Monday, February 7, 2011

Two Readers...

...Have now recommended I read Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption. You may recall Hillenbrand is the best selling author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend.  Have you read either of these books?

Unbroken will be a great follow up to what I'm currently reading, Monuments Men.  A story about a group of allied soldiers who were tasked with locating, rescuing and protecting the fine arts and sculptures stolen by the Germans.  Hitler dreamt of housing these fine works in a place he intended to build called, Fuhrermuseum, in Linz, Austria.  Robert Edsel's story is a great compliment to his coffee table book, Rescuing Da Vinci  - Hitler and the Nazis Stole Europe's Great Art, America and Her Allies Recovered It.

Hitler on Van Gogh's masterpiece, The Sower - - "Anyone who sees and paints a sky green and pastures blue ought to be sterilized."  Hermann Goring, "I intend to Plunder, and to do it Thoroughly."  To keep it out of the hands of Hitler and his monsters, the Mona Lisa was moved from the Louvre, six times beginning in Sept. 1939 until returning to Paris on June 16, 1945.

Thankfully, none of Hitler's dreams came true.
What I've read thus far of Monuments Men as well as what I've seen out of Rescuing Da Vinci, both are  highly recommended.

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