“The Monuments Men” by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter – Art’s Salvation

As I already mentioned it before, there were countless stories that took place during the Second World War, so many in fact that it is wishful thinking to believe they will all be unraveled one day. The story of the Monuments Men is one of the most under-discussed ones in my opinion, being virtually forgotten, even by the history buffs.

Well, The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter brings to us this forgotten timeline of the past, detailing the true story of how regular men risked their lives one day after the next for the sole sake of preserving the world’s greatest art works by preventing them from falling into Nazi hands.

Those of you who follow modern cinema will notice that there is actually a movie being made based on the book, which should raise awareness about this rather interesting aspect to WWII.

So how is the book itself? Well, considering that the topic is largely neglected by most people, a grand majority of the information provided in this book feels new and fresh, as if your eyes are being opened to a whole new world that was right under your nose.

Edsel and Witter explain in great detail the logic behind the destruction of art, its significance for the Nazis and the rest of the world, the importance of the Monuments Men’s mission, and its impact on modern life.

More interestingly though, we get a surprisingly detailed account of the trials endured by six specific Monuments Men, as they were charged with some of the more important and dangerous missions during the eleven month period between D-Day and V-E Day.

Technicalities-wise, the book is a near-perfect 10/10. There are very few instances where you have the opportunity of becoming bored as everything flows smoothly together, with there always being some kind of surprising information to keep you awake and longing for the next fact you will learn. Yes, there are obviously some parts of it that won’t cater to certain readers, but that goes without saying when dealing with such a vast topic as World War II.

All in all, The Monuments Men is one of the more exciting and original nonfiction works about World War II, discussing an overly-neglected topic, the events of which nevertheless had a rather drastic impact on life after the conflict.

I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the topic of the Monuments Men, or is seeking exciting WWII stories which explore a different topic from the ones usually presented.

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Robert Morse Edsel Personal site Robert M. Edsel is an American businessman and author who has written a number of non-fictional books, with some of his more popular ones being The Monuments Men and Saving Italy. He is also the founder and president of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, for which he was awarded the 2007 National Humanities Medal.

Bret Witter Personal site Bret Witter is a full-time professional writer who mostly specializes in contemporary nonfiction, more often than not working alongside a co-author whose experiences are drawn from to complete his works. His books have sold more than two million copies worldwide, with some of the more popular ones being The Monuments Men and Until Tuesday.