The Dungeon Book by Gareth Hanrahan, 352 pages

 Bait doesn't remember a time before the dungeon. Before the dragon stole her from her cot. She doesn't know what her name was before she was handed over to the monstrous denizens of the dungeon beneath the sorcerer's tower. Luckily for Bait, they decided not to eat her. And so, she grew up in the dark - the goblins her adopted family, a vengeful minotaur her protector, a sentient skull her tutor and a faithful blob of corridor slime her main source of nutrition.

But the labyrinthine dungeon, with its haunted halls, buried temples and forgotten magics, draws treasure hunters like moths to flame. And as the outside world starts to intrude, Bait will learn what it means to be monstrous, and she will have to decide where she truly belongs.

Adversary to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, 352 pages

 HR Update: The position of “adversary to the villain” has been filled. Evie Sage does not recall applying.

Evie has always tried to be helpful, loyal, and only mildly involved in treason. But with a dangerous prophecy threatening the very magic of Rennedawn—not to mention the race to claim its necessary artifacts before King Benedict does—things are starting to feel…less like a career path and more like a serious problem.

The prophecy won’t stop pointing in Evie’s direction. The Villain’s magic keeps choosing her. And honestly, if you’re going to be accused of evil anyway, you might as well commit.

Unfortunately, the more Evie leans into her alleged villain era, the more her boss starts acting like the hero of a completely different story. Trystan is getting closer—closer than is wise, advisable, or even remotely professional—and looking at her like she’s already chosen a side. His.

Which is deeply inconvenient, because if Evie can’t save the kingdom’s magic, she might just become its greatest threat.

Cursed Princess Club #2 by LambCat, 352 pages

 Just because you’re cursed doesn’t mean you’re not special.

Gwendolyn, the youngest of the King’s three daughters, is living proof that princesses don’t always have it all. She isn’t like a typical fairy-tale princess, or other princesses in the Pastel Kingdom. Gwendolyn, with her big heart and love of baking, isn’t particularly attractive. Unlike her sisters who have woodland creatures do their hair and makeup, or have flowers blossom wherever they sleep, Gwendolyn is a bit…different. So when her father proposes marriage for her and her sisters to make an alliance with the Plaid Kingdom, it breaks Gwendolyn’s heart to hear that Prince Frederick thinks she’s “really ugly.” Overwhelmed and ashamed, she runs away into the forest and encounters the twisted world of the Cursed Princess Club, where her life will never be the same.

The Cursed Princess Club are a ragtag band of outcasts, misfits and cursed princesses who have created an incredible friendship circle. It is among these friends where Gwendolyn learns to embrace her uniqueness and find her people.

In this second book of the series, we learn low self esteem isn’t just for girls! Meet the Princels―princes who have shunned society not because of curses (although one has to wonder…) but because of their own insecurities about their physical appearance and their inability to find romantic partners. And then we have Prince Frederick, who starts to worry if he even deserves Gwen. Plus, you too can learn to be as pretty as a Cursed Princess!

Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers by Emma Smith, 352 pages

 Stephen King once said that books are “a uniquely portable magic.” Here, Emma Smith takes readers on a literary adventure that spans centuries and circles the globe to uncover the reasons behind our obsession with this captivating object.

From disrupting the Western myth that the Gutenberg Press was the original printing project, to the decorative gift books that radicalized women to join the anti-slavery movement, to paperbacks being weaponized during World War II, to a book made entirely of plastic-wrapped slices of American cheese, Portable Magic explores how, when, and why books became so iconic. It’s not just the content within a book that compels; it’s the physical material itself, what Smith calls “bookhood”: the smell, the feel of the pages, the margins to scribble in, the illustrations on the jacket, its solid heft. Every book is designed to influence our reading experience—to enchant, enrage, delight, and disturb us—and our longstanding love affair with books in turn has had direct, momentous consequences across time.

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman, 353 pages

 An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing.

As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home.

With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die?

Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter, 352 pages

 Orphaned and maimed, Freckles' bitterness about his fate is lessened when he is hired to guard a stretch of lumber in the wild Limberlost, and, after meeting the beautiful Swamp Angel, he determines to find out about his past.

