The Monuments Men By Robert M. Edsel And Bret Witter

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History is a non-fiction book written by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter which got translated in nineteen languages and later got filmed by Georg Clooney, who also played one of the main characters. Robert M. Edsel already (co-) published several other works about the preservation, protection and restitution of the world's greatest artistic and cultural treasures.
The book deals with the work of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section (MFAA) under the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections of the Allied armies. The Department was established in 1943 and in 1951 consisted of around 400 service members and civilians, from thirteen different nations. The number of Monuments Men rose from a dozen after the D-Day to around sixty in whole Europe, what is a very small number compared to the number of soldiers fighting in the war on the side of the allies. Mainly they were not prior soldiers before the war but art experts, culture scientist, architects or historians, which were working at Universities or the cultural institutions such as museums. They registered voluntary to save Europe from the cultural destruction from both sides, the nazis and allies. It was the first time in history that an army attempted to fight a war and at the same time reduce damage to cultural monuments and property. The MFAA got supported from General Dwight D.
They tried to stay by the documented facts and events, which they reconstructed by letters which the MM sent their families, field diaries and war reports. Additionally they not only tried to portray the facts but also the characters and their personalities. To analyze the historical accuracy, the focus will be on two aspects of the book; first, the military course and second, the work of the Monuments