As Hitler was attempting to conquer the countries of Europe, and Russia, his armies were methodically pillaging the finest cultural treasures in Europe, from sculptures by Michelangelo to paintings by Da Vinci, Van Eyck, and Vermeer, all stolen for the museum Adolf Hitler intended on building-the world's greatest museum-the Führer museum. While the Monuments Men had a mandate from President Roosevelt and the support of General Eisenhower, they had no vehicles, gasoline, typewriters, food supplies, or command authority. In a race against time, each man built his own treasure map from scraps and hints. These unlikely heroes, mostly middle-aged family men with accomplished careers who had everything to lose, volunteered for service and like other members of the Greatest Generation, embodied the heroic spirit that enabled the best of humanity to defeat the worst.

Robert Edsel, a former resident of Florence, wondered how all of its monuments and art treasures survived the devastation of World War II. He devoted himself to finding the answer. In the process, he commissioned major research that has resulted in this book. Robert also co-produced the related documentary film, The Rape of Europa, and co-wrote Rescuing Da Vinci, a photographic history of an art heist of epic proportions and the Allied rescue effort. He lives in Dallas.