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Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists
A spellbinding journey into the high-stakes world of art theft
Today, art theft is one of the most profitable criminal enterprises in the world, exceeding $6 billion in losses to galleries and art collectors annually. And the masterpieces of Rembrandt van Rijn are some of the most frequently targeted.
In Stealing Rembrandts, art security expert Anthony M. Amore and award-winning investigative reporter Tom Mashberg reveal the actors behind the major Rembrandt heists in the last century. Through thefts around the world - from Stockholm to Boston, Worcester to Ohio - the authors track daring entries and escapes from the world's most renowned museums. There are robbers who coolly walk off with multimillion dollar paintings; self-styled art experts who fall in love with the Dutch master and desire to own his art at all costs; and international criminal masterminds who don't hesitate to resort to violence. They also show how museums are thwarted in their ability to pursue the thieves - even going so far as to conduct investigations on their own, far away from the maddening crowd of police intervention, sparing no expense to save the priceless masterpieces.
Stealing Rembrandts is an exhilarating, one-of-a-kind look at the black market of art theft, and how it compromises some of the greatest treasures the world has ever known.
Today, art theft is one of the most profitable criminal enterprises in the world, exceeding $6 billion in losses to galleries and art collectors annually. And the masterpieces of Rembrandt van Rijn are some of the most frequently targeted.
In Stealing Rembrandts, art security expert Anthony M. Amore and award-winning investigative reporter Tom Mashberg reveal the actors behind the major Rembrandt heists in the last century. Through thefts around the world - from Stockholm to Boston, Worcester to Ohio - the authors track daring entries and escapes from the world's most renowned museums. There are robbers who coolly walk off with multimillion dollar paintings; self-styled art experts who fall in love with the Dutch master and desire to own his art at all costs; and international criminal masterminds who don't hesitate to resort to violence. They also show how museums are thwarted in their ability to pursue the thieves - even going so far as to conduct investigations on their own, far away from the maddening crowd of police intervention, sparing no expense to save the priceless masterpieces.
Stealing Rembrandts is an exhilarating, one-of-a-kind look at the black market of art theft, and how it compromises some of the greatest treasures the world has ever known.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published July 5, 2011
153 people are currently reading
4298 people want to read
About the author
Anthony M. Amore
7 books44 followersAnthony M. Amore is the Director of Security and Chief Investigator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum where he is charged with efforts to recover 13 works of art stolen on March 18, 1990.
He regularly writes on his "Big Security" Substack account and is a frequent commentator on national and international news outlets on topics ranging from security to art crime to politics.
Prior to the highly-acclaimed THE WOMAN WHO STOLE VERMEER, he wrote THE ART OF THE CON, which was a New York Times Crime Best Seller and an Amazon Best Pick of 2015. His first book, STEALING REMBRANDTS, was a Wall Street Journal Crime Best Seller and an influential work in the field of art theft investigations.
He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.
He regularly writes on his "Big Security" Substack account and is a frequent commentator on national and international news outlets on topics ranging from security to art crime to politics.
Prior to the highly-acclaimed THE WOMAN WHO STOLE VERMEER, he wrote THE ART OF THE CON, which was a New York Times Crime Best Seller and an Amazon Best Pick of 2015. His first book, STEALING REMBRANDTS, was a Wall Street Journal Crime Best Seller and an influential work in the field of art theft investigations.
He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
June 30, 2023
“Although it may feel otherwise, art theft is never a victimless crime.”
This is a book that should have been really good. Instead it was just okay. It’s a relatively short book, or I would have been more annoyed at my reading of it. STEALING REMBRANDTS-THE UNTOLD STORIES OF NOTORIOUS ART THEFTS is mainly about the theft of works of art by Rembrandt. In reading this text one quickly realizes that in the hands of different writers this would have been vastly more interesting. The text was coauthored and overall it is not that well written. The quality of the writing varies page by page.
Ironically, the parts of the book that were least interesting are mostly those about the thefts of Rembrandts. They are for the most part confusingly written and often underdeveloped. The most interesting, and best executed, elements of the text are those sections that serve as mini histories/biographies of Rembrandt himself and his life and times.