The Sun Won't Come Out Tomorrow: The Dark History of American Orphanhood by Kristen Martin, 352 pages

 The orphan story has been: Step One: While a child is still too young to form distinct memories of them, their parents die in an untimely fashion. Step Two: Orphan acquires caretakers who amplify the world’s cruelty. Step Three: Orphan escapes and goes on an adventure, encountering the world’s vast possibilities.  

The Sun Won't Come Out Tomorrow upends this. Pairing powerful critiques of popular orphan narratives, from Annie to the Boxcar Children to Party of Five,  journalist Kristen Martin explores the real history of orphan-hood in the United States, from the 1800s to the present. Martin reveals the religious charity and mission that was the core of the first orphanages (one that soon changed to profit), the orphan trains that took parentless children out West (often without a choice), and  the inherent racism that still underlies the United States' approach to child welfare. 

Through a combination of in-depth archival research, memoir (Martin herself lost both her parents when she was quite young), and cultural analysis, The Sun Won't Come out Tomorrow is a compellingly-argued, compassionate book that forces us to reconsider autonomy, family, and community. Kristen Martin delivers a searing indictment of America's consistent inability to care for those who most need it.

Return Billionaire to Sender by Annika Martin, 352 pages

 I may be a shy, lowly letter carrier, but when my beloved apartment building is threatened by a mysterious and reclusive billionaire, I’m willing to push the envelope. I’m going to march right up to Malcolm Blackberg’s fortress of fierceness and deliver a cease-and-desist notice he can’t refuse.

Except as soon as I get inside his gilded doors, things go sideways—I’m mistaken for Malcolm’s court-ordered emotional IQ coach, as if I’m acting out a wacky postal carrier cosplay.

They drag me in, a sacrificial lamb for the big bad. Make that big, smolderingly sexy bad.

So I make up a lesson involving a story about our building. He doesn’t seem happy. Can he tell that I have no idea what I'm doing?

Before I know it I’m flying around the country, up close and personality testing the most devilishly exasperating man I’ve ever met.

He’s scary for sure…but the way he sometimes looks at me turns my knees to jelly, and has me writing love letters to his gorgeous eyes, his mouthwatering smile, his impressive…package.

Our coaching sessions are getting hot-hot-hot, but I can’t let my guard down. If he ever finds out I’m a first-class fake, I’ll lose everything I’ve ever loved in this world!

An Army Doctor's Wife on the Frontier: The Letters of Emily McCorkle FitzGerald from Alaska and the Far West, 1874-78, 352 pages

 Emily FitzGerald was one of the first white women to live in Alaska, less than a decade after the U.S. purchased it from Russia. In 1874 she accompanied her husband to Sitka, where he was surgeon at an army post. These letters to her mother in Philadelphia describe the rigors of raising children and making a home on the frontier, the social life of an army wife, and the long waits for steamers to bring mail and supplies. After the FitzGeralds were transferred to Fort Lapwai in present-day Idahoin 1876, Emily witnessed the Nez Perce' War. Her letters during this period reflect the terror and dread she shared with other families at an isolated army post under siege. She was a true pioneer woman.

Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livi Hart, 352 pages

 As the black sheep of the family, choreographer Cassidy Bliss vowed she’d do anything to get home in time to help with her sister’s wedding and avoid family disappointment… again . She just never expected “anything” would involve sharing the last rental car with the jerk who cut her off in line at the airport this morning. But horrible times apparently call for here-goes-nothing measures.

Driving across the country with Luke “life can be solved with a spreadsheet” Carlisle must be a penance for some crime she committed. Because the second he opens his mouth, it’s all she can do to not maim him with her carry-on. But somewhere between his surprisingly thoughtful snack sharing and his uncanny ability to see straight to the core of her, her feelings go unchecked.

Suddenly, their crackling chemistry is just one more thing they have to navigate―and it couldn’t come at a worse time. But after a lifetime of letting the expectations and needs of others drive her life, Cassidy must decide if she’s ready to take the wheel once and for all.

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore, 352 pages

 Sloane Parker lives a small, contained life as a librarian in her small, contained town. She never thinks of herself as lonely...but still she looks forward to that time every day when old curmudgeon Arthur McLachlan comes to browse the shelves and cheerfully insult her. Their sparring is such a highlight of Sloane's day that when Arthur doesn't show up one morning, she's instantly concerned. And then another day passes, and another.

