This book tells the true story of a group of allied soldiers whose job it was to protect and rescue historical architecture and art of all forms. A post viewing analysis the story of the monuments men has been called the greatest treasure hunt in history. Much of the same film crew behind ben afflecks argo, which george clooney produced, will serve in the same capacities here. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the monuments men by bret witter and robert m.
Allied heroes, nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history by robert m. This book tells the true story of a group of allied soldiers whose job it was to protect. 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. Based on the book the monuments men written by robert edsel. Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, the monuments men is an action drama focusing on an unlikely world war ii platoon, tasked by fdr with going into germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from. Aug 20, 2009 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. Nowhere, notes nicholas, were more of those treasures collected than at altaussee, where hitler stored the treasures intended for. Thats a harsh assessment of a film whose heart is in the right place, but heart alone does not a good film make.
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. 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. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Nov 29, 2009 the monuments men is a remarkable history of the war in europe. The film stars an ensemble cast including clooney, matt damon, bill murray, john goodman, jean dujardin, bob balaban, hugh bonneville, and cate blanchett. The monuments men had the credentials and the passion for art to risk their lives for this cause. 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 book that tells a story that has been long ignored. The monuments men is a 2014 war film directed by george clooney, and written and produced by clooney and grant heslov. Ap us historyliterature 17 march 2014 extra credit opportunity. Few in number, they heroically went into places where sometimes fighting was still going on in order to save treasures. Allied heroes, nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history kindle edition by edsel, robert m.
The true story of the monuments men history smithsonian. 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. The monuments men book states that the walls were lined with photographs of the eiffel tower, notre dame, versailles, and other famous parisian landmarks. Allied heroes, nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history is a nonfiction book by robert m. Feb 08, 2014 of course, a 110minute movie cant hope to cover all the events of edsels 500page book. Edsel with bret witter, explores the efforts soldiers and civilians made to protect art, heritage, and treasures from disappearing during wwii. Edsel tells the true story of those who took this risk in the monuments men. 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 movie was based on the 2009 book of the same title by mr. Feb 20, 2014 the monuments men find him thanks to a remarkable coincidence.
Robert edsel in his non fiction book, the monuments men allied heroes, nazi thieves and the greatest treasure hunt in history, describes the beginning of world war ii and how the monuments men made their presence in europe to preserve the culture of the countries the army was passing through or fighting in. This book is the story of the recovery of that art. The monuments men goodreads meet your next favorite book. As the author writes in his note at the start of the book and before the story.
To save the culture of your allies is a small thing. A onesentence summary which might read the untold true story of how. Edsel is the author of the nonfiction books, rescuing da vinci and the monuments men. Also, the book includes a map with the monuments men travels. 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. Bret witter is a book editor and professional writer. With george clooney, matt damon, bill murray, cate blanchett. These people traveled throughout europe closely behind allied troops in an attempt.
An unlikely world war ii platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from nazi thieves and return them to their owners. Allied heroes, nazi thieves and the greatest treasure hunt in history by robert m. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. In the front of the book, under authors notes are listed the main characters. And if you need more monuments men, the archives of american art has just opened their new exhibit monuments men. Watch the monuments men online or download the monuments men movie free. They were immortalized in a 2014 movie, the monuments men, directed by george clooney and starring him and matt damon. Directed by clooney from a script he wrote with his regular filmmaking partner grant heslov, the monuments men is a throwback to a very specific type of world war ii adventure picture.
An unlikely world war ii platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from nazi thieves and return. The book has been translated and published in more than 25 languages. Robert edsel, in his book the monuments men, tells the story of the greatest treasure hunt in history and the race to sa the monuments men is set during world war ii, but primarily focuses on the monuments men and their activities from june 1944 to may 1945 edsel xv. As edsel notes on his website, there were 345 monuments men, hailing from nations. 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 film is loosely based on the nonfiction book the monuments men. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the monuments men.
In a prequel of sorts to the oceans 11 series, a glib art historian george clooney assembles an team of architects, artists, and museum directors matt damon, bill murray, john goodman, jean dujardin, hugh bonneville, and bob balaban to undergo special forces training and enter the european. Hidden inside the castle were more than twenty thousand works of art and cultural objects stolen by the. Everything you need to know about the monuments men movie 2014. Despite trying to tell the men that he viewed the nazis as complete frauds and only carried out his duties as an ss officer for the sake of protecting the art, robert posey and lincoln. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 473 pages and is available in hardcover format. Allied heroes, nazi thieves and the greatest treasure hunt in history. Allied heroes, nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history pdf epub book. Allied heroes, nazi thieves and the greatest treasure hunt in history, and the new book saving italy. George clooneys drama about a team of misfits at war with nazi art thieves fails to strike the right tone. Allied heroes, nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in. Allied heroes, nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history. Motoko fujishiro huthwaite, 92, last of the monuments. The monuments men true story vs movie george stout, james. The story of the rescue of a sixteenthcentury flemish painting details how, in the midst of the fighting, two monuments men, walter hancock and george stout, carefully wrote detailed notes on the painting.
Allied heroes, nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history robert m. He has written three nonfiction books rescuing da vinci 2006, monuments men. The monuments men was adapted into a film starring george clooney, matt damon, bill murray, and cate blanchett. Some priests hurriedly disassemble panels of a major piece of artwork in a church and attempt to spirit them away before they are overrun by the nazis. Jan 20, 2019 one of his books inspired the 2014 george clooney movie, the monuments men. The monuments men were given the huge task of finding these hidden treasures, sometimes in the nick of time before they were destroyed. Monuments men frames the wwii story your school skipped. Historical film the monuments men based on a true story of what was a treasure hunt in its most basic definition, the monuments men portrays a hand selected world war ii platoon on a mission that sends them to all edges of western europe in order to retrieve artistic masterpieces stolen by the nazis and return them to. At the castle, he found three great halls packed with parcels from the staatsarchiv and marburg town archives. Some parts of the film are deadly serious but much of the film is a service comedy about middleaged. But this book, aimed at slightly younger audiences, focuses the story on the quest itself, as the allies rushed to. This story is actually true, more or less as depicted.
For reference, in the back of the book, there is a list of cast of characters. The film was based on actual events but the film characters are fictitious. Robert morse edsel born december 28, 1956 is an american businessman and author. This summary is an ideal guide to take you through the journeys of 18 men who joined the armys littleknown mfaa unit, which protected precious european art from destruction. Edsels masterful book the monuments men shares their story, in a tale that is part history, part war story and part treasure hunt. The book uses key battles as the backdrop to the story of men who risked their lives saving what gen. Hollywood later developed the book into a major motion picture. The information valland had risked her life gathering served as a treasure map for rorimer and the monuments men leading to the discovery of multiple repositories of looted art, most prominently at neuschwanstein castle in the bavarian alps.
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