Monuments Man: The Mission to Save Vermeers, Rembrandts, and Da Vincis from the Nazis' Grasp

by James J Rorimer, Louis Rorimer, Anne Rorimer

A classic now back in print and enriched with new imagery, James J. Rorimer’s riveting first-hand account takes readers on a treasure hunt as he follows the Allied troops across France and Germany to save Nazi-stolen masterpieces of art.

James J. Rorimer, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, became a leading figure in the art recovery unit known as the Monuments Men, an elite group imbedded in the US Army, who risked their lives during World War II to save Europe’s greatest artworks from Hitler’s grasp. In the film Monuments Men , Matt Damon’s character is based on Rorimer as he embarks on the world’s most dangerous real-life hunt for stolen artworks with the goal of locating, seizing, and returning the works to their original holders, including museums and private collectors.

This new edition of a book first published in 1950 includes the original illustrations from the first edition plus a wealth of new imagery and ephemera uncovered during extensive research, including WWII photo-graphs, many taken by Rorimer himself, that are accompanied by gorgeous reproductions of many of the Old Masters Rorimer helped save by artists such as Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Bruegel, Vermeer, Goya, Velazquez, and van Eyck. Maps created specially for this volume, and other facts about WWII history and geography, add new dimension to a remarkable story of courage, perseverance, and ultimately, triumph.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, History, European History

352 pages, Hardcover

Published May 17, 2022

Reviews

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monuments Man is the wartime memoir of James Rorimer, one of the "Monuments Men" made famous in the 21st century Hollywood movie (Rorimer was the inspiration for George Clooney's role). The story goes from stateside training to saving cathedrals in France, the salt mines where paintings were hidden away by the Nazis and finally to Berchtesgarden and the other castles of the highest Nazi leadership. The importance of the role that Rorimer and others played in preserving art treasures and returning them to their rightful owners is obvious in retrospect, but acted as sort of a parallel mission during World War II alongside and sometimes conflicting with the wider mission of actually winning the War.

Rorimer's children created this book by taking Rorimer's original memoirs, adding historical context and explanatory endnotes, and illustrating it with amazing photos of the places and events Rorimer describes. A book about art and historic architecture deserves and needs photos like this to be appreciated, and the illustrations are the best aspect of the book. The memoir itself is somewhat lacking. By its nature, it's one person recounting what happened at the time, lacks a larger theme or context because these were not known to the author at the time, and doesn't flow as a narrative. Aside from re-writing it in a more engaging way, it's hard to see how this could be avoided, and the mediocre movie about the Monuments Men illustrates the difficulty of presenting this important story.

[Antonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been interested on the theme of Art Preservation during war times. Cathedrals and other monuments that took centuries to build can be destroyed in a day, and museums holding thousands or art works can have the same fate.
Nazi Germany destroyed many works of art that they deemed opposite to their ideals. Others were steeled or looted from private residences and invaded countries museums to create their own collection.
During WW II many of those were hidden in mines, castles, etc.
A great quantity were recovered by the Allied Forces, but others were smuggled out of Europe.
The work of the special Army unit to preserve monuments, art, and antiquities was crucial to save Europe's cultural patrimony.
The author, one of the Monuments Man, writes a comprehensive account of the efforts of this special unit to protect and recover as much as possible of European art. He describes their triumphs and failures.
Great book, and a fascinating story. Unfortunately countless works of art were destroyed or lost forever.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of this year !
So interesting and MUCH BETTER than the Hollywood movie...
This book will take your on a trip across Europe, during WWII, with James Rorimer and his comrades trying to find the art looted by the nazis.
Wonderful bibliography too.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The movie, as usual, did not do this effort justice. A book, rich in detail, of the painstaking effort to recover treasured works of European art taken and hidden, some in the most unsavory places, by the Nazis during World War II. The enormity of Hitler's effort and the unusual places where they were stored is difficult to fathom. It is only through the dedicated effort of these men and the leadership support of General Eisenhower that so much was recovered, or in the case of buildings such as the Chartes Cathedral, salvaged so that we can enjoy this art today. There is art still missing, such as the original Amber Room at Catherine's Palace in St. Petersburg, but some of the most iconic and valuable art was recovered..

[Judith Cenkus · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book in over a year! Don't confuse this excellent book with the lame movie "Monuments Men"
The author Rorimer wrote this first hand account as he was traveling across Europe trying to locate and secure art treasures hidden by the Nazi. (He arrived in France shortly after D-Day.) To me it was mind-bogging how much art was looted by the Germans and how it was hidden in so, so many places.

You don't have to be an art aficionado to appreciate the efforts of people like Rorimer. Just putting together the puzzle pieces of looters, art dealers, infantry, Germans, Americans, Russians, art collectors, churches, rich families... it is worth reading!!

[Gary Evins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reporting and very comprehensive. Well documented with photos.

[Michael Golightly · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting writing of a tough period of history.