Edsel is also the founder and president of the monuments men foundation, a recipient of the national humanities medal, and a trustee at the national wwii museum. Characters smoke frequently and drink occasionally, and there are. The book has been translated and published in more than 25 languages. These people traveled throughout europe closely behind allied troops in an attempt.
At the wars end, officers for the monuments, fine arts, and archives program the monuments men realized that, in addition to artworks, they had millions of books in their possession. Parents need to know that the monuments men is a factbased war drama that feels like a cross between oceans eleven and saving private ryan and features some of the same actors. To save the culture of your allies is a small thing. The monuments men is a group of men and women who worked for the monuments, fine art, and archives, or mfaa during world war ii in an effort to preserve fine art, documents, and monuments. Allied heroes, nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history robert m. Although men from the mfaa section served in other areas, this book concentrates on the campaign in northwest europe. Edsel this study guide consists of approximately 34 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the monuments men. The monuments men is a book that tells a story that has been long ignored. Robert edsel has his own site with resources and educational materials.
During world war ii, a team of socalled monuments men was formed to search for and recover the enormous collection of art treasures that hitler and his minions looted from museums, churches, and private collections all across europe. He has written three nonfiction books rescuing da vinci 2006, monuments men. The film stars an ensemble cast including clooney, matt damon, bill murray, john goodman, jean dujardin, bob balaban, hugh bonneville, and cate blanchett. Allied heroes, nazi thieves and the greatest treasure hunt in history, and the new book saving italy. The announcement monday, in the smithsonians archives of american art housing some records of the monuments men, is meant to recall the 345 people mostly men but also several dozen women. To preserve the legacy of the men and women that served in the monuments, fine arts, and archives program the monuments men. In one journal entry, stout said he calculated the boxes, crates, and packing materials needed for a shipment. Edsel is the founder and president of the monuments men foundation for the preservation of art, which received the 2007 national humanities medal under president george w. The monuments men shows what a gifted storyteller mr. Monuments men characters inspired by real people the. Palmyra for his extraordinary knowledge of that revered 2,000 yearold roman era city, underscores the high cost of protecting works of art and other cultural treasures during war. Edsel is along with his cowriter bret witter loved dewey as well. Edsel, with bret witter, takes the reader into the world war ii war theater through the stories of ten of the brave men and women, the monuments men, who rescued art that had been stolen by the nazis in europe.
Differences between the monuments men book vs movie page 1. Its intentions are noble and its cast is impressive, but neither can compensate for the monuments men s stiffly nostalgic tone and curiously slack narrative. The latter book also benefits from the excellent narration of edoardo ballerini, a bilingual reader with perfect american and italian accents. It is a story of a world war ii platoon made up entirely of 7 art experts, who president roosevelt assigned to be in charge of rescuing the countless priceless pieces of art stolen by the nazis, and return them to. The monuments men is a remarkable history of the war in europe. This photo provided by the monuments men foundation for the preservation of art of dallas, shows monuments man james rorimer, with notepad, as he supervises american gis handcarrying paintings. Allied heroes, nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history, 2009, etc. Get the knowledge you need in order to pass your classes and more. Edsels backstories of the 10 monuments men covered in the tale help breathe life into these scholarlyand highly driven men. Page 1 of 2 questions for february 5, 2014 book discussion of the monument men general information for the art lovers book club all art lovers with figge museum membership or admission to museum are invited to attend a book club which explores the world of art through discussions relating to art history, artists lives, artwork, periods in art, etc. Automatic works cited and bibliography formatting for mla, apa and chicagoturabian citation styles. Allied heroes, nazi thieves and the greatest treasure hunt in history 2007.
Robert morse edsel born december 28, 1956 is an american businessman and author. The monuments men, officially called the monuments, fine arts, and archives section mfaa, were a small group of men and women tasked with the location, protection, conservation, and repatriation of the art, architecture, and material culture of european nations during and after world war ii. Expect some wartime violence, including some closerange shooting, and scenes with bloody and injured soldiers. Allied heroes, nazi thieves and the greatest treasure hunt in history, a narrative account of the monuments men, was published by center street, a division of hachette book group. Edsel is the author of the nonfiction books, rescuing da vinci and the monuments men. Motoko fujishiro huthwaite, 92, last of the monuments.