There were moments and some “characters” who I was engaged with or interested to read about in this text. And again it is not a bad book. I appreciate that it values the importance of art in culture. As the book ends it emphasizes, “As temporary caretakers (of Rembrandts’ work) it is our duty to make sure his works get handed down yet again, and only first to those who would do no harm.” A lovely point, and I will say that reading this has made me plan a few museum trips in my future.
But overall it feels like it is a lot less than it could have been. Such a rich topic, such a mediocre exploration of that topic.
This is a book that should have been really good. Instead it was just okay. It’s a relatively short book, or I would have been more annoyed at my reading of it. STEALING REMBRANDTS-THE UNTOLD STORIES OF NOTORIOUS ART THEFTS is mainly about the theft of works of art by Rembrandt. In reading this text one quickly realizes that in the hands of different writers this would have been vastly more interesting. The text was coauthored and overall it is not that well written. The quality of the writing varies page by page.
Ironically, the parts of the book that were least interesting are mostly those about the thefts of Rembrandts. They are for the most part confusingly written and often underdeveloped. The most interesting, and best executed, elements of the text are those sections that serve as mini histories/biographies of Rembrandt himself and his life and times.
There were moments and some “characters” who I was engaged with or interested to read about in this text. And again it is not a bad book. I appreciate that it values the importance of art in culture. As the book ends it emphasizes, “As temporary caretakers (of Rembrandts’ work) it is our duty to make sure his works get handed down yet again, and only first to those who would do no harm.” A lovely point, and I will say that reading this has made me plan a few museum trips in my future.
But overall it feels like it is a lot less than it could have been. Such a rich topic, such a mediocre exploration of that topic.
partially-read
March 23, 2012Disclaimer: This is NOT a real review because I never finished the book. I LOVE heists, so I thought this would be a good book to read. But I realized my error upon reading the first few chapters.
The author is intent on destroying the myths around heists... but that's the part I love about heists! Their mythical power! He's like "your concept of a heist is probably tainted by hollywood, let me show you how unglamorous and anticlimactic it really is."
The author has all the entirely wrong attitudes towards heists! He wants to stop them because it's stealing and it's wrong. Boo fucking hoo. Heists are exciting and mysterious and glamorous! They're something to be celebrated, and if you want to stop them it's only so that the next heist will be even more impossible and the stakes even higher and the eventual successful heist all the sweeter because of the challenge. Forget the artwork. The heist IS the art. This author totally doesn't get that, and that's why I'm not finishing his book.
The author is intent on destroying the myths around heists... but that's the part I love about heists! Their mythical power! He's like "your concept of a heist is probably tainted by hollywood, let me show you how unglamorous and anticlimactic it really is."
The author has all the entirely wrong attitudes towards heists! He wants to stop them because it's stealing and it's wrong. Boo fucking hoo. Heists are exciting and mysterious and glamorous! They're something to be celebrated, and if you want to stop them it's only so that the next heist will be even more impossible and the stakes even higher and the eventual successful heist all the sweeter because of the challenge. Forget the artwork. The heist IS the art. This author totally doesn't get that, and that's why I'm not finishing his book.
August 27, 2015
In 2005, Anthony Amore took on the second least desirable job in the museum world: security director at Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. (Least desirable: being security director in 1990 when thieves stole 13 artworks from the museum, at $350 million the single largest heist in American history.) As part of his effort to try to recover the stolen paintings, he began to study a very narrow niche of the art-crime world -- thefts of Rembrandts. Stealing Rembrandts is the result of his homework.
ISGM lost three of the Dutch master's works, which joined in limbo the other 94 Rembrandts that have gone missing worldwide. Mr. van Rijn's daubs have been stolen for decades, by a wide range of personalities for the whole gamut of reasons. The author recounts some of the more interesting cases in this book. In each instance, he gives us some background on the stolen goods (Rembrandt's life was a rags-to-riches-to-rags tale, and he created several of the stolen paintings at key points in his career), then describes the theft, the players involved in both the crime and the investigation, and how everything turned out in the end. Along the way, you'll learn a good deal about the realities of the stolen-art market, museum security, and what really happens when you stash an Old Master in the attic.
