Author: Robert Edsel

The Monuments Men ostensibly tells the story of “the greatest art heist in history,” and while that is true, to my mind the brave men and women who worked for the MFAA (Monuments Fine Arts and Archives). It was their job, amidst the chaos and destruction of WWII, to conserve, protect, and track down mankind’s greatest humanistic accomplishments. It’s very easy to destroy, but not so easy to protect and conserve. With the help of the armed forces, these men and women ensured that the legacy of the great individuals who came before them would be preserved.

What struck me most as I read were the lengths that these folks were willing to go to in order to achieve their objective. They put their lives on the line without a second thought, and some of them made the ultimate sacrifice.

With a combination of historical records, photographs, personal letters, and stories from the Monuments Men themselves, Edsel tells a story that we should all know. And yet, so few of us do. It wasn’t until I read this book that I learned any of this. Our school lessons were sadly lacking in this respect.

And Rose Valland should be as much of a French national hero as Joan of Arc. She never really got the credit she deserved while she was living, which was a shame. Rose Valland is the reason that many of these works were found at all.

Sadly, many are still missing. And, as Mr. Edsel says, all because one man thought certain people to be lesser than he was. Hitler’s actions in that era have ramifications even to this day. What makes him a monster is that he was the sort of man who was capable of ordering the deaths of millions of people, and yet proclaimed a vociferous love of art. To my mind, he hoarding these things because he was a greedy, small man looking to achieve the wealth and status he so craved.

When the Monuments Men at last reached the salt mine at Altaussee, and Neuschwanstein Castle, I wanted to cheer. All of the art work might not have been recovered, but what an accomplishment. These people fought to preserve the best of humanity, and we should honor them always.

Even today, the work continues for the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art. Right now, cultural treasures are being looted, lost and destroyed in the Middle East, and not much is being done to recover these items or stop the damages. There are many stories from Syria and Iraq, and it is believed that the Islamic State is also guilty of cultural crimes, in addition to their already thuggish barbarism.

My point being, read this book, and then understand something:

There is work yet to be done. The mission continues, and we are all involved because if we lose the best of ourselves in the chaos, then, to quote Winston Churchill:

What are we fighting for?