Robert Edsel

Author Event: Robert Edsel
Rescuing Davinci
February 26, 2007

The Eisenhower Institute hosted an event at the Army-Navy Club on February 26, 2007 featuring Robert Edsel, the author of Rescuing Da Vinci. Rescuing Da Vinci is the first comprehensive photographic journal of the amazing and largely "untold" story of Hitler and the Nazi theft of Europe's greatest art and America and her Allies' rescue and recovery of it. Edsel, the successful Texas oilman-turned modern day "Indiana Jones," gave a moving presentation on this harrowing tale, took questions from the audience, and signed copies of his book. CNN and C-SPAN were on hand to document the event, and C-SPAN aired the presentation as a part of its popular series Book Notes.

Edsel followed up his presentation in Washington, DC with a trip to the Institute's other site on the campus of Gettysburg College. Edsel met with student leaders and the Institute's Eisenhower Undergraduate Fellows in a luncheon discussion and gave an evening presentation to a packed crowd on the College's campus.

In Rescuing Da Vinci, Robert Edsel tells the story of the "Monuments Men," the 350 service men and women, who despite great peril and risk of life, served on frontline military units in World War II to ensure the preservation, protection, liberation and restitution of the world's greatest artistic and cultural treasures. This "band of unsung heroes" heroically rescued priceless masterpieces of Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Vermeer and others from the hands of Hitler and the Nazis.

The New York Times recently featured Edsel's work and Britain's The Times applauded Edsel for "almost single-handedly reviving interest" in this "landmark episode in the history of art." The United States Congress, which Edsel lobbied intensely for years, recently introduced a Congressional Resolution honoring the "Monuments Men" and their heroic efforts. In addition, Edsel has been approached by numerous Hollywood agentsabout the movie rights to his work.

The Wall Street Journal says, "One shudders with gratitude...for a book that reminds us of what is at stake when the enemies of civilization seize power." A "harrowing" and "valuable" work, Rescuing Da Vinci gives us an insight into one of history's greatest, yet untold, stories of World War II. For more information about Rescuing Da Vinci, see http://www.rescuingdavinci.com/.