At the same time Adolf Hitler was attempting to take over the western world, his armies were methodically seeking and hoarding the finest art treas...
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reviews
Jul 24, 2010
Darkpool
rated it: 
So interesting. A bit slow to begin with as the background leading up to the need for the protection of Western Europe's cultural heritage during WWII. The bulk of this book follows the monuments men following the Normandy landing as the Allies swept across the western countries of Europe and into Germany. The narration is chronological, so we have frequent jumps between location and people, so the list of the main players at the front of the book was invaluable for helping get the different peo
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Jan 04, 2010
Lynn
rated it:
Very thoroughly researched and completely new information to me -- the small group of men who strove to protect and recover works of art that were plundered, stolen and "removed for safekeeping" by the Nazis during WWII.
I listened to it and while the reader did adopt some accents, he really just read the book rather than performing it. Some sections were inclined to be a bit, well, long on detail, but overall a very interesting book with staggering statistics.
T More...
I listened to it and while the reader did adopt some accents, he really just read the book rather than performing it. Some sections were inclined to be a bit, well, long on detail, but overall a very interesting book with staggering statistics.
T More...
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Oct 06, 2010
Tom
rated it: 
BEWARE THE AUDIO -- Stopped before the end of the second of six audio CDs. The reader, Jeremy Davidson, in addition to a failure to correctly pronounce the names of well-known people and places, thinks he's Olivier with his accents. His British accent is irritating but his German accent really put me over the wall.
The audio version is abridged and, even though I was not through the second CD, I could sense the gaps and cuts to the text.
I plan to read the book. It's a good en More...
The audio version is abridged and, even though I was not through the second CD, I could sense the gaps and cuts to the text.
I plan to read the book. It's a good en More...
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Feb 11, 2012
theduckthief
rated it:
"The reconstruction of Europe after World War II was one of the most complicated and comprehensive international efforts of modern times. The identity and infrastructure of the nations of Europe had to be rebuilt and the restitution of artwork was a vital component. To say the war was the greatest upheaval of cultural items in history would be a grave understatement. In the end, the Western Allies discovered more than one thousand repositories in southern Germany alone, containing millions
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Sep 30, 2011
CasadeSlutne
rated it:
I picked this book up after watching the documentary, “Rape of Europa”. I was completely fascinated by the stories of the people and the art the documentary detailed and wanted to know more. I figured that by reading the books the documentary used as source material, I would get the bigger picture. I started with, “Monuments Men” by Robert Edsel and have “Rape of Europa” next on my shelf.
This is probably the first American World War II history book I have ever read that wasn’t par More...
This is probably the first American World War II history book I have ever read that wasn’t par More...
Oct 20, 2010
Curmudgeon66
rated it:
I heard the Author on Relevant Radio's Morning Air show. http://www.relevantradio.com/ It sounded good, so when I spotted this at the local B&N I bought it.
Starts off a little slow, but sort of grows on one. I've read all kinds of histories of WWII, and I knew that there had been some kind of organization that did something with art works, but I never before knew any details.
It was interesting to get to know a little bit more about some of the individuals involved, More...
Starts off a little slow, but sort of grows on one. I've read all kinds of histories of WWII, and I knew that there had been some kind of organization that did something with art works, but I never before knew any details.
It was interesting to get to know a little bit more about some of the individuals involved, More...
May 21, 2010
Kathleen
rated it:
Art tied up with history--not so much art history, but the fascinating story of the recovery of European art stolen by the Nazis by a relatively few but very dedicated group of curators, architects, sculptors and art professors from America and England. They follow the Allied armies into France soon after D-Day in Normandy, and some are actually killed in action. The two art works Edsel showcases are the Bruges Madonna by Michelangelo and the Ghent Altarpiece, both found hidden with thousands
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Jan 31, 2010
Carl
rated it:
Not a mystery, and not fiction, but the story rooted in the fog of war and the number of questions still unanswered reads like the best mystery fiction. Not a thriller, but full of thrilling, death-defying action, a book written with passion and fire, if not the most meticulous attention to structure and detail, this cautionary tale should be part of the required reading at the Naval Academy, West Point and the Air Force Academy.
It should also be read by every national politician who co More...
It should also be read by every national politician who co More...
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Oct 23, 2009
Debbie
rated it:
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher. "The Monuments Men" uses letters written by the Monuments Men and other documents to tell the story why the MFAA section was created and what eight of those men encountered while doing work in Normandy, France and in Germany.
The author assumes the reader doesn't know much about WWII and so fills in the details about the war occurring around them as we learn where they went and what they found and did there. The firs More...
The author assumes the reader doesn't know much about WWII and so fills in the details about the war occurring around them as we learn where they went and what they found and did there. The firs More...
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Apr 14, 2011
Jb
rated it:
A few military men during World War II were designated to ensure that Europe’s art works did not sustain undue damage from acts of war. They succeeded in many respects, identifying cathedrals, castles, museums and posting signs designed to thwart looting. They also tracked artworks stolen by the Nazis and secreted away to Germany. The book features two back-and forth story lines, one about the art and culture and another about the preservation people. I had to continually flip back to the pictur
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Jun 02, 2011
Brooke
rated it:
For the type of book this is, I would rate it a 5 star, but gave it 4 because it was not what I consider extremely enjoyable (with that I would've given it a 3, but it was too well written so I went in the middle). It was very well written, and much more entertaining to read than a textbook, for sure. This book opened my eyes to many things such as how horrible war truly can be (without any graphic descriptions of any kind) and some things that went on during WWII I had no clue about! Why don't
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Nov 08, 2009
Joanne
rated it:
So many things from history I do not know! The Nazis, under orders from Hitler, systematically robbed conquered European countries of their history of art. Many of the works were listed as "ownerless." Yeah, well, you shippped off the owners to prison camps, extermination, or scared them into fleeing their own countries! A small group of military men from 13 countries (the book concentrates on men from the United States) were tasked locating these objects and returning them to the
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Apr 12, 2011
Drew
rated it:
A great story, great layout and wonderful writing. This book reveals an area of WWII and world history that almost no one remembers or knew about. There is enough there to keep the focus of those interested in WWII, Art History, Nazi Germany history, or simply those that study human greed.
It is an easy read that flows well and tells the story of not only the subject matter but the men/women that make this story possible. The sub-plots are just as enjoyable as the main thread. The More...
It is an easy read that flows well and tells the story of not only the subject matter but the men/women that make this story possible. The sub-plots are just as enjoyable as the main thread. The More...
Mar 12, 2011
Suzanne
rated it: 
"But what if I told you there was a major story about World War II that hasn't been told, a significant story at the heart of the entire war effort, involving the most unlikely group of heroes you've never heard of? What if I told you there was a group of men on the front lines who quite literally saved the world as we know it; a group that didn't carry machine guns or drive tanks, who weren't official statesmen; men who not only had the vision to understand the grave threat to the grea
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Jan 27, 2010
Hotavio
rated it:
The Monuments Men were a small band of soldiers whose job was to assess damages to cathedrals, statues, and other relics during WWII and to advise on and/or exact the appropriate measures to restore or protect such treasures. As the Monuments Men advanced with the front in Europe, their job focused on reclaiming the works illicitly confiscated by the Nazis.
The Monuments Men follows about 8 of these soldiers very closely and also includes some of their correspondence in a revealing More...
The Monuments Men follows about 8 of these soldiers very closely and also includes some of their correspondence in a revealing More...
Aug 08, 2011
Connie
rated it:
My aunt passed this book along to me after she had trouble plowing through it. She thought I would like it and I did. It was fasinating! Having lived in Germany in the late 60's I related to many of the thoughts expressed by the Monuments Men. I loved the historical detail, journal entries and letters and it confirmed my respect for General Eisenhower. He wrote in a letter to his wife, "I made the visit(Ohrduf work camp)deliberately, in order to be in position to give first-hand evidence of
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Jul 27, 2011
Bob
rated it:
Very interesting, informative read. The book plodded along for about the first two thirds, then picked up the pace towards the end. For research and personal stories I would give this book a 5 star rating. But there was so much more that could have been included. For instance there were numerous items of art identified and from whom it was stolen, but no mention as to how it was returned to the original owner, if it was returned. An appendix or two or three with much more detail could have
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Dec 15, 2011
Mike
rated it: 
This book has a hell of a good story -- the Nazi looting of Europe's art was a fascinating crime, showing off Hitler's and Goebbels' pretensions, ruthlessness, and organizational genius, and the Allied effort to track all of that stolen art to the remote castles and hidden mines where it was concealed, not to mention the work to conserve the art and retrace its steps even as World War II continued to rage, was pretty damn impressive. The men and women who spearheaded the effort were also an app
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Dec 15, 2011
Benjaminxjackson
rated it:
This book describes how the Nazis tried to conquer the culture of Europe as well as the land. The Nazi atrocities stand in a class by themselves, and the human suffering is can't be dismissed. But, the horror does not end with it. In this book, we learn about the cultural war that the Naizs waged, and how the allies fought back. While the resources were minimal, the effects of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section of the Allied armies have benefitted us to this day.
I wanted More...
I wanted More...
