The Map Thief

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

By: Michael Blanding

Narrated by: Sean Runnette

Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Maps 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.

Once 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. The Map Thief delves into the untold history of this fascinating high-stakes criminal and the inside story of the industry that consumed him. 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. 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. The Map Thief 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 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.

©2014 Blanding Enterprises, LLC (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

" 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)

Una gran historia

El autor nos lleva q la historia de los mapas y subirán impacto en la sociedad hasta nuestros días

Detailed review of cartography

While this was a book was about Forbes Smiley it was also a detailed history of maps and the libraries who house them. While very informative it was at times very detailed in its' discussion of maps.
If you are just looking for the more human side of the information you may just want to look up Forbes Smiley.

Doesn't live up to the hype.

This was sold as an adventure story and it was a dry documentary. I did learn a great deal about early map making and the past and present values (both directionally and monetary) of these works of 15th to 18th century mapmakers. But exciting; only to a student of cartography, topographical history buff, or to someone who had acquired maps from the main character and just found out that they had purchased purloined papers.

Disappointed

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

the story was boring. Much like reading a list of someones purchases over a lifetime.

BIG MAP ENTHUSIAST? You need to be to enjoy this.

I didn't care for the book. I like maps but the information was too laborious to enjoy. The reading was ok I suppose.

Have Lots of Red Bull Handy

The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps by Michael Blanding is exceedingly tedious and boring. It is an endless recitation of banal facts that you wonder how anyone could value. While waiting to engage with the narrative have lots of coffee or Red Bull handy. A primer on historical cartography would have been a better use of Blanding's time.

A little boring for me

What would have made The Map Thief better?

I thought the story was lacking, not my cup of tea

Has The Map Thief turned you off from other books in this genre?

perhaps

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointing, i thought there was much more that could have been offered I did not even listened to the whole thing I found myself forced to listen.... I wish i could take this book back.

AN OPPORTUNITY WASTED!

GRIPPING?!? I don't think so! This is probably the most boring book I've ever listened to. This was an opportunity wasted by the author. A little-known subject matter which COULD have made a great story. All I got was a greedy privileged man who thought he was above the law. When caught, Edward Smiley got sentenced for a white-collar crime. Yet, he stole valuable antique maps with the "mens rea" of a street thug. Cat burglars, jewel thieves and even map thieves should be charming and charismatic. Smiley had the personality of a box of wood chips! Author Michael Blanding does nothing to raise this subject and this sociopath to the level of any intelligent person's interest.

Gripping...NOT Exciting

What would have made The Map Thief better?

I thought by "gripping" they meant exciting. I was wrong. While interesting, this novel was nothing like I anticipated. I expected some adventure but perhaps I should have read into the description a little more.

Only the maps were interesting

Very little value to this story. I did find the background stories of some of the maps he stole to be interesting, but not enough to make this book worthwhile. The thief was a privileged, greedy, destructive individual who put his financial status ahead of the preservation of these maps for all to enjoy. No sympathy for this guy at all. His destruction of these old works of art for his own personal gain is unforgivable. The entire story left a bad taste that I just cant get over.