Rescuing Da Vinci: Hitler and the Nazis Stole Europe's Great Art - America and Her Allies Recovered It - Rilegato

Robert M. Edsel

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0977433498 ISBN 13: 9780977433490

Casa editrice: Laurel Publishing, LLC, 2009

Riassunto

During and following WWII, a special multinational group of more than 350 men and women, mostly American and British, served behind enemy lines and joined frontline military units to ensure the preservation, protection, liberation and restitution of the world's greatest artistic and cultural treasures. This band of unsung heroes; formally referred to as the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFAA) section, or commonly referred to as the Monuments Men, worked tirelessly to track down, identify and catalogue millions of priceless works of art and irreplaceable cultural artifacts, including masterpieces by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Vermeer, that had been stolen by Hitler and the Nazis. Rescuing Da Vinci, is an exhaustively researched historical account written by Robert M. Edsel, author of The Monuments Men. The book features nearly 500 photos documenting the Nazi theft of tens of thousands of artworks from European museums and private collections, as well as photos of the heroes who rescued these treasures, and images of the most famous and beloved artwork in the world photographed in ways never seen before, including Da Vinci s Mona Lisa, hidden in an ambulance for safe keeping, and Michelangelo s David, entombed in brick because it was too large to move to safety. The detailed documentation, inventories and photographs developed and catalogued by the Monuments Men during and following World War II, have made possible, and continue to make possible, the restitution of stolen artworks of to rightful owners and their descendents.

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Recensione:

Mr. Edsel has collected hundreds of photographs documenting the extent of the Nazis' looting and the Allies' efforts to protect or rescue art treasures. We see Goering's private museum of stolen masterpieces, American soldiers recovering Leonardo's Lady With an Ermine and Rembrandt's rolled-up Night Watch being transported across Holland to safety. Particularly memorable is a photograph of the massive Winged Victory sculpture in the Louvre being lowered down the museum steps with ropes and pulleys before to its evacuation in advance of the Nazi invasion. One shudders with gratitude -- for the fact that the piece survived the war and for a book that reminds us of what is at stake when the enemies of civilization seize power. --The Wall Street Journal

Rescuing Da Vinci by Robert M. Edsel...is a crime story, writ so large it covers a continent. It gathers together, for the first time, nearly 500 photos documenting the Nazi theft of tens of thousands of artworks from European museums and private collections. And it details the immense, painstaking, though little-recognized, efforts of Allied armies to recover and return these precious items. --The Chicago Tribune

Mr. Edsel has collected hundreds of photographs documenting the extent of the Nazis' looting and the Allies' efforts to protect or rescue art treasures. We see Goering's private museum of stolen masterpieces, American soldiers recovering Leonardo's "Lady With an Ermine" and Rembrandt's rolled-up "Night Watch" being transported across Holland to safety. Particularly memorable is a photograph of the massive "Winged Victory" sculpture in the Louvre being lowered down the museum steps with ropes and pulleys before to its evacuation in advance of the Nazi invasion. One shudders with gratitude -- for the fact that the piece survived the war and for a book that reminds us of what is at stake when the enemies of civilization seize power. --The Wall Street Journal

L'autore:

Robert M. Edsel is the author of the non-fiction books, Rescuing Da Vinci and Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. He is the co-producer of the documentary film, The Rape of Europa, and Founder and President of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art. Robert Edsel began his career in the oil and gas exploration business. In 1995, Robert Edsel sold his company, and shortly after, he moved to Europe with his family. While in Florence, he developed a great passion for art and architecture and became curious as to how so many of the monuments and great works of art survived the thefts and devastation of World War II. What began as a question evolved into an impassioned journey to recognize and honor the legacy of the Monuments Men, the unsung heroes who saved the world s greatest art and cultural treasures for the benefit of civilization. Mr. Edsel has dedicated the last eight years of his life to painstaking and far-reaching research about the Monuments Men, which first culminated in the publishing of his first book Rescuing Da Vinci, a detailed historical account which includes 460 photographs. Mr. Edsel is also the co-producer of the documentary film, The Rape of Europa, based on the award winning book of the same name by scholar Lynn Nicholas. The documentary, narrated by Joan Allen, was filmed in seven countries. In addition, Mr. Edsel has created The Greatest Theft in History educational program, available online at greatesttheft.com, which includes the two-hour documentary film and seven hours of additional clips, as well as a companion website featuring lesson plans, glossaries, timelines and other resources which allows teachers to easily utilize this material for classroom use. Mr. Edsel s second book, Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, published by Random House, is a narrative telling of the story of the Monuments Men and is now available. Mr. Edsel is also the Founder and President of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, a not-for-profit entity. The Foundation was one of ten recipients of the 2007 National Humanities Medal, an honor which was presented during a White House ceremony. The National Humanities Medal is the highest honor given in the United States for excellence in the Humanities field.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Laurel Publishing, LLC
• Data di pubblicazione: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0977433498
• ISBN 13: 9780977433490
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 302