The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel, is the story of brave Allied soldiers who left comfortable jobs in the private sector - as artists, art historians, museum curators, and architects - in order to save the cultural treasures of western civilization. Many of these masterpieces of art and architecture were located within the many towns that were the battlefields of World War II in Europe. Others had been stolen by the Nazis, with official orders to move them in order to preserve them, when in reality many were bound for the private collections of high-ranking Nazi officials.
The author does a fantastic job of bringing the characters of The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History off the page and into the reader's imagination. Though the story is many years in the past, the author brings the personas to the reader to meet in the present. This ability to provide life to historical figures likely stems from the fact that he interviewed and became friends with several of the men whose service is chronicled in this book.
Though the The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History is intended for a younger audience than Edsel's previous book, The Monuments Men, which was made into a movie, the topic is one that is relevant and largely unexplored by other authors, and the Monuments Men themselves provide a positive example of how good people can make a difference in the midst of a bad situation. These things all make it a good read for its intended audience and for all readers.
-Guest Contributor, John Whitlock