Download The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps AudioBook Free

Maps have long exerted a particular fascination on viewers - both as beautiful artwork and as practical tools to navigate the planet. But to those who collect them, the map trade can be considered a cutthroat business, inhabited by quirky and sometimes disreputable character types in search of a finite amount of extremely rare things. Once considered a good antiquarian map seller, E. Forbes Smiley put in years doubling as a map thief - until he was finally imprisoned slipping maps out of catalogs in the Yale School catalogue. The Map Thief delves into the untold history of the fascinating high-stakes criminal and the inside story of the industry that used him. Acclaimed reporter Michael Blanding has interviewed all the main element players in this stranger-than-fiction story, and stocks the interesting histories of maps that charted the New World, and exactly how they gone from being practical musical instruments to quirky heirlooms to highly coveted objects. Though bits of the map fraud story have been written before, Blanding is the first reporter to explore the story completely - and had the exceptional privilege of having usage of Smiley himself after he'd absent silent in the wake of his offences. In addition, although Smiley swears he has admitted to all or any of the maps he stole, libraries lay claim he stole hundreds more - and provide intriguing signs to confirm it. Now, through some exclusive interviews with Smiley and other key individuals, Blanding teases out an amazing tale of damage and redemption. The Map Thief interweaves Smiley's escapades with the testimonies of the explorers and mapmakers he recognized better than anyone. Tracking some thefts as brazen as the art work 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.

Category: Crime & Criminals