“To those who served to save a little of the beauty of this world.” – epigraph, memoirs of Rose Valland   Surprise! I know I said I was done with Women At War, but then I immediately sat up in bed one night and smacked myself in the forehead. This series is the perfect opportunity to tell the story of my favorite unlikely heroine of all time: Rose Valland.  What better way to wrap up the fourth year of this podcast than an adventure story? Intrigue, stolen masterpieces, underground Rèsistance, and a happy ending! Please enjoy this little bonus episode, delivered just in time. 🙂 Episode 59: “Women At War BONUS: The Witness (Rose Valland)” Rose Valland, the unlikely accomplice A few other terrific, highly recommended reads: * The Rape of Europa by Lynn H. Nicholas – Ahhh, one of my favorite art history books! If you aren’t ready to commit, consider watching the superb documentary, available on Amazon Prime – it’s my favorite documentary of all time! * Les Parisiennes by Anne Sebba – If I could recommend a single English-language book about French women’s experiences during World War II, this is the one I’d choose! * The Greatest Treasure Hunt In History: The Story of the Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel – He’s written roughly 8 million books on the same subject, but this particular title (I believe geared towards young adults but honestly, I can hardly tell) is especially Rose-centric. * The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel – What can I say? This is the popular nonfiction counterpart to Lynn Nicholas’s academic (slightly dry but truly groundbreaking) Rape of Europa. It’s better than the fairly wretched movie. Further Reading: * “Art Looted by Nazis Gets A New Space at the Louvre. But Is It Really Home?” (New York Times) * “In France, A Renewed Push to Return Art Looted By Nazis” (NPR) * “Poland Urged to Look for Nazi-Looted Art Still Held In Its Museums” (New York Times) * “Over $1.35 billion in Nazi art found hidden behind ‘mountains of rotting food'”  (The Verge) Subscribe to the brand new newsletter That’s right – the Land of Desire newsletter is BACK. The revamped newsletter comes in two flavors: free and paid. Free subscribers receive one newsletter per quarter; paid subscribers receive at last one newsletter per month. Subscribe to the newsletter here. Support the Show There are so many ways to support the show! First and foremost, sign up for a paid subscription to The Land of Desire newsletter or contribute via Patreon. If you’re a paid subscriber, chime in on our Substack discussion threads whenever a new newsletter is sent out!