2005, he had gathered thousands of photographs and other documents, and began writing the manuscript for Rescuing Da Vinci, which was published in 2006. The book received wide attention. In September 2009, Edsel’s second book, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, a narrative account of the Monuments Men, was published by Center Street, a division of Hachette Book Group. The book has been translated and published in more than 25 languages. George Clooney wrote, directed and starred in a movie of the same name based on Edsel's book, The Monuments Men (2014). Edsel's third book, entitled Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis (2013), was published by W. W. Norton and debuted on the New York Times bestseller list. Saving Italy tells the dramatic story of the Monuments Men's efforts to locate and recover that country’s innumerable art treasures that had been stolen by the Nazis. Beginning with the near destruction of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper by British bombing, Edsel introduces a major but largely overlooked Nazi figure, SS General Karl Wolff. Edsel describes Wolff's harrowing negotiations with OSS leader Allen Dulles, America’s senior spy in Europe, related to the artworks and preserving Paris after the Nazis' retreat. Edsel co-produced a documentary film, The Rape of Europa (2007), based on Lynn Nicholas' eponymous book. Narrated by Joan Allen, the film was well received by critics and began a theatrical run in September 2007 at the Paris Theatre in New York City. In addition, Edsel has created The Greatest Theft in History educational program. Monuments Men Foundation In 2007, Edsel created the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art. The foundation's mission is "to preserve the legacy of the unprecedented and heroic work of the men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (“MFAA”) section, known as “Monuments Men,” during World War II, by raising public awareness of the importance of protecting and safeguarding civilization’s most important artistic and cultural treasures from armed conflict, but incorporating these expressions of man's greatest creative achievements into our daily lives." He announced the foundation's creation during a ceremony on June 6, 2007, the 63rd anniversary of D-Day, to celebrate Senate and House concurrent resolutions honoring the Monuments Men. The Monuments Men Foundation was one of ten recipients of the 2007 National Humanities Medal, an