The Monuments Men book was authored by Edsel Robert who wanted to display the determination of a few individuals to preserve culture during the destructive Second World War. They wanted to prevent destruction of fine European art pieces that were the target of Nazi fanatics under the direction of Hitler. The title is deceptive by implying that the group did not have women. Their contribution is recognized and vital for the success of this narrative.
There were no maps to indicate where the treasures would be found. Each person developed an own map from records recovered from bombed museums and cathedrals, secret notes and journals that were written by Rosa Valland. Rosa was an employee of the French museum who made a personal commitment to track the plunder in secret. She followed the hints from the rail yards to anything useful source. One of them was a given by a dentist during root canal.
It is a story of sacrifice where family men in their middle age desert successful careers to secure cultural treasures. The treasures were by famous artists like Vermeers, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Van Eycks among others. These artists produced the best paintings in Europe and the world at the time.
The Second World War was marked by extensive destruction and imminent death. The group was not immune but put their lives at risk for a greater mission. It took passion to try and safe items that had no value to most people. It represented a generation that understood the value of art and culture. They understood the irreparable damage that would be occasioned by loss of the artifacts. Those who executed the mission included curators, educators, architects, museum directors, art scholars and archivists.
The mission had the support of President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower. The support was not substantial considering that it did not include the vehicles needed, authority during war, typewriters and gasoline for the mission. Despite such difficulty, the determination and understanding of the gravity of the matter kept the group going. They aimed at protecting the structures that housed the art from bombing but adopted a different approach when it became impossible. They turned to rescuing the artifacts.
The author offers a lay mans creation of the characters of these individuals. This is necessary considering the difficulty they are facing. It is a journey into their young lives, their passions and goals and how each finds himself in the mission. The extent of sacrifice is huge since some of them give-up their lives for the course.
Hitler had a target of creating a large museum by collecting the best paintings in the world. He attacked Poland with multiple intentions of conquest and picking the best art from churches, private collectors and museums. The artifacts were then hidden in remote castles and others in secret mines. He could not stomach the idea that Jewish painters were better than Aryans.
The monuments men book captures a different dimension of the Second World War different from the combat and destruction that is common in history. It is a story of personal sacrifice and determination for nationhood. It has since been made into a movie that was released in December 2013.
There were no maps to indicate where the treasures would be found. Each person developed an own map from records recovered from bombed museums and cathedrals, secret notes and journals that were written by Rosa Valland. Rosa was an employee of the French museum who made a personal commitment to track the plunder in secret. She followed the hints from the rail yards to anything useful source. One of them was a given by a dentist during root canal.
It is a story of sacrifice where family men in their middle age desert successful careers to secure cultural treasures. The treasures were by famous artists like Vermeers, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Van Eycks among others. These artists produced the best paintings in Europe and the world at the time.
The Second World War was marked by extensive destruction and imminent death. The group was not immune but put their lives at risk for a greater mission. It took passion to try and safe items that had no value to most people. It represented a generation that understood the value of art and culture. They understood the irreparable damage that would be occasioned by loss of the artifacts. Those who executed the mission included curators, educators, architects, museum directors, art scholars and archivists.
The mission had the support of President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower. The support was not substantial considering that it did not include the vehicles needed, authority during war, typewriters and gasoline for the mission. Despite such difficulty, the determination and understanding of the gravity of the matter kept the group going. They aimed at protecting the structures that housed the art from bombing but adopted a different approach when it became impossible. They turned to rescuing the artifacts.
The author offers a lay mans creation of the characters of these individuals. This is necessary considering the difficulty they are facing. It is a journey into their young lives, their passions and goals and how each finds himself in the mission. The extent of sacrifice is huge since some of them give-up their lives for the course.
Hitler had a target of creating a large museum by collecting the best paintings in the world. He attacked Poland with multiple intentions of conquest and picking the best art from churches, private collectors and museums. The artifacts were then hidden in remote castles and others in secret mines. He could not stomach the idea that Jewish painters were better than Aryans.
The monuments men book captures a different dimension of the Second World War different from the combat and destruction that is common in history. It is a story of personal sacrifice and determination for nationhood. It has since been made into a movie that was released in December 2013.
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