Anxious, Sloane tracks the old man down only to discover him all but bedridden...and desperately struggling to hide how happy he is to see her. Wanting to bring more cheer into Arthur's gloomy life, Sloane creates an impromptu book club. Slowly, the lonely misfits of their sleepy town begin to find each other, and in their book club, find the joy of unlikely friendship. Because as it turns out, everyone has a special book in their heart—and a reason to get lost (and eventually found) within the pages.

Murder on the Poet's Walk by Ellery Adams, 352 pages

 When corpses clutching poems begin turning up around Storyton Hall, resort manager Jane Steward is on the trail of someone exercising poetic license to kill . . .

As Jane eagerly anticipates the wedding of her best friend Eloise Alcott, Storyton Hall is overrun with poets in town to compete for a coveted greeting card contract. They’re everywhere, scrawling verses on cocktail napkins in the reading rooms or seeking inspiration strolling the Poet’s Walk, a series of trails named after famous authors. But the Tennyson Trail leads to a grim surprise: a woman’s corpse drifting in a rowboat on a lake, a crumpled copy of “The Lady of Shallot” in her lifeless fist.

When a second body is discovered, also holding a page from a poetry book, a recurring MO emerges. Fortunately, Jane is well versed in sleuthing and won’t rest until she gives the killer a taste of poetic justice . . .

The Royal Pain by Mary Janice Davidson, 352 pages

 In a world nearly identical to ours, the North won the Civil War, Ben and JLo got married, and everyone dresses well to attend the Grammys. Oh, and Russia never sold Alaska to the U.S. Instead, Alaska is a rough, beautiful country ruled by a famously eccentric royal family, including oldest daughter, Princess Alexandria, whose acid wit and bad case of insomnia have turned her into a tabloid darling, a palace problem, and overall...

The Royal Pain
Marine biologist Dr. Shel ("Never Sheldon") Rivers has a problem. Some princess expects him to wait on her, hand and dimpled foot. His boss is taken with the royal redhead -- brunette, whatever, it's not like he keeps track of that stuff -- and nobody realizes that he just wants to be left alone in his lab. All alone. All the time. Weekends, holidays -- it's all good.

Now here's Miss Royalpants, insisting that he escort her around the marine institute, explain what he s doing, kiss her until her toes curl -- no, wait, that was his idea. She's not even apologetic about being born into a royal family! Says it's his problem to overcome, not hers. Which leaves him with one option: to kiss her again. And again. And...

So she's nothing like he expected. In fact, Dr. Rivers can see that this fantastic, exasperating woman has problems no princess should ever have to deal with. And he has an idea to help her get some much-needed sleep. Of course, it involves getting very, very tired beforehand, but if she's up to it, then so is he...

In this delightfully madcap sequel to The Royal Treatment, the Baranov family is back and as unpredictable as ever, and a prickly princess and cranky Ph.D. are about to discover that love conquers attitude every time!

The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert, 352 pages

 Cherry Neita is thirty, flirty, and done with men. As far as she can tell, they’re overrated, overpaid, and underperforming – in every area of life. But a girl has needs, and the smoking-hot stranger she just met at the office seems like the perfect one-night stand…

Prince Ruben of Helgmøre is reckless, dominant, and famously filthy. The outcast royal is rebuilding his reputation – all for a good cause – but he can’t resist a pretty face. And bossy whirlwind Cherry’s got the face, the body, and the attitude to make Ruben’s convictions crumble. Even better, when she propositions him, she has no idea who he really is.

But when paparazzi catch the pair, erm, kissing in an alleyway, Ruben’s anonymity disappears faster than Cherry’s knickers. Now the press is in uproar, the palace is outraged, and Ruben’s reputation is back in the gutter. There’s only one way to turn this disaster around – and it involves Cherry, some big fat lies, and a flashy diamond ring. On her left hand.

Unfortunately, Cherry isn’t pleased with Ruben’s ‘fake engagement’ scheme… and neither is the king.

