Robert Edsel's Blog

Today, The Monuments Men Year-End Newsletter for 2009 was released to the general public. Inside this newsletter, you can read about the various creative content we have produce, our ongoing engagement with the public through the media to bring much need attention to the Monuments Men, the various honors bestowed upon the Monuments Men Foundation, and all the incredible memories bringing this story to life.  Many thanks to all that have worked on this project through the years.

Please take a minute to read the The Monuments Men Year-End Newsletter.

If you would like to sign up for future newsletters, please click here (fill out form on the right side to submit).

Courtesy of MSNBC and the Morning Joe" Show

This morning I appeared as a guest on the “Morning Joe” show, hosted by Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski (whose mother was an artist!), and Willie Geist, to discuss my new book, The Monuments Men.  Seated beside me was one of the great historians of our time, and a personal heroine of mine, Doris Kearns Goodwin!  Time passes very quickly on live national television so I had to speak very rapidly….and what a great experience it was!

When I commented that one of the exciting experiences for me in writing The Monuments Men was to provide a character—Rose Valland, the greatest heroine of the war in my opinion—that women can now relate to as a path to develop an interest in World War ll, Doris Kearns Goodwin swung her arms in jubulation and cheered ‘A Woman!’. For all she knows about World War ll and history in general, she commented to me how amazing it was that the story of the Monuments Men was one that was long overdue being told.

One of the most meaningful experiences of researching and writing about living history is having the chance to share it with someone else who knows the process.  When Doris Kearns Goodwin immediately commented to me that writing the story of  these great unknown heroes of World War ll must have been deeply moving for them and their families, it spoke volumes about her years of experience listening to people.

One final comment:  Doris Kearns Goodwin closed the program by saying “It’s just a reminder that Hitler really was the greatest threat to western civilization I think it’s ever experienced, and I mean not only killing all the people, not only all the treasures, but civilization and these symbols of it that would have been gone because of this one person and that terrible ideology.” And that in my view validates just how big the story of The Monuments Men truly is.

I am so appreciative that Joe, Mika and Willie invited me on their show and provided me with this wonderful opportunity to share these heroes’ story.

If you’d like to view the clip, you can visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/vp/33411966#33411966.

Tomorrow morning, I will appear live on “Morning Joe” with Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, and Willie Geist on MSNBC at 8:45am EST. This is an incredible opportunity for us to publicize the story of the Monuments Men and their incredible achievements before, during and after World War II. Please invite your family and friends to tune in. Click the link for more information about the show and to find out what channel it airs on in your area. http://www.morningjoe.com.

The upcoming week is filled with media appearances that highlight The Monuments Men. Please feel free to click the links to find out where and when these programs will air in your area.

Television

C-SPAN BOOK TV (http://www.booktv.org/monumentsmen)

• Saturday, October 17th at 4:45pm (ET)
• Sunday, October 18th at 7:00am (ET)

CBS Up to the Minute (http://www.cbsnews.com)

• Taping Tuesday, October 20

MSNBC – Morning Joe with Joe Scarborough (http://www.morningjoe.com)

• Wednesday, October 21 at 8:45am (ET) – Broadcast Live

Radio

Travel with Rick Steves (NPR)

• Saturday, October 17 – Broadcast to over 120 radio stations nationwide.  Please check this link for times and affiliates near you. (http://www.ricksteves.com/radio/whereitairs.htm)

Newspaper

I was also interviewed for an article about Vermeer’s The Astronomer, currently of view at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Minneapolis Star Tribune

• October 16, 2009 – Robert interviewed about the Monuments Men’s rescue of Vermeer’s The Astronomer during WWII. Article running in conjunction with a new exhibit in Minneapolis. Click o read the article (http://www.startribune.com.html)