Robert M. Edsel is the author of the non-fiction books, Rescuing Da Vinci and The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, and the new book Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis, which tells the dramatic story of the Monuments Men in Italy during the Allied invasion of World War II. Mr. Edsel is also the co-producer of the award-winning documentary film, The Rape of Europa. In addition, he is the Founder and President of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, a not-for-profit entity which received the National Humanities Medal, the highest honor given in the United States for work in the humanities field. Mr. Edsel has been awarded the "Texas Medal of Arts" Award; the "President's Call to Service" Award; and the "Hope for Humanity" Award, presented by the Dallas Holocaust Museum. He also serves as a Trustee at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Academy Award winner George Clooney will direct and star in a film based on Mr. Edsel's book, The Monuments Men, which is set for theatrical release in December 2013.