Amore is a security guy, not an art guy. When he writes about the paintings themselves, he comes at it from the viewpoint of an educated layman; no highfalutin' MFA-speak for him. The rest of the text is equally plainspoken. The descriptions of the robberies are straightforward and easy to follow. His co-author, Tom Mashberg, was an investigative reporter for the Boston Herald, and it shows: each chapter reads like a newspaper feature.
This is also this book's major (though survivable) shortfall. The stories are interesting enough, but they're told without the sense of drama and character that made Hot Art: Chasing Thieves and Detectives Through the Secret World of Stolen Art read like a detective novel. This may or may not appeal depending on whether you like your true-crime tales hot or cool.
The art-crime books that work best for me are the ones that feature a strong central character or characters who can bridge the inherently episodic nature of the narratives. That's not the case here. What you get is a series of short stories loosely tied together by the artist whose works are disappearing into the night. While this book isn't about the author (unlike, say, Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures ), Amore may have been a bit too thorough in removing himself from the narrative. Again, you'll have to decide whether this bothers you.
About the only other complaint I have is about the miserably small selection of photos. I've said it before, but I'll repeat: in any book about art, we need to see the art.
Stealing Rembrandts is a solid journalistic exploration of art theft as it really is. If you're into real-life, big-ticket thievery, this book delivers plenty. Expect "interesting" rather than "exciting" and you won't be disappointed.
ISGM lost three of the Dutch master's works, which joined in limbo the other 94 Rembrandts that have gone missing worldwide. Mr. van Rijn's daubs have been stolen for decades, by a wide range of personalities for the whole gamut of reasons. The author recounts some of the more interesting cases in this book. In each instance, he gives us some background on the stolen goods (Rembrandt's life was a rags-to-riches-to-rags tale, and he created several of the stolen paintings at key points in his career), then describes the theft, the players involved in both the crime and the investigation, and how everything turned out in the end. Along the way, you'll learn a good deal about the realities of the stolen-art market, museum security, and what really happens when you stash an Old Master in the attic.
Amore is a security guy, not an art guy. When he writes about the paintings themselves, he comes at it from the viewpoint of an educated layman; no highfalutin' MFA-speak for him. The rest of the text is equally plainspoken. The descriptions of the robberies are straightforward and easy to follow. His co-author, Tom Mashberg, was an investigative reporter for the Boston Herald, and it shows: each chapter reads like a newspaper feature.
This is also this book's major (though survivable) shortfall. The stories are interesting enough, but they're told without the sense of drama and character that made Hot Art: Chasing Thieves and Detectives Through the Secret World of Stolen Art read like a detective novel. This may or may not appeal depending on whether you like your true-crime tales hot or cool.
The art-crime books that work best for me are the ones that feature a strong central character or characters who can bridge the inherently episodic nature of the narratives. That's not the case here. What you get is a series of short stories loosely tied together by the artist whose works are disappearing into the night. While this book isn't about the author (unlike, say, Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures ), Amore may have been a bit too thorough in removing himself from the narrative. Again, you'll have to decide whether this bothers you.
About the only other complaint I have is about the miserably small selection of photos. I've said it before, but I'll repeat: in any book about art, we need to see the art.
Stealing Rembrandts is a solid journalistic exploration of art theft as it really is. If you're into real-life, big-ticket thievery, this book delivers plenty. Expect "interesting" rather than "exciting" and you won't be disappointed.
November 13, 2012
This is such a rich subject that it was disappointing how flat and dull this book was. Yes, yes, I know it was written by a security expert and not a New Yorker writer but ... There is very little compelling history of the artwork itself and the description of the many thefts (Rembrandt works are apparently stolen more than any other works of art, because there are so many of them and because they have such a high value) is laid out in a kind of scattershot way that makes it hard to follow and almost impossible to care about. There's another book about art theft by the FBI's Robert Wittman, who is apparently a legend in the art investigation business. Amore even refers to it several times. If you had to choose between the two books, Wittman's book is much much more compelling and a great read. This one? It's fine but ... hard to recommend.
June 20, 2025
Picked this up b/c I'm always in the mood for stolen art stories and have been having a moment with the Dutch masters recently! Stealing Rembrandts recounts famous stolen Rembrandts in the last century - covering the events of the thefts, the providence of the pieces, and a lil bit of history on the artist himself.
