The Monuments Men

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert Edsel with Bret Witter, 473 pages

During World War II, the Nazis stole and hoarded thousands of priceless artworks and cultural treasures. While some were lost or destroyed during the years of the war, an astonishingly high number of these pieces survived, thanks to the work of an American and English collaborative unit, the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives section, also known as the Monuments Men.

Edsel's book gives a thorough examination of these unsung heroes in their earliest days, when only a handful of Monuments Men were working, without supplies and often on their own in combat situations, were attempting to save some of the most treasured artworks and cultural sites in Europe. It's a fascinating tale; though if this book has any fault, it's that Edsel crams too much information in. Any one of the original Monuments Men and their allies (particularly the astounding Rose Valland) could easily be the subject of his or her own book, yet Edsel's determination to shoehorn in all the original Monuments Men makes the story a bit muddled. That said, it's still worth a read, as this is a history that needs telling.