The greatest treasure hunt in history The story of the Monuments Men

*Starred Review* While Adolf Hitler and his Nazi officers were organizing the genocide of Jews, they also orchestrated the looting of millions of pieces of art and culturally significant items from museums, churches, and private collections throughout Europe. Although dubbed the Monuments Men, about 350 men and women from 14 nations volunteered in the Allied armies' Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program from 1943 to 1951 to help preserve a shared cultural heritage. In this young readers edition of The Monuments Men (2009), Edsel focuses on 10 Monuments Men and Rose Valland, an art historian and member of the French Resistance. With precise details, incredible adventure, and mounting intensity, the author describes the responsibilities of these artists, architects, curators, and historians. Arriving in damaged cities, they tried to salvage important documents, art, and buildings. Their biggest role, however, was as art detectives endeavoring to locate the Nazi's stash of hidden treasure, while racing against time. Although they didn't serve on the front lines, booby traps, snipers, and other dangers made their mission risky and even deadly. Complemented by rarely seen images of WWII, these amazing stories from history not only depict true heroes but also encourage readers to question the value of art throughout humanity and civilization. Monumental, indeed.--Angela Leeper Copyright 2018 Booklist

Gr 7 Up-In this adaptation for young readers, the author details how 11 dedicated Allied military men and one civilian French woman fought to rescue and preserve many of the world's most valuable works of art during World War II. These items had been systematically stolen from German, French, and Italian museums and prominent Jewish families under the direction of Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goring, and their henchmen. The text begins with a photo-biography of the cast of characters, both Allied and Axis. Edsel recounts the organized looting, often times describing and naming the works of art that were being stolen or being sought. Following tips from various sources, the Monuments Men, as they were known, were able to locate, even while the war raged, many of the clandestine depositories-damaged churches, warehouses, caves, or mines. Profusely illustrated with black-and-white photos of the heroes, villains, and many of the art objects, the narrative flows smoothly, if not always compellingly. Students with knowledge of the Second World War will find this title intriguing. VERDICT A first purchase to bolster existing World War II collections or for students with an interest in art history.-Eldon Younce, -Anthony Public Library, KS © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This scholarly book (based primarily on Edsel's adult volume The Monuments Men) tells of the men (and one woman) who risked their lives on the front lines of WWII to preserve priceless art and buildings from destruction and looting. Despite being packed with photos and reproductions, the complex and specific subject matter, along with the dense prose, make this young-readers volume feel very adult. Bib., glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

During World War II, a team of so-called 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.The tale is focused on a small, although representative, number of the approximately 350 men (and women) who served up until 1951, locating hoards of some of the world's best loved and most culturally significant art, much of it stashed in damp tunnels scattered across Germany. Edsel's backstories of the 10 Monuments Men covered in the tale help breathe life into these scholarlyand highly drivenmen. 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 were often in peril. Based primarily upon his adult work The Monuments Men (2009) along with two others on the same subject (Rescuing Da Vinci, 2006; Saving Italy, 2013), Edsel's effort for younger readers is still lengthy. Numerous well-placed photographs (many more than in the adult version) are included and appear on most pages. Although the book is richly engaging and highly informative, its audience may be limited to those readers who already have some awareness of the extent of Nazi thievery and the nearly inconceivable danger the art was placed in. Figures profiled all seem to be white. Excellent backmatter is included.A high-interest work on an important topic. (Nonfiction. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Second Lieutenant -- and former museum curator -- Jim Rorimer knew practically every inch of the Louvre, one of the largest and most frequently visited art museums in the world. The paintings and sculpture that covered the walls and filled its rooms were as recognizable to him as his oldest friends. But that was a different time. War had a way of making familiar ground feel unfamiliar. An unsettling silence had replaced the hustle and bustle of tourists. As Rorimer ascended the grand entry stairwell, he was shocked by the absence of one of the Louvre's signature pieces, a work that for decades had towered over all who climbed the steps: The Winged Victory of Samothrace , a second-century BCE Greek sculpture. At the top of the staircase he turned right, then right again into the main gallery. The paintings were also gone. In their place, someone had handwritten in chalk the names of artists and inventory numbers of their work. The Louvre was empty: no visitors, no works of art, just a lone Monuments Man armed with dozens of questions, striding with purpose -- Rorimer always walked with purpose -- down the Grande Galerie of the museum on his way to an appointment. Excerpted from The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History: The Story of the Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.