I was entertained by the content, but the authors don't do a lot of storytelling - many of the chapters lean a little rote and dry. However, I did learn that the de Young Museum in San Francisco used to have a Rembrandt! And maybe the most entertaining snippet was when the authors talked about a stolen Rembrandt etching taken from a private residence in my hometown (which they hilariously described as a "sleepy Northwest village" - it most definitely is not)!
Overall, I'm not unhappy I read this but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it to others. There are also quite a few books in this space worth mentioning:
- Stéphane Breitwieser is briefly mentioned and I liked The Art Thief - be warned it'll make you mad!
- The authors mention Bob Wittman a few times. He's got a memoir Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures which I don't remember being standout, but I honestly might read it again.
- I need to pick up The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft! I own a copy and I think it would be a good pairing since the Gardner heist contained the most famous stolen Rembrandt, "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee".
- On the topic of TBR, hoping I can learn more about Rembrandt from Young Rembrandt: A Biography (another book currently sitting on my shelves).
I was entertained by the content, but the authors don't do a lot of storytelling - many of the chapters lean a little rote and dry. However, I did learn that the de Young Museum in San Francisco used to have a Rembrandt! And maybe the most entertaining snippet was when the authors talked about a stolen Rembrandt etching taken from a private residence in my hometown (which they hilariously described as a "sleepy Northwest village" - it most definitely is not)!
Overall, I'm not unhappy I read this but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it to others. There are also quite a few books in this space worth mentioning:
- Stéphane Breitwieser is briefly mentioned and I liked The Art Thief - be warned it'll make you mad!
- The authors mention Bob Wittman a few times. He's got a memoir Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures which I don't remember being standout, but I honestly might read it again.
- I need to pick up The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft! I own a copy and I think it would be a good pairing since the Gardner heist contained the most famous stolen Rembrandt, "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee".
- On the topic of TBR, hoping I can learn more about Rembrandt from Young Rembrandt: A Biography (another book currently sitting on my shelves).
August 24, 2025
A pleasant and not-too-long nonfiction read that strategically launches itself from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist (my personal Roman Empire), but then crosses into Rembrandt heists across different decades and continents. The takeaways for me that I appreciated were 1) the context of Rembrandt and why his work is so important and valuable to the world, 2) how disappointingly unsexy real world art heists are, and 3) how these heists often are not that beneficial to the criminals and mostly just cause irreversible damage to the public sphere and general ability to intellectually engage with art/history. Don’t worry though bc casino heists are still cool as shit — let’s get more of those pls
October 28, 2022
Research takes all forms. Fun read.
February 3, 2025
I didn't know it was possible to make an interesting subject this boring.
October 31, 2015
Stealing Rembrandts was a fun book that kept me interested, but had some pretty massive holes that I didn't expect. First, it's basically one big warning to would-be thieves that crime doesn't pay. Amore is obsessed with pointing out that most people who steal artwork don't have any idea what to do with it, and so they end up just holding onto or destroying any art that they're not caught with. If they're caught, they do to jail. I know Rembrandts weren't the target, and this book is alllll about the Rembrandts, but this "crime doesn't pay... EVER" narrative doesn't really hold much weight for me coming from the security adviser of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, home of one of (if not the single) largest art heists in American history. (That art still hasn't been recovered 25 years later, and most believe it's already made its way around to other owners on the black market).
Amore points out that most of what we think we know about art crime - namely, that there are evil supervillains out there who have hit lists of art that they hire professional thieves to steal - is a ruse. It's created by the media in movies like The Thomas Crowne Affair or television shows like White Collar. Experts in the phenomenon of Art Crime do not all agree with Amore, and though he purposefully picked thefts that resulted in the criminals' capture or in damage to the art to prove a point, Art Crime, by John Conklin, shows a much more comprehensive breakdown of how art crime can play out... Supervillain and super thieves and all.
It's a good beach read. Fun, fast, and interesting. What it isn't is an academic exploration of art theft or of the totality of Rembrandt crimes (that second point is more than okay.. Rembrandts have been the number one target of theft in the last 2 centuries).