Peaches & Daddy: A Story of the Roaring Twenties, the Birth of Tabloid Media, and the Courtship That Captured the Heart and Imagination of the American Public by MIchael M. Greenburg, 352 pages

 Thirty-seven days later, amid blaring headlines announcing the event and with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in close pursuit, they were married. Within ten months they would begin a courtroom drama that would blow their impassioned saga into a national scandal. Their 1920s romance sent riptides across the moral landscape of America for years to come. Peaches and Daddy vividly recounts the amazing and improbable romance, marriage, and ultimate legal battle for separation of this publicity-craving Manhattan couple in America’s “Era of Wonderful Nonsense.” Their story is one of dysfunction and remarkable excess; yet at the time, the lurid details of their brief courtship and marriage captured the imagination of the American public like no other story of its day. The affair propelled them into the headlines for a magical moment in time; their legacy is one of an enduring contribution to the sometimes almost mad history of the country.

Mr. Finchley Discovers His England by Victor Canning, 352 pages

 Mr Edgar Finchley, unmarried clerk, aged 45, is told to take a holiday for the first time in his life. He decides to go to the seaside. But Fate has other plans in store…

From his abduction by a cheerful crook, to his smuggling escapade off the south coast, the timid but plucky Mr Finchley is plunged into a series of the most astonishing and extraordinary adventures.

His rural adventure takes him gradually westward through the English countryside and back, via a smuggling yacht, to London.

This gentle comedy trilogy was a runaway bestseller on first publication in the 1930s and retains a timeless appeal today. It has been dramatized twice for BBC Radio, with the 1990 series regularly repeated.

The Last Camel Died at Noon by Elizabeth Peters, 352 pages

 Having excavated in many of the most important sites in Egypt, Amelia, her distinguished and eminently desirable husband, Emerson, and their dauntingly precocious son, Ramses, now hope to go where no archaeologist has gone before: the ruins of the ancient city of Napata in the heart of the Sudan. Alas, their dreams of untouched temples and royal pyramids are dashed - first by the British Empire, which is waging a cursedly inconvenient war in the region, and then by a noble-minded British subject with a ludicrous request: Find the explorer, Willoughby Forth.

Fourteen years earlier, Forth led his lovely young bride into the arid Nubian desert and was never heard from again. Now his grandfather, Viscount Blacktower, has received a mysterious message - and a map - from his long-lost heir. Emerson is quite sure that the note scrawled on a bit of papyrus is the work of an impudent forger. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the map, which Forth fervently believed would lead to a secret oasis - not to mention a lost race bedecked in gold.

Though common sense discouraged Amelia & Co. from following in Forth's ill-fated footsteps, forces both insidious and unknown conspire to draw them into uncharted desert waste. And soon, the gallant Emerson-Peabodys, though no strangers to peril, find themselves in the most dangerous and extraordinary predicament of their lives.

Spice: The History of a Temptation by Jack Turner, 352 pages

A brilliant, original history of the spice trade--and the appetites that fueled it.
It was in search of the fabled Spice Islands and their cloves that Magellan charted the first circumnavigation of the globe. Vasco da Gama sailed the dangerous waters around Africa to India on a quest for Christians--and spices. Columbus sought gold and pepper but found the New World. By the time these fifteenth- and sixteenth-century explorers set sail, the aromas of these savory, seductive seeds and powders had tempted the palates and imaginations of Europe for centuries.
"Spice: The History of a Temptation "is a history of the spice trade told not in the conventional narrative of politics and economics, nor of conquest and colonization, but through the intimate human impulses that inspired and drove it. Here is an exploration of the centuries-old desire for spice in food, in medicine, in magic, in religion, and in sex--and of the allure of forbidden fruit lingering in the scents of cinnamon, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace, and clove.
We follow spices back through time, through history, myth, archaeology, and literature. We see spices in all their diversity, lauded as love potions and aphrodisiacs, as panaceas and defenses against the plague. We journey from religious rituals in which spices were employed to dispel demons and summon gods to prodigies of gluttony both fantastical and real. We see spices as a luxury for a medieval king's ostentation, as a mummy's deodorant, as the last word in haute cuisine.
Through examining the temptations of spice we follow in the trails of the spice seekers leading from the deserts of ancient Syria to thrill-seekers on the Internet. We discover howspice became one of the first and most enduring links between Asia and Europe. We see in the pepper we use so casually the relic of a tradition linking us to the appetites of Rome, Elizabethan England, and the pharaohs. And we capture the pleasure of spice not only at the table but in every part of life.
"Spice "is a delight to be savored. 

