Book Log 2010 #48: The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel

Recent news about a cache of sculptures unearthed in Berlin decades after the Nazis seized them for being "degenerate" is a reminder that, on top of all their other, more obvious crimes, the Nazis also stole a staggering amount of art, ranging from the official state organ that relocated works from all over Europe to the individual greed of high ranking party members (most notably Hermann Goering).

This book recounts how a handful of US and British soldiers were charged with the protection and recovery of Europe's cultural treasures. Getting little to no logistical support, these men put in long hours over the months and years of their service to protect what was still in place and find that which the Nazis had moved back into Germany (or former German territory).

The book focuses on France and Germany, leaving Italy for a future book. That's probably for the best, given the number of people involved and the scope of art that went missing during the war. The book follows a couple of major pieces specially, tying the hunt for them into the larger story of the Monument Men. This includes a healthy dose of biography and letters to loved ones at home, giving the Men greater depth and underscoring that they had a personal stake in the success of their mission, given that all of them were art or design professionals in their civilian lives.

The book does touch on works that are still missing, but generally in passing and in the context of what was recovered. I would have found a little more discussion on the missing pieces interesting.

Still, it's a very interesting book about a facet of World War II that isn't that well known (at least in the details), and it reads pretty smoothly, not getting bogged down in too much military or artistic detail. I'm looking forward to the companion piece on Italy.