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A review by kateteaching7and8
The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History: The Story of the Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel
3.0
@kidlitexchange #partner
Thank you to @scholasticinc and Robert M. Edsel for sharing an advance copy of The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History: The Story of the Monuments Men with the #kidlitexchange network. This book was released January 1, 2019 and is currently available for purchase. All opinions are my own.
WWII was the most destructive war the world had ever seen and thousands of pieces of artwork with cultural importance were in harm's way. This book follows a special unit called the Monuments Men who were tasked with saving and protecting as many of these cultural objects as possible. The book recounts the stories of eleven men and one woman who risked their lives during WWII to save libraries, museums, churches, monuments, and works of art that for centuries have defined Western heritage and culture.
This is an incredibly interesting topic and this story needs to be told. I don't know a lot about art, but I've heard of several of the major works of art mentioned in the book and I enjoyed the photos that were included. I enjoyed learning about the huge impact that eleven men and one woman made during the war. I had previously heard of Monument Men, but I had no idea that there were so few of them or what their actual jobs entailed.
I love history, specifically WWII, and I found the concept of this book highly intriguing. That being said, I struggled with this book. While the concept is cool, it's the organization of the book and the voice that didn't work for me. The book jumps around to different Monument Men in different areas of Europe and I often found myself getting lost. The book is written in a very straightforward almost textbook like manner. Though this book is targeted at middle grades I believe it's interest level and the way it is written are more appropriate for high school and young adult readers. If I struggled with getting through the book (when I enjoy history and minored in it in college), I feel that many middle school students will also struggle with it. I think that someone who truly loves history and isn't looking for a narrative nonfiction piece will really enjoy this book. I just believe that the target audience is a little low.
Thank you to @scholasticinc and Robert M. Edsel for sharing an advance copy of The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History: The Story of the Monuments Men with the #kidlitexchange network. This book was released January 1, 2019 and is currently available for purchase. All opinions are my own.
WWII was the most destructive war the world had ever seen and thousands of pieces of artwork with cultural importance were in harm's way. This book follows a special unit called the Monuments Men who were tasked with saving and protecting as many of these cultural objects as possible. The book recounts the stories of eleven men and one woman who risked their lives during WWII to save libraries, museums, churches, monuments, and works of art that for centuries have defined Western heritage and culture.
This is an incredibly interesting topic and this story needs to be told. I don't know a lot about art, but I've heard of several of the major works of art mentioned in the book and I enjoyed the photos that were included. I enjoyed learning about the huge impact that eleven men and one woman made during the war. I had previously heard of Monument Men, but I had no idea that there were so few of them or what their actual jobs entailed.
I love history, specifically WWII, and I found the concept of this book highly intriguing. That being said, I struggled with this book. While the concept is cool, it's the organization of the book and the voice that didn't work for me. The book jumps around to different Monument Men in different areas of Europe and I often found myself getting lost. The book is written in a very straightforward almost textbook like manner. Though this book is targeted at middle grades I believe it's interest level and the way it is written are more appropriate for high school and young adult readers. If I struggled with getting through the book (when I enjoy history and minored in it in college), I feel that many middle school students will also struggle with it. I think that someone who truly loves history and isn't looking for a narrative nonfiction piece will really enjoy this book. I just believe that the target audience is a little low.