The Book Thieves: The Nazi Looting of Europe's Libraries and the Race to Return a Literary Inheritance by Anders Rydell, 352 pages

WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.WhiletheNazipartywasbeingcondemnedbymuchoftheworldforburningbooks,theywerealreadyhardatworkperpetratinganevengreaterliterarycrime.ThroughextensivenewresearchthatincludedrecordssavedbytheMonumentsMenthemselves--AndersRydelltellstheuntoldstoryofNazibooktheft,ashehimselfjoinstheefforttoreturnthestolenbooks.WhentheNazisoldiersransackedEurope'slibrariesandbookshops,largeandsmall,thebookstheystolewerenotburned.Instead,theNazisbegantocompilealibraryoftheirownthattheycouldusetowageanintellectualwaronliteratureandhistory.Inthissecretwar,thelibrariesofJews,Communists,Liberalpoliticians,LGBTactivists,Catholics,Freemasons,andmanyotheroppositiongroupswereappropriatedforNaziresearch,andusedasanintellectualweaponagainsttheirowners.Butwhenthewarwasover,mostofthebookswereneverreturned.Insteadmanyfoundtheirwayintothepubliclibrarysystem,wheretheyremaintothisday.

Now,Rydellfindshimselfentrustedwithoneofthesestolenvolumes,settingouttoreturnittoitsrightfulowner.ItwaspassedtohimbythesmallteamofheroiclibrarianswhohavebegunthemonumentaltaskofcombingthroughBerlin'spubliclibrariestoidentifythelootedbooksandreunitethemwiththefamiliesoftheiroriginalowners.ForthosewholostrelativesintheHolocaust,thesebooksareoftentheonlyremainingpossessionoftheirrelativestheyhaveeverheld.AndasRydelltravelstoreturnthevolumehewasgiven,heshowsjusthowmuchasinglebookcanmeantothosewhoownit.
While the Nazi party was being condemned by much of the world for burning books, they were already hard at work perpetrating an even greater literary crime. Through extensive new research that included records saved by the Monuments Men themselves--Anders Rydell tells the untold story of Nazi book theft, as he himself joins the effort to return the stolen books. When the Nazi soldiers ransacked Europe's libraries and bookshops, large and small, the books they stole were not burned. Instead, the Nazis began to compile a library of their own that they could use to wage an intellectual war on literature and history. In this secret war, the libraries of Jews, Communists, Liberal politicians, LGBT activists, Catholics, Freemasons, and many other opposition groups were appropriated for Nazi research, and used as an intellectual weapon against their owners. But when the war was over, most of the books were never returned. Instead many found their way into the public library system, where they remain to this day.

Now, Rydell finds himself entrusted with one of these stolen volumes, setting out to return it to its rightful owner. It was passed to him by the small team of heroic librarians who have begun the monumental task of combing through Berlin's public libraries to identify the looted books and reunite them with the families of their original owners. For those who lost relatives in the Holocaust, these books are often the only remaining possession of their relatives they have ever held. And as Rydell travels to return the volume he was given, he shows just how much a single book can mean to those who own it.While the Nazi party was being condemned by much of the world for burning books, they were already hard at work perpetrating an even greater literary crime. Through extensive new research that included records saved by the Monuments Men themselves--Anders Rydell tells the untold story of Nazi book theft, as he himself joins the effort to return the stolen books. When the Nazi soldiers ransacked Europe's libraries and bookshops, large and small, the books they stole were not burned. Instead, the Nazis began to compile a library of their own that they could use to wage an intellectual war on literature and history. In this secret war, the libraries of Jews, Communists, Liberal politicians, LGBT activists, Catholics, Freemasons, and many other opposition groups were appropriated for Nazi research, and used as an intellectual weapon against their owners. But when the war was over, most of the books were never returned. Instead many found their way into the public library system, where they remain to this day.