Dec 15, 2011
Chris
rated it:
What is it about art? Everyone has different tastes, but some art is just, well mind blowing isn't the word. We all share that gut reaction, evn if the pieces of art that evoke them are different from person to person.
War has been fought for art. True, WW-II wasn't one of them, but Hitler and his gang did sure steal some huge pieces.
Edsel's book details the work of the Monuments Men, a group (mostly Americans in this book) whose purpose was to recover and protect items More...
War has been fought for art. True, WW-II wasn't one of them, but Hitler and his gang did sure steal some huge pieces.
Edsel's book details the work of the Monuments Men, a group (mostly Americans in this book) whose purpose was to recover and protect items More...
Dec 15, 2011
Tracie
rated it:
Very interesting read! Having taken in many art museums here in Europe as we've traveled, it was fascinating to hear what happened during WWII to Western Europe's masterpieces. This is the story of the men in the U.S. Army charged with protecting Europe's monuments tracking down the art that was moved, protected, evacuated, and stolen. They had only the resources they could muster on the front lines and little of their great efforts is known. It was fun to hear of pieces and places we are famili
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Aug 15, 2010
Mark
rated it:
This is a difficult story to tell... probably because it isn't one story (the "story of the men who saved European culture from the Nazis") but instead a series of stories & adventures of how the Allies (and particularly those from the USA) found & rescued great art treasures from where the Nazis had hidden them... and evacuated them before the USSR took over the areas and absconded with them. As a result, the book is episodic, uneven in tone & occasionally very difficult to follow.
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May 31, 2010
Libby
rated it:
For history buffs, art lovers and WWII mavens, this is a seriously good read. Many art and history lovers mourn the losses of cultural icons to WWII, while at the same time, military buffs marvel that more was not lost. Both sorts of people have sound reasoning behind these viewpoints. This is the book that relates how those views clashed and commingled in the Allied command during WWII, resulting in the formation of a group of unsung and underpaid heroes who didn't hesitate to risk their flesh
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Feb 19, 2010
Jessica
rated it:
This book was chosen as February's read by the members of our book club based on the merits of the comments and synopsis on the dust jacket. While the history of the Monuments Men was extremely interesting and unique, the construction of the story (disjointed), and especially the editing, was disappointing.
Until I read the plot summary, I didn't know of the existence of the MFAA (Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives)group or of the Monuments Men, not surprising as the group was minuscu More...
Until I read the plot summary, I didn't know of the existence of the MFAA (Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives)group or of the Monuments Men, not surprising as the group was minuscu More...
Jul 27, 2010
Nancy
rated it:
Loved reading this true story about the brave American and British soldiers who risked their lives everyday during World War II to preserve the artwork, history and culture of Europe from Hitler's Nazi regime. It was amazing how these men and one woman's passion for art and religious artifacts drove them into dangerous situations (two men died trying) to fulfill their goal of preserving for future generations the art treasures they loved. While they saved millions of pieces they mourned each los
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Mar 10, 2011
Clytee
rated it:
Read it for book club. A non-fiction about the planned and stealing of art work by the Nazis. Again, from another perspective, a description of how evil, terrible, awful, selfish, mean .... was Hitler and his minions. Interesting aspect of the WW II and art history and bravery of men devoted to a cause. A thick book that took a fair amount of work to read, but worth it to me!
p. 144: "But Hancock was smart enough to know the Germans weren't all Nazis, or all bad."
p. 144: "But Hancock was smart enough to know the Germans weren't all Nazis, or all bad."
Oct 23, 2009
This came closer than The Venus Fixers to being an interesting discussion of this topic, but sadly it too missed the mark. The inclusion of the men's letters home was fantastic, but (paradoxically) this book combined excessive POV jumps and a tendency to dwell on various incidents without giving an indication of how they related to the whole. The result is a sense that there is no coherent narrative.
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Aug 21, 2011
Julie
rated it:
I had never heard of this amazing story of a military unit formed to recover and save literally thousands of pieces of art looted by the Nazis. This is nonfiction-that-reads-like fiction and keeps you riveted until the end. You feel you come to know the "main players" and in this audio, you easily recognize their various voices - very well done! You marvel at the courage and seemingly impossible coincidences (or fate or ?) that lead the hunters to the treasures. You can't believe the c
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Jan 20, 2012
Julianne
rated it:
This book tells a fascinating story about a little known aspect of World War II. I honestly had never thought much about how so many great cultural works survived the war, and had no clue Hitler was scouting out major artworks before the war even began. My only criticism, however, was that the book seemed to jump back and forth between people and subjects a lot. While extremely interesting, I think the author could have organized the content much better.
