SAVING ITALY, by Robert M. Edsel

Non fiction, I think, should teach you something. But it also has to be a good read. You'll get both with this marvelous book, the perfect gift for the World War II enthusiast, the arts major, the lover of art, or the reader who just wants a cracking good true story. Highlighting the Monuments Men, Allied soldiers who in civilian life mostly were art teachers or art scholars, and were sent to the front to oversee protection and rescue of priceless art works. Art-rich Italy was their first theater, and the tale is at time hair-raising. The author not only tells of the magnificent work done by these dedicated men, but gives the war and personality background of the major players, including the players in the Nazi art-theft machine. Truly a book that you can't put down. It's a 5+. In the same vein by the same author: Saving DaVinci.
www.monumentsmen.com