth of research about the systematic theft of Europe's greatest art treasures during World War II. The author, Lynn H. Nicholas, successfully takes...more
The Rape of Europa is a culmination of years worth of research about the systematic theft of Europe's greatest art treasures during World War II. The author, Lynn H. Nicholas, successfully takes...more
This is an impressively researched tome that still manages to tell a good story. I'll admit that the number of characters was so huge that I quickly abandoned trying to keep track of who was who but I don't feel that really impacted the book.
In general I'm fairly ignorant of art and take a "I know what I like" approach. This book still made a fairly deep impression on me; the treatment of Europe's art treasures by the Nazis (and, to a lesser extent, the Allies) in WW2 was horrible. This book is...more
In general I'm fairly ignorant of art and take a "I know what I like" approach. This book still made a fairly deep impression on me; the treatment of Europe's art treasures by the Nazis (and, to a lesser extent, the Allies) in WW2 was horrible. This book is...more
Good grief. For those of you who don't like or understand Art, you may want to read this to learn about the absolute passion it engenders. I was disgusted by the greed and art-lust of the Nazis and Allies before and during the war. And then I was stunned by the complications of 'repatriating' the art works. The greed and art-lust reared it's ugly head in new and profound ways.
As to the book itself, it was very dense. Well written, but dense. You have to have a real interest in the topic. If you...more
As to the book itself, it was very dense. Well written, but dense. You have to have a real interest in the topic. If you...more
I know it's weird to put three stars and "I liked it" for a book sitting on my "gave up" shelf.
This book, along with "Monuments Men" that I also reviewed, formed the basis for an incredibly interesting and moving documentary titled, "The Rape of Europa." I liked the documentary so much that I wanted to read the books it used.
Monuments Men focused on the American part of the art story: the creation of a team of men chosen to protect the European art and, as the war progressed, attempt to return...more
This book, along with "Monuments Men" that I also reviewed, formed the basis for an incredibly interesting and moving documentary titled, "The Rape of Europa." I liked the documentary so much that I wanted to read the books it used.
Monuments Men focused on the American part of the art story: the creation of a team of men chosen to protect the European art and, as the war progressed, attempt to return...more
Having read and loved "Monuments Men", By Robert Edsel in which Lynn H. Nicholas also collaborated in, along with several books on Peggy Guggenheim, I expected "The Rape of Europa" to fill in the gaps that I felt Edsel didn't satisfy. I'm not usually one to complain about details if they're presented with enough background to guide you through the text, especially since it was the primary reason why I wanted to read the book in the first place, however, in the "Rape of Europa", Nicholas seems to...more
Although it does often read like a laundry list of people, events, and places in art world of war-torn Europe during the late 30’s and 40’s, I will say I was in awe of Nicholas’s research into this often-ignored area of WWII history. His ability to explain human motivation and exploitation of artistic works of art in extreme minutiae is second to none. The description of the great mass of refuges from Belgium and the Netherlands who descended into France before the latter's fall – along with mas...more
A totally fascinating read about the fate of art and artifacts during the Nazi regime. It's not something I'd given a lot of thought to, but this book made the subject feel extremely important. I found myself crying here and there, but took solace in the fact that the forces committing all the horrible acts against people and art described in this book were eventually stopped. Very highly recommended for anyone who gives a shit about art even a little.
Nov 24, 2010
Lobstergirl
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Pia Zadora
Shelves:
art,
european-history
It seems like a lot of readers found this unattractively dense and fact-packed, but I thoroughly enjoyed it - as much as one can enjoy a book largely about the looting of art treasures from Jews and other war victims. Nicholas meticulously researched her subject for years, combing through institutional archives and privately held papers and interviewing various surviving owners of the looted collections. It's a fascinating story, full of villains and heroes, one that hasn't ended yet; there are...more
Sep 01, 2008
Denise
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
art & history geeks
Shelves:
non-fiction,
never-got-to-the-end
My one complaint about this book proved to be a huge distraction. The author assumes that her readers know the biographies and intracacies of position of all of the players (and they are many) in this incredibly complex, interwoven history. In order to fully comprehend the course of action, one must have additional WWII resources or knowledge at their fingertips. From the opening page forward, the reader is dropped into a sea of historical fact. Before reading this book, I believed myself to be...more
This is not just for those interested in art history, the book details the steps curators, art collectors and civilians took to protect artistic work during WWII. It does help to have an understanding of art to recognize the scale of the operations - for example moving and protecting the Pergamen Altar.