Recommended, for sure, but only if you're looking for light fare.
Amore points out that most of what we think we know about art crime - namely, that there are evil supervillains out there who have hit lists of art that they hire professional thieves to steal - is a ruse. It's created by the media in movies like The Thomas Crowne Affair or television shows like White Collar. Experts in the phenomenon of Art Crime do not all agree with Amore, and though he purposefully picked thefts that resulted in the criminals' capture or in damage to the art to prove a point, Art Crime, by John Conklin, shows a much more comprehensive breakdown of how art crime can play out... Supervillain and super thieves and all.
It's a good beach read. Fun, fast, and interesting. What it isn't is an academic exploration of art theft or of the totality of Rembrandt crimes (that second point is more than okay.. Rembrandts have been the number one target of theft in the last 2 centuries).
Recommended, for sure, but only if you're looking for light fare.
April 1, 2019
I found this to be an interesting book about history’s most stolen artist, Rembrandt Harmensz. Van Rijn. I say interesting because, at times, it isn’t gripping. Some of the tales are recounted without much vigor, (a person or persons walks in to a museum, a gallery, or a home, and walks out with the goods, ho hum), except for Chapter Seven on the Stockholm National Museum theft of 2000 which is recounted dramatically, and which was a dramatic heist anyway. Sometimes the book (especially at the end) reads like a laundry list of thefts (then this one was stolen; and then this one was stolen). While the subtitle is “the untold stories of notorious art heists,” some of these accounts appeared in earlier publications, notably in Robert K. Wittman’s Priceless (2010), and in the many various publications cited in the notes and the bibliography of this book. However, if one is interested in taking stock of Rembrandt’s work as a ubiquitous target for both smart thieves as well as morons, this is a good and readable overview. Though it is not a book about Rembrandt per se, there are a few parts that give the reader some insight on his working process; this is done best in the last chapter on his etchings. The list of stolen Rembrandts at the end of the book is good, but it’s not useful in reminding the reader which if any of these works were recovered. The book has endnotes and a short bibliography of recent books (up to 2011) on art theft and on Rembrandt. If you are interested in art crime specifically, then it’s a must-read, but don’t read it for fun because at times it drags. If you read only selected chapters, I would recommend those on the “Takeaway Rembrandt,” a work stolen no less than four times in less than twenty years (Chapter Three); the MFA Boston heist (Chapter Six); and Chapter Seven already mentioned.
January 24, 2021
Short but interesting book on the history of art thefts centering around the prolific works of Rembrandt. Very interesting, especially as regards motives for the thefts, and how pieces seem to be mostly chosen at random and not for high value (and sometimes for size consideration!). To put it succinctly, turns out art crime is unlikely to pay, unless you’re starting a Museum of Stolen Art that nobody can come see.
Read
September 25, 2025DNF. It is boring to read this without seeing paintings and I am not THAT interested in the topic to go and look up every painting mentioned. I picked this up because I went to Isabella Steward Gardner museum and I plan to go again soon, so I wanted to learn more about stolen paintings. But there is so much about stealing other paintings in other places that I am honestly not interested in. But even if I was interested, I simply do not enjoy the writing in this book. I also have no interest in orchids, but I did enjoy The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean, so it’s not necessarily the topic that bores me, it’s more the way this book was written. It’s a shame, I really wanted to like it.
December 10, 2019
Loved this book! Super fascinating exploration of different Rembrandt-focused art crime, particularly in the 20th century. Each chapter tells of a different heist, which means you get a lot of stories. However, it can make it hard to keep the players straight. Really enjoyed this.
July 24, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ Picked this one up in the ISG museum gift shop b/c I’m interested in the unsolved heist of March 18, 1990! Approach this book with an expectation of intrigue rather than excitement, and you won’t be disappointed.
June 12, 2025
An interesting, informational read about art, thieves, and lax museum security.
July 27, 2025
About to hyperfixate on books about art🫡
July 18, 2022
This book is intriguing on multiple levels — the authors achieved an expert balance between academic discussions of art history and thrilling stories of high-stakes museum heists.
July 11, 2011
In 1997, a gang of criminals escorted Boston Herald Sunday Editor Tom Mashