The Monuments Men books is a bestseller that takes the reader on a high-paced treasure hunt through war torn Europe in the closing days of World War II. It is the story of the men and women who made up the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives unit, a highly secretive and little known group formed under the orders of President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower. Their orders were to seek out and protect our cultural patrimony from the clutches of Hitler, theft and destruction.
Towards the end of World War II world leaders and experts in the arts world became concerned at the very real danger of some of the world's patrimony being lost forever. The threat of theft and destruction of valuable pieces of art and monuments was already happening and had to be brought under control. This led to the creation of the special unit whose chief orders were to seek out and protect these for the future of mankind's cultural heritage.
Adolf Hitler's systematic genocide is well documented and widely known. However, one of his often overlooked actions was the theft of countless of the very finest of artworks in Europe. He was collecting and cataloguing these pieces as well as ordering the destruction of other artworks he considered to be "degenerate" and not in line with the world vision he wanted to encourage.
Written by Robert M Edsel, with Bret Witter the story chronicles the 11 month period of the unit's operation from just before D-Day to VE Day. The thrilling tale takes you on adventures behind enemy lines as the members of the unit sift through Europe hunting down priceless works and saving them and with them thousands of years of collected cultural history.
The unit was made up of both men and women who came from several nations and were drawn from professions ranging from education to museum curators and archivists. Risking their lives for our cultural heritage, these war time treasure hunters were engaged in a race against the clock with the bomb-riddled Europe nipping and their heels. With only their steadfast belief in the importance of their actions to sustain them, they achieved great things.
Edsel is also the author of Rescuing Da Vinci, which explores an impressive art heist. Originally Edsel was involved in gas and oil business, but left the industry in order to indulge his love of the arts, and moved to Florence, Italy. Upon visiting some of the great city's museums he began to wonder about how so many of the pieces on display had made it through the world wars unscathed and intact.
The movie is based on the book and closely follows the excitement of the original tale. It stars an incredible cast that includes Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett. It has been distributed by Columbia Pictures with 20th Century Fox and will be released in 2014.
The Monuments Men book is a thrilling, twisting tale weaving itself in an out of some of the most dramatic events of World War II. A must read for any history buff or those who love a triumph over crippling odds.
Towards the end of World War II world leaders and experts in the arts world became concerned at the very real danger of some of the world's patrimony being lost forever. The threat of theft and destruction of valuable pieces of art and monuments was already happening and had to be brought under control. This led to the creation of the special unit whose chief orders were to seek out and protect these for the future of mankind's cultural heritage.
Adolf Hitler's systematic genocide is well documented and widely known. However, one of his often overlooked actions was the theft of countless of the very finest of artworks in Europe. He was collecting and cataloguing these pieces as well as ordering the destruction of other artworks he considered to be "degenerate" and not in line with the world vision he wanted to encourage.
Written by Robert M Edsel, with Bret Witter the story chronicles the 11 month period of the unit's operation from just before D-Day to VE Day. The thrilling tale takes you on adventures behind enemy lines as the members of the unit sift through Europe hunting down priceless works and saving them and with them thousands of years of collected cultural history.
The unit was made up of both men and women who came from several nations and were drawn from professions ranging from education to museum curators and archivists. Risking their lives for our cultural heritage, these war time treasure hunters were engaged in a race against the clock with the bomb-riddled Europe nipping and their heels. With only their steadfast belief in the importance of their actions to sustain them, they achieved great things.
Edsel is also the author of Rescuing Da Vinci, which explores an impressive art heist. Originally Edsel was involved in gas and oil business, but left the industry in order to indulge his love of the arts, and moved to Florence, Italy. Upon visiting some of the great city's museums he began to wonder about how so many of the pieces on display had made it through the world wars unscathed and intact.
The movie is based on the book and closely follows the excitement of the original tale. It stars an incredible cast that includes Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett. It has been distributed by Columbia Pictures with 20th Century Fox and will be released in 2014.
The Monuments Men book is a thrilling, twisting tale weaving itself in an out of some of the most dramatic events of World War II. A must read for any history buff or those who love a triumph over crippling odds.
No comments:
Post a Comment