The looting and confiscation of art by all groups involved in the war comes as no surprise. What this book shares are the steps taken to prevent this, how loyal many of the museum staff members w...more
The looting and confiscation of art by all groups involved in the war comes as no surprise. What this book shares are the steps taken to prevent this, how loyal many of the museum staff members w...more
If you can get through the first 10 chapters of this book, it's very good. Chronicals the struggles to hide some of Europe's most famed works of art from the Nazis. Also documents the theft and return of many collections stolen from Jews. Very interesting book that combines world & art history on a very delicate and sensistive topic.
Can be slow at times, stay with it. very rewarding read.
Can be slow at times, stay with it. very rewarding read.
I tried, I really, really tried to finish this book, but I've been working on it for ages--well over a month. The concept was great, what happened to the great works of art during the Nazi occupation/exploitation of Europe. But the fleshing out of that concept fell short for me. Tons and tons and tons of information, too much--often jumping years within the same paragraph. I made it 3/4 of the way through the book, but just couldn't face picking it up again, even though I was getting to the good...more
This book is loaded with names, dates, and facts. So many that is boggles the mind and is very hard to read. It is an informative book, but it gets bogged down with mundane trivia and long recitations of art work that most people are not familiar with. I would have liked to see a lot more photographs of the art. Still, I found the book enlightening and informative.
Fascinating account of the Nazi confiscation of art treasures all over Central Europe before and during WWII. The scope of their plunder is staggering - I had no idea it was as widespread and massive as it was. Small print, dense pages and a *lot* of information means it's anything but light reading, but it's hard to put down.
This is an amazing book. Strike that. This is an amazing story. Those interested in art history, WWII, Europe, culture, or all of the above, give this book a read.
It’s the story of how hundreds of thousand fine art masterpieces and cultural artifacts were protected…saved…from the destruction of WWII and the greed of Hitler and the Third Reich.
This is a historical play-by-play of the war and the efforts of museum and cultural officials, and a myriad of others who risked their lives to ensure thes...more
It’s the story of how hundreds of thousand fine art masterpieces and cultural artifacts were protected…saved…from the destruction of WWII and the greed of Hitler and the Third Reich.
This is a historical play-by-play of the war and the efforts of museum and cultural officials, and a myriad of others who risked their lives to ensure thes...more
This significant book about the systematic looting of Europe's art treasures by the Nazis is not an easy read, but is informative and interesting. For those who love art history and have an interest in the workings of the Third Reich, and those who tried to prevent its depradations, this book will be worth the time and attention.
Well documented research combined with good story telling. This is niche history at its best. If you want insight into the gangster nature of the upper levels of the German government and the weird culture that the Nazi's were trying to promote this book is a good start.
I was really looking forward to this book. But I was bored from the beginning. I didn't even come close to finishing it. I think someone who was very into art history would enjoy this, and it seemed like if she had picked one story and really gotten into it I would have enjoyed it more. But theres a lot of jumping back and forth and no real indepth story to grab me.
I had never even thought about the art in Europe during World War II, but this book was so fascinating, the lengths people went to acquire and keep safe the art works is so amazing, even if you are not an art lover it is a must read.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
From Random House:
Lynn H. Nicholas was born in New London, CT, and educated in the U.S., England, and Spain. The Rape of Europa, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, has been translated into eight languages. It inspired an international movement to locate and repatriate works of art and other property confiscated and stolen by individuals and governments before and during World War II...more
More about Lynn H. Nicholas...
Lynn H. Nicholas was born in New London, CT, and educated in the U.S., England, and Spain. The Rape of Europa, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, has been translated into eight languages. It inspired an international movement to locate and repatriate works of art and other property confiscated and stolen by individuals and governments before and during World War II...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
