{"product_id":"map-thief-the-gripping-story-of-an-esteemed-rare-map-dealer-who-made-millions-stealing-priceless-maps","title":"Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps","description":"\u003cbody\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eTitle: \u003c\/b\u003eMap Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor: \u003c\/b\u003eMichael Blanding\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN: \u003c\/b\u003e9781592409402\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher: \u003c\/b\u003ePenguin Publishing Group\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished: \u003c\/b\u003e2015\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding: \u003c\/b\u003ePaperback\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage: \u003c\/b\u003eEnglish\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEdition: \u003c\/b\u003eReprint\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNumber of Pages: \u003c\/b\u003e320\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Note: \u003c\/b\u003eClean, unmarked copy with some edge wear. Good binding. Dust jacket included if issued with one. We ship in recyclable American-made mailers. 100% money-back guarantee on all orders.\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher Description: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe story of an infamous crime, a revered map dealer with an unsavory secret, and the ruthless subculture that consumed him\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMaps have long exerted a special fascination on viewers--both as beautiful works of art and as practical tools to navigate the world. 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOnce considered a respectable antiquarian map dealer, E. Forbes Smiley spent years doubling as a map thief --until he was finally arrested slipping maps out of books in the Yale University library. \u003ci\u003eThe Map Thief\u003c\/i\u003e delves into the untold history of this fascinating high-stakes criminal and the inside story of the industry that consumed him. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAcclaimed 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. 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. 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. Now, through a series of exclusive interviews with Smiley and other key individuals, Blanding teases out an astonishing tale of destruction and redemption. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eThe Map Thief\u003c\/i\u003e interweaves Smiley's escapades with the stories of the explorers and mapmakers he knew better than anyone. Tracking a series of thefts as brazen as the art heists in \u003ci\u003eProvenance\u003c\/i\u003e and a subculture as obsessive as the oenophiles in \u003ci\u003eThe Billionaire's Vinegar\u003c\/i\u003e, Blanding has pieced together an unforgettable story of high-stakes crime.\u003c\/body\u003e","brand":"Penguin Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps | Michael Blanding | Paperback | 9781592409402 | Used: Very Good | Back Stacks C 1757703","offer_id":49178360348824,"sku":"1757703","price":8.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0492\/1609\/4360\/files\/815oDsGVVwL.jpg?v=1780070741","url":"https:\/\/roundaboutbookstore.com\/products\/map-thief-the-gripping-story-of-an-esteemed-rare-map-dealer-who-made-millions-stealing-priceless-maps","provider":"Roundabout Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}