Robert M. Edsel was born in Oak Park, Illinois, and began his business career in oil and gas exploration with his company, Gemini Exploration.
By 1995, Gemini Exploration became the second most active driller of horizontal well in the United States.
He sold the company’s assets and moved to Europe with his family where he developed a great passion for art and architecture, while becoming curious as to how these monuments survived World War II. Robert Edsel dedicated more than 12 years in researching the Monuments Men and published his first book, “Rescuing Da Vinci,” while co-producing the documentary film, “The Rape of Europa.” The film was shown all over the world and received two Emmy nominations.
Robert Edsel created Greatest Theft in History educational program, which gives film, lesson plans and other resources that can be used in classrooms.
In 2009, he published “Beyond the Dreams of Avarice: The Hermann Goering Collection” by Nancy Yeide and published his second book, “The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History.” His third novel, “Saving Italy: the Race to Rescue a Nation’s Treasures from the Nazis,” was published in 2013 and a film version of “The Monuments Men” debuted in 2014.
Aside from this, Robert Edsel is the Founder and Chairman of the Board for the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, which was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2007.
Bibliography:
“The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History”
“Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation’s Treasures from the Nazis”
“Rescuing Da Vinci: Hitler and the Nazis Stole Europe’s Great Art – America and Her Allies Recovered It”
“Monuments Men. A La Recherche Du Plus Grand Tresor Nazi” (French Edition)
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