Standen during her service in postwar germany, and the official report of the american commission for the protection. Allied heroes, nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history by robert m. Just as mentioned at the beginning of the book, edsel admitted to acquiring so much information on the monuments men and their efforts that he had to separate the discoveries and activities that took place in italy for another book. Subscribe an unlikely world war ii platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from nazi thieves and return them to their owners. Of course, a 110minute movie cant hope to cover all the events of edsels 500 page book. Monuments men like stout often operated alone with limited resources. As edsel notes on his website, there were 345 monuments men, hailing from nations. Edsel with bret witter, explores the efforts soldiers and civilians made to protect art, heritage, and treasures from disappearing during wwii.
To cherish the culture of your enemy, to risk your life and the life of other men to save it, to give it all back to them as soon as the battle was won it was unheard of, but that was exactly what walker hancock and the other monuments men intended to do. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 473 pages and is available in hardcover format. Focusing on the elevenmonth period between dday and ve day, this fascinating account follows six monuments men and their impossible mission to save the worlds great art from the nazis. Monuments men frames the wwii story your school skipped. A post viewing analysis the story of the monuments men has been called the greatest treasure hunt in history.
The bulk of this book follows the monuments men following the normandy landing as the allies swept across the western countries of europe and into germany. The monuments men goodreads meet your next favorite book. Few stories of world war ii are as extraordinary as the story of the monuments men and their unusual mission. The film is loosely based on the nonfiction book the monuments men. Hollywood later developed the book into a major motion picture. The movie was based on the 2009 book of the same title by mr. The first edition of the novel was published in august 20th 2009, and was written by robert m. Allied heroes, nazi thieves and the greatest treasure hunt in history by robert m. The monuments men via robert edsel august 22, 2015 the horrific death of khaled alasaad, 83 yearold retired syrian archaeologist known admiringly as mr. Edsel wrote the original adult book that first brought this story to attention ten years ago. The monuments men is a 2014 war film directed by george clooney, and written and produced by clooney and grant heslov. The monuments men foundation has an excellent for teachers page with sample lessons and the opportunity to join their educational program with access to archival footage, more lessons, interviews, and more.
It follows an allied group from the monuments, fine arts, and archives program that is given the task of finding and saving pieces of art and other culturally important items before nazis destroy or. Monuments man george stout see next image, a fogg museum conservator turned u. Bret witter is a book editor and professional writer. Undermanned, undersupplied and with virtually no authority, the monuments men and women faced bullets, bombs and nazi booby traps to rescue works by rembrandt, da vinci, vermeer, michelangelo and more. The army is looking for a few good art experts the new. Monuments men foundation for the preservation of art.
The monuments men monuments, fine arts, and archives were a part of the allied armies. The monuments men was adapted into a film starring george clooney, matt damon, bill murray, and cate blanchett. Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, the monuments men is an action drama focusing on seven overthehill, outofshape museum directors, artists, architects, curators. At the same time adolf hitler was attempting to take over the western world, his armies were methodically seeking and hoarding the finest art treasures in. Eckert, associate professor of history, talks about the fate of art and culture during wartime past and present. Although the war is presented mostly as a backdrop to their energetic detective work, enough information on the struggle is included to keep the quest in context and to remind readers that these unlikely soldiers. As the most destructive war in history ravaged europe, many of the worlds most cherished cultural objects were in harms way. Edsel is the bestselling author of saving italy, the monuments men and rescuing da vinci and coproducer of the awardwinning documentary film the rape of europa. Allied heroes, nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history pdf epub book. Come browse our large digital warehouse of free sample essays.
Now he has abridged that book and made it a length that will be attractive to younger readers. Overall, we felt like the book had amazing details and we were in awe at the extensive research that robert edsel did in preparation for the book. The narration is chronological, so we have frequent jumps between location and people, so the list of the main players at the front of the book was invaluable for helping get the different. Allied heroes, nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history 2009, a work of military nonfiction by robert m. The book is chronological, and the author cleverly. I highly recommend both this book, which focuses on the monuments men s efforts in north western europe, and saving italy by the same author. You can wipe out an entire generation, you can burn their homes to the ground and somehow theyll still find their way back. The race to rescue a nations treasures from the nazis, which tells the dramatic story of the monuments men in italy during the allied invasion of world war ii. They were immortalized in a 2014 movie, the monuments men, directed by george clooney and starring him and matt damon. The book uses key battles as the backdrop to the story of men who risked their lives saving what gen. To save cultural treasures from the destructiveness of war, and theft by adolf hitler and the nazis. In september 2009, edsels second book, the monuments men. In the new episode of emory looks at hollywood, astrid m.
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