Stealing the Show

A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts

By: John Barelli, Zachary Schisgal

Narrated by: Mack Sanderson

Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

When he retired as the chief security officer of New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, John Barelli had spent the better part of 40 years responsible not only for one of the richest treasure troves on the planet, but the museum's staff, the millions of visitors, as well as American presidents, royalty, and heads of state from around the world.

For the first time, John Barelli shares his experiences of the crimes that occurred on his watch, the investigations that captured thieves and recovered artwork, the lessons he learned and shared with law enforcement professionals in the United States and abroad, the accidents and near misses, and a few mysteries that were sadly never solved. He takes listeners behind the scenes, introduces curators and administrators, walks the empty corridors after hours, and shares what it's like to get the call that an ancient masterpiece has gone missing.

The Metropolitan Museum covers 12 acres in the heart of Manhattan and is filled with 5,000 years of work by history's great artists known and unknown: Goya, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Warhol, Pollack, Egyptian mummies, Babylonian treasures, Colonial crafts, and Greek vases. Over the years, John helped make the museum the state-of-the-art facility it is today and created a legacy in art security for decades to come.

Focusing on six thefts but filled with countless stories that span the late 1970s through the 21st century, John opens the files on thefts, showing how museum personnel along with local and sometimes federal agents opened investigations and more often than not caught the thief. But of ultimate importance was the recovery of the artwork, including Celtic and Egyptian gold, French tapestries, Greek sculpture, and more. At the heart of this audiobook there will always be art - those who love it and those who take it, two groups of people that are far from mutually exclusive.

©2019 John Barelli (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Critic reviews

"With his deep, authoritative voice, Mack Sanderson is the perfect narrator for this memoir by the former chief security officer of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is so believable that at times listeners may believe they're hearing the author himself as he recounts his experiences on the job.... Listeners will learn much about the psychology of the art thief - whether art lover, opportunist, or professional." (AudioFile magazine)

Fascinating insider story of Met Museum

Compelling true story of art thefts solved and unsolved, and behind-the-scenes accounts of the Met gala, Alexander McQueen and other blockbuster shows at the Met. Good read and terrific narration.

Fascinating

A fascinating look behind the scenes of a great museum where the author was head of security for many years. There were a few dry sections, and sometimes the author's ego is on display, but his background, training and experience is riveting. Art theft is always interesting and Barelli analyzes the motivations behind it. His encounters with world leaders were interesting too.

A welcome viewpoint

Wonderful insight into the world of high stakes security and invaluable art collections. Loved it!

"When a Thief Kisses You... Count Your Teeth"

Stealing the Show: A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts by John Barelli is a very solid take on a fascinating subject. This book exceeded my expectations. The writing is very good. The book is focused on making a complicated subject easy to follow and understand. Art theft is broken down and discussed as it occurs in real life and also in terms of the patterns and motivations behind art theft as a behavior.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in learning more about art theft specifically, and also security and loss prevention, in general. This book has a narrow focus and it will appeal greatly to its niche audience.

The narration by Mack Sanderson matches the material beautifully. The reader really gets a sense of who the writer is and where he is coming from based on the narrative performance.

interesting

good listen and nice review of one persons career at the MET museum. I didnt pay for it so it was worth the listen - it was good not too boring - some good stories and he is well written

Enjoyable

It’s an astonishing tale and I loved hearing of the process of copying masterpieces that the artist developed. Too bad the artist used his talent for forgery. His explanation is interesting and I learned so much about the upper class art galleries, shameful. Narrator is good and he puts a realistic tone to the book.

True crime story--in a museum

Very interesting to hear all that has gone on for years to insure the valuable art at Met NYC.

Fascinating Subject Brilliantly Executed

Art theft; the subject of clever books and marvelous movies is no less fascinating when told by the man who acted as the chief nemesis of the ingenious crooks and desperate insiders who would steal the priceless treasures of the Metropolitan Museum.

With one chapter titled, “So You Want to be an Art Thief?”, the book is light enough to be accessible but it’s not lightweight. Mr. Barelli is a serious professional and he describes in masterful detail the real events behind the Global headlines as well as thefts and losses never reported. I enjoyed the stories of the priceless artifacts for which Mr. Barelli’s team was responsible, but the scenes I found most moving were his descriptions of several of the Met’s most famous visitors whose safety he guarded with exquisite care.

The insights are as thoughtful as the tales are entertaining and Stealing the Show is an engaging pleasure but the finishing touch that makes this magic is the narrator. Mack Sanderson is mesmerizing; with a voice that captures both the wit and the gravitas of the story, he turns this wonderful set of stories an objet d’art. I’m a voracious reader and have never thought that listening to a narrator could match the joy of reading a great book but I think in this case, I’d recommend the audio version of Stealing the Show.

Loved this history of the met

What interests me most about art is the story behind the work. This is a different perspective on the Met, and I enjoyed it. Art security is a huge issue and this gave me a different perspective of the how's and why's of theft while containing lots of interesting anecdotes. Definitely made me reconsider unconscious assumptions I had absorbed via pop culture. it is very much based around the Met, but the author's intimacy with the topic is a majority of the charm.

Great story

This is an interesting and authentic story about true crime in the world of art.