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

During World War II, as Adolf Hitler's armies advanced across Europe, they systematically sought and collected the continent's finest art treasures. Hitler catalogued artworks he intended to acquire and those he planned to destroy, which he labeled "degenerate" works. In response, a special force of American and British museum directors, curators, art historians, and others—known as the Monuments Men—worked behind enemy lines to prevent the destruction of thousands of years of cultural heritage. Often unarmed and operating in dangerous conditions, they raced against time to rescue invaluable artworks. This account focuses on the eleven-month period between D-Day and V-E Day, following six Monuments Men and their mission to protect Europe's art from Nazi destruction.