Now, Rydell finds himself entrusted with one of these stolen volumes, setting out to return it to its rightful owner. It was passed to him by the small team of heroic librarians who have begun the monumental task of combing through Berlin's public libraries to identify the looted books and reunite them with the families of their original owners. For those who lost relatives in the Holocaust, these books are often the only remaining possession of their relatives they have ever held. And as Rydell travels to return the volume he was given, he shows just how much a single book can mean to those who own it.While the Nazi party was being condemned by much of the world for burning books, they were already hard at work perpetrating an even greater literary crime. Through extensive new research that included records saved by the Monuments Men themselves--Anders Rydell tells the untold story of Nazi book theft, as he himself joins the effort to return the stolen books. When the Nazi soldiers ransacked Europe's libraries and bookshops, large and small, the books they stole were not burned. Instead, the Nazis began to compile a library of their own that they could use to wage an intellectual war on literature and history. In this secret war, the libraries of Jews, Communists, Liberal politicians, LGBT activists, Catholics, Freemasons, and many other opposition groups were appropriated for Nazi research, and used as an intellectual weapon against their owners. But when the war was over, most of the books were never returned. Instead many found their way into the public library system, where they remain to this day.

Now, Rydell finds himself entrusted with one of these stolen volumes, setting out to return it to its rightful owner. It was passed to him by the small team of heroic librarians who have begun the monumental task of combing through Berlin's public libraries to identify the looted books and reunite them with the families of their original owners. For those who lost relatives in the Holocaust, these books are often the only remaining possession of their relatives they have ever held. And as Rydell travels to return the volume he was given, he shows just how much a single book can mean to those who own it.While the Nazi party was being condemned by much of the world for burning books, they were already hard at work perpetrating an even greater literary crime. Through extensive new research that included records saved by the Monuments Men themselves--Anders Rydell tells the untold story of Nazi book theft, as he himself joins the effort to return the stolen books. When the Nazi soldiers ransacked Europe's libraries and bookshops, large and small, the books they stole were not burned. Instead, the Nazis began to compile a library of their own that they could use to wage an intellectual war on literature and history. In this secret war, the libraries of Jews, Communists, Liberal politicians, LGBT activists, Catholics, Freemasons, and many other opposition groups were appropriated for Nazi research, and used as an intellectual weapon against their owners. But when the war was over, most of the books were never returned. Instead many found their way into the public library system, where they remain to this day.

Now, Rydell finds himself entrusted with one of these stolen volumes, setting out to return it to its rightful owner. It was passed to him by the small team of heroic librarians who have begun the monumental task of combing through Berlin's public libraries to identify the looted books and reunite them with the families of their original owners. For those who lost relatives in the Holocaust, these books are often the only remaining possession of their relatives they have ever held. And as Rydell travels to return the volume he was given, he shows just how much a single book can mean to those who own it.While the Nazi party was being condemned by much of the world for burning books, they were already hard at work perpetrating an even greater literary crime. Through extensive new research that included records saved by the Monuments Men themselves--Anders Rydell tells the untold story of Nazi book theft, as he himself joins the effort to return the stolen books. When the Nazi soldiers ransacked Europe's libraries and bookshops, large and small, the books they stole were not burned. Instead, the Nazis began to compile a library of their own that they could use to wage an intellectual war on literature and history. In this secret war, the libraries of Jews, Communists, Liberal politicians, LGBT activists, Catholics, Freemasons, and many other opposition groups were appropriated for Nazi research, and used as an intellectual weapon against their owners. But when the war was over, most of the books were never returned. Instead many found their way into the public library system, where they remain to this day.

Now, Rydell finds himself entrusted with one of these stolen volumes, setting out to return it to its rightful owner. It was passed to him by the small team of heroic librarians who have begun the monumental task of combing through Berlin's public libraries to identify the looted books and reunite them with the families of their original owners. For those who lost relatives in the Holocaust, these books are often the only remaining possession of their relatives they have ever held. And as Rydell travels to return the volume he was given, he shows just how much a single book can mean to those who own it.While the Nazi party was being condemned by much of the world for burning books, they were already hard at work perpetrating an even greater literary crime. Through extensive new research that included records saved by the Monuments Men themselves--Anders Rydell tells the untold story of Nazi book theft, as he himself joins the effort to return the stolen books. When the Nazi soldiers ransacked Europe's libraries and bookshops, large and small, the books they stole were not burned. Instead, the Nazis began to compile a library of their own that they could use to wage an intellectual war on literature and history. In this secret war, the libraries of Jews, Communists, Liberal politicians, LGBT activists, Catholics, Freemasons, and many other opposition groups were appropriated for Nazi research, and used as an intellectual weapon against their owners. But when the war was over, most of the books were never returned. Instead many found their way into the public library system, where they remain to this day.

Now, Rydell finds himself entrusted with one of these stolen volumes, setting out to return it to its rightful owner. It was passed to him by the small team of heroic librarians who have begun the monumental task of combing through Berlin's public libraries to identify the looted books and reunite them with the families of their original owners. For those who lost relatives in the Holocaust, these books are often the only remaining possession of their relatives they have ever held. And as Rydell travels to return the volume he was given, he shows just how much a single book can mean to those who own it.While the Nazi party was being condemned by much of the world for burning books, they were already hard at work perpetrating an even greater literary crime. Through extensive new research that included records saved by the Monuments Men themselves--Anders Rydell tells the untold story of Nazi book theft, as he himself joins the effort to return the stolen books. When the Nazi soldiers ransacked Europe's libraries and bookshops, large and small, the books they stole were not burned. Instead, the Nazis began to compile a library of their own that they could use to wage an intellectual war on literature and history. In this secret war, the libraries of Jews, Communists, Liberal politicians, LGBT activists, Catholics, Freemasons, and many other opposition groups were appropriated for Nazi research, and used as an intellectual weapon against their owners. But when the war was over, most of the books were never returned. Instead many found their way into the public library system, where they remain to this day.

Now, Rydell finds himself entrusted with one of these stolen volumes, setting out to return it to its rightful owner. It was passed to him by the small team of heroic librarians who have begun the monumental task of combing through Berlin's public libraries to identify the looted books and reunite them with the families of their original owners. For those who lost relatives in the Holocaust, these books are often the only remaining possession of their relatives they have ever held. And as Rydell travels to return the volume he was given, he shows just how much a single book can mean to those who own it.While the Nazi party was being condemned by much of the world for burning books, they were already hard at work perpetrating an even greater literary crime. Through extensive new research that included records saved by the Monuments Men themselves--Anders Rydell tells the untold story of Nazi book theft, as he himself joins the effort to return the stolen books. When the Nazi soldiers ransacked Europe's libraries and bookshops, large and small, the books they stole were not burned. Instead, the Nazis began to compile a library of their own that they could use to wage an intellectual war on literature and history. In this secret war, the libraries of Jews, Communists, Liberal politicians, LGBT activists, Catholics, Freemasons, and many other opposition groups were appropriated for Nazi research, and used as an intellectual weapon against their owners. But when the war was over, most of the books were never returned. Instead many found their way into the public library system, where they remain to this day.

Now, Rydell finds himself entrusted with one of these stolen volumes, setting out to return it to its rightful owner. It was passed to him by the small team of heroic librarians who have begun the monumental task of combing through Berlin's public libraries to identify the looted books and reunite them with the families of their original owners. For those who lost relatives in the Holocaust, these books are often the only remaining possession of their relatives they have ever held. And as Rydell travels to return the volume he was given, he shows just how much a single book can mean to those who own it.While the Nazi party was being condemned by much of the world for burning books, they were already hard at work perpetrating an even greater literary crime. Through extensive new research that included records saved by the Monuments Men themselves--Anders Rydell tells the untold story of Nazi book theft, as he himself joins the effort to return the stolen books. When the Nazi soldiers ransacked Europe's libraries and bookshops, large and small, the books they stole were not burned. Instead, the Nazis began to compile a library of their own that they could use to wage an intellectual war on literature and history. In this secret war, the libraries of Jews, Communists, Liberal politicians, LGBT activists, Catholics, Freemasons, and many other opposition groups were appropriated for Nazi research, and used as an intellectual weapon against their owners. But when the war was over, most of the books were never returned. Instead many found their way into the public library system, where they remain to this day.

Now, Rydell finds himself entrusted with one of these stolen volumes, setting out to return it to its rightful owner. It was passed to him by the small team of heroic librarians who have begun the monumental task of combing through Berlin's public libraries to identify the looted books and reunite them with the families of their original owners. For those who lost relatives in the Holocaust, these books are often the only remaining possession of their relatives they have ever held. And as Rydell travels to return the volume he was given, he shows just how much a single book can mean to those who own it.