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

(Paperback)

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Description

Once considered a respectable rare-map dealer, E. Forbes Smiley made millions and was highly esteemed for his knowledge; until he was arrested for slipping maps out of books in the Yale University library. Though pieces of the story have been told before, Blanding is the first reporter to gain access to Smiley himself after he'd gone silent. Although Smiley swears he has admitted to all of the maps he stole, libraries claim he stole hundreds more, and offer evidence to prove it. Using interviews, Blanding teases out the tale of deception.

Reviews

THE MAP THIEF is a gripping, suspenseful tale, told by a veteran investigative reporter. And yes, it comes with maps. Minneapolis Star Tribune

Blanding tucks great little historical trivia into his cohesive narrative an enjoyable exploration of an obscure aspect of history. Miami Herald

Brisk, engagingMaps project wishful thinking. THE MAP THIEF is a masterful cartography of a man who fell victim to such wishful thinking, destroying his life.
The Boston Globe

Brain kale...Bizarre, fascinating, and 100 percent true. Mental Floss

Truth is much stranger than fictionIn the normally dry world of cartography, Smileys story makes for a riveting read. Town & Country

An enthralling look at a famous case. Boston Common

The best glimpse yet of the social-climbing sneak thief who stole millions of dollars in rare maps from Yale University and other institutions a decade ago. New Haven Register

Blanding delves deep into both Smileys world and the history of mapmakinga fascinating story of ambitions high and low. Kirkus Reviews

Well-researchedA highly readable profile of a narcissist who got in over his head and lost it all. Publishers Weekly

A gripping mix of true crime, cartographic lore and bookish obsession, THE MAP THIEF is a book that map and book lovers will devour, even as they cringe at the crimes described.
Shelf Awareness

In this cartographic caper, Michael Blanding slips into the antique map trade and takes a magnifying glass to the mind and motivations of a curious character named E. Forbes Smiley III, a New England polymath with a special talent for taking razors to rare books. The setting and the character belong in a novel, and this engrossing book reads like fiction. Nina Burleigh, author of the New York Times bestseller The Fatal Gift of Beauty: The Italian Trials of Amanda Knox

"The Map Thief isn't just a perceptive, meticulously researched portrait of an exceedingly unlikely felon. It's also a tribute to the beautiful old maps that inspired his cartographic crimes--and shaped our modern world." Ken Jennings, author of Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks

Old maps tug powerfully at the imagination, and not always in healthy ways. Nothing makes that clearer than the strange, unsettling case of Forbes Smiley, whose story Michael Blanding has pieced together in captivating detail. This is an unforgettable and cautionary tale, told by an expert investigative reporter who writes with the narrative flair of a novelist. A great read!
Toby Lester, author of The Fourth Part of the World: An Astonishing Epic of Global Discovery, Imperial Ambition, and the Birth of America

Disgraced map dealer Forbes Smiley once said that he hoped that the stories about his thefts would go away. That might be so. But thankfully Michael Blanding decided otherwise, and he tells a powerful story about the nature of crime, greed and art. Smart, suspenseful, and engaging, this book is a fascinating read. Ulrich Boser, bestselling author of The Gardner Heist

This is a terrific book. The portrait of Forbes Smiley here is one we rarely get of cultural heritage thieves complete and even-handed, without being either credulous or vindictive. The Map Thief, aside from being wonderfully readable, is a valuable addition to this area of study.
Travis McDade, author of The Book Thief: The True Crimes of Daniel Spiegelman

Michael Blanding not only tells the spell-binding tale of a clever and obsessed thief, but he also adds to the field of research into people who commit crimes involving rare and precious items. All the while, Blanding examines the crimes with the acumen of a seasoned investigator and the skill of a talented writer. Anthony M. Amore, co-author of Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists

Author Bio

Michael Blandingis an author and journalist with more than fifteen years of experience writing long-form narrative and investigative journalism and has written forThe Nation, The New Republic, Consumers Digest,andThe Boston Globe Magazine. He lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.