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.
While risking their lives during combat, the group had a single mission. They were to save as much culture as possible from destruction or pillaging by the army. It would have been a great loss if the treasures were to disappear during the war. They display understanding of the threat posed by the loss and are ready to do something to save the situation. They were trained curators, art scholars, educators, museum directors, architects and archivists.
Support for the mission came from President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower. However, they were not provided with gasoline, typewriters, vehicles or necessary authority. This would make their mission very difficult and only possible with determination and good will. The original mission was to ensure that essential structures were not bombed. This would change because they did not determine the course of combat. They shifted to rescuing items after bombing.
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.
While risking their lives during combat, the group had a single mission. They were to save as much culture as possible from destruction or pillaging by the army. It would have been a great loss if the treasures were to disappear during the war. They display understanding of the threat posed by the loss and are ready to do something to save the situation. They were trained curators, art scholars, educators, museum directors, architects and archivists.
Support for the mission came from President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower. However, they were not provided with gasoline, typewriters, vehicles or necessary authority. This would make their mission very difficult and only possible with determination and good will. The original mission was to ensure that essential structures were not bombed. This would change because they did not determine the course of combat. They shifted to rescuing items after bombing.
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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