The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History

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Now a major film starring GEORGE CLOONEY, MATT DAMON, CATE BLANCHETT, BILL MURRAY, JOHN GOODMAN, HUGH BONNEVILLE, BOB BALABAN, JEAN DUJARDIN and DIMITRI LEONIDAS. What if I told you that there was an epic story about World War II that has not been told, involving the most unlikely group of heroes? Now a major film starring GEORGE CLOONEY, MATT DAMON, CATE BLANCHETT, BILL MURRAY, JOHN GOODMAN, HUGH BONNEVILLE, BOB BALABAN, JEAN DUJARDIN and DIMITRI LEONIDAS. What if I told you that there was an epic story about World War II that has not been told, involving the most unlikely group of heroes? What if I told you there was a group of men on the front lines who didn't carry machine guns or drive tanks; a new kind of soldier, one charged with saving, not destroying. From caves to castles in a thrilling race against time, these men risked their lives daily to save hundreds of thousands of the world's greatest works of art. THEY were the Monuments Men, and THIS is their extraordinary true story. 'Remarkable' Washington Post 'Engaging, inspiring' Publishers Weekly

Robert M. Edsel is the author of the non-fiction books, Rescuing Da Vinci and The Monuments Men- Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, and the new book Saving Italy- The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis, which tells the dramatic story of the Monuments Men in Italy during the Allied invasion of World War II. Mr. Edsel is also the co-producer of the award-winning documentary film, The Rape of Europa. In addition, he is the Founder and President of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, a not-for-profit entity which received the National Humanities Medal, the highest honor given in the United States for work in the humanities field. Mr. Edsel has been awarded the "Texas Medal of Arts" Award; the "President's Call to Service" Award; and the "Hope for Humanity" Award, presented by the Dallas Holocaust Museum. He also serves as a Trustee at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Academy Award winner George Clooney will direct and star in a film based on Mr. Edsel's book, The Monuments Men, which is set for theatrical release in December 2013.

After World War Two I served as a British member of the 'Monuments' section in Germany. Our task, I believe, was truly important - we were restoring to Europe evidence of its own civilization, which the War seemed virtually to have destroyed - and I was lucky to have had a chance to participate. It is excellent that Mr Edsel has now recorded this remarkable episode, and I am grateful to him for devoting so much energy to telling the stories of those involved -- Anne Olivier Bell In the great storytelling tradition of my longtime friend, Stephen Ambrose, Monuments Men is a marvelous addition to the many great books on World War II and is a reminder that we fought to save western civilization as well as our freedom. Robert Edsel's brilliant work tells the story of how a small unit of American soldiers raced across the front lines in Europe to rescue the art treasures of western culture that had been stolen by the Nazis. Edsel's book is a thriller, in the style of Indiana Jones, but in this case it's all fact and great history. I read the book from cover to cover - couldn't put it down! * Dr. Gordon 'Nick' Mueller, CEO/President and co-founder of the National World War II Museum * Highly Readable . . . a remarkable history * Washington Post * Engaging and inspiring * Publishers Weekly *