The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, And The Greatest Treasure Hunt In History

by Robert M. Edsel

The skilled observer, not the machine, was the essence of conservation. That was the secret, he believed, to success in any endeavor: to be a careful, knowledgeable, and efficient observer of the world, and to act in accordance with what you saw.

“Take them,” the dean said, holding out a stack of postcards. “Distribute them. Please. You know the Madonna. But many of the soldiers do not. What if they find her in a barn? Or in some German officer’s home? Or”—he paused—“at the bottom of the harbor. Take these, so they will recognize her and know she is one of the wonders of the world.”