You've probably heard about the Nazi plunder of fine art during World War II. Less well known is the staggering theft of books during the conflict, when European libraries were decimated and millions of books were stolen or destroyed. The operation began as a way to build "intelligence" libraries about conquered peoples…and escalated into a terrifying effort to erase entire cultures. In this riveting account, Anders Rydell journeys through the darkest recesses of modern history to chronicle the literary obliteration wrought by the Third Reich. Along the way, he meets a determined group of librarians attempting to return surviving books to their rightful owners. It is an illuminating and essential read for bibliophiles.