And the last third of the book where the issue of theft of rare maps is covered in detail was particularly fascinating to me. From the beginning he's an unusual and eclectic type. Smiley is indeed a character unlike any other.
I admit, I was usually anxious to get back to the action of the present-day during some of the sections on the history of maps and mapmaking, but the book moves you quickly along and does a good job of keeping you informed as you go. You don't need to be a map aficionado, Blanding guides you through the world of rare maps which is often reminiscent of fine art, with collectors and dealers scheming to get the best pieces. The story of Forbes Smiley, who went from prestigious dealer of rare maps to thief and convict, is a classic example of truth being stranger than fiction. But that's exactly why I enjoyed THE MAP THIEF so much. I do not read much nonfiction because I like a story that really pulls me along, one full of strange characters and intriguing plot twists. Tracking a series of thefts as brazen as the art heists in Provenance and a subculture as obsessive as the oenophiles in The Billionaire's Vinegar, Blanding has pieced together an unforgettable story of high-stakes crime. The Map Thief interweaves Smiley's escapades with the stories of the explorers and mapmakers he knew better than anyone. Now, through a series of exclusive interviews with Smiley and other key individuals, Blanding teases out an astonishing tale of destruction and redemption. Moreover, although Smiley swears he has admitted to all of the maps he stole, libraries claim he stole hundreds more-and offer intriguing clues to prove it. Though pieces of the map theft story have been written before, Blanding is the first reporter to explore the story in full-and had the rare privilege of having access to Smiley himself after he'd gone silent in the wake of his crimes. Acclaimed reporter Michael Blanding has interviewed all the key players in this stranger-than-fiction story, and shares the fascinating histories of maps that charted the New World, and how they went from being practical instruments to quirky heirlooms to highly coveted objects. The Map Thief delves into the untold history of this fascinating high-stakes criminal and the inside story of the industry that consumed him. Forbes Smiley spent years doubling as a map thief-until he was finally arrested slipping maps out of books in the Yale University library.
Once considered a respectable antiquarian map dealer, E. But to those who collect them, the map trade can be a cutthroat business, inhabited by quirky and sometimes disreputable characters in search of a finite number of extremely rare objects. Maps have long exerted a special fascination on viewers-both as beautiful works of art and as practical tools to navigate the world.
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