"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 greatest cultural and artistic achievements of civilization, but then joined the front lines to do something about it?"

The Monuments Men is a nonfiction work about a small group of men, knowledgeable about art, who were assigned to recover and protect the world's treasures during World War II.

I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed this book. Not only was it informative, it read like a thrilling adventure novel. I was riveted and hated to put the book down.

Having just read Rape the Europa by Lynn Nicholas, I understand what a daunting task it is to write about the Nazi theft of Europe's art other priceless works. Edsel and his co-writer, Bret Witter, did a wonderful job of narrowing the scope and focusing on a handful of monuments men and their experiences in northern Europe. I loved the writing and from start to finish it was thorough, interesting and entertaining. Everything a great book should be.