The Venus fixers : the remarkable story of the allied soldiers who saved Italy's art during World War II by Brey, Ilaria Dagnini, 1955- instant download

The Venus fixers : the remarkable story of the allied soldiers who saved Italy's art during World War II by Brey, Ilaria Dagnini, 1955- instant download

308 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : 21 cm, Often working as shellfire exploded around them, the Monuments Officers of Italy shored up tottering palaces and cathedrals, safeguarded Michelangelos and Giottos, and even blocked a Nazi convoy of stolen paintings bound for Göring's birthday celebration. Sometimes they failed. But to an astonishing degree they succeeded, and their story is an unparalleled adventure with the gorgeous tints of a Botticelli as its backdrop. --from publisher description, Originally published in the United States by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, ©2009, Includes bibliographical references (pages 283-287) and index, Italian art goes to war -- Men must manoeuvre -- Sicilian prelude -- The birth of the Venus fixers -- The conflict of the present and the past -- Treasure hunt -- Florence divided -- A time to rend, a time to sew -- The duellists -- Epilogue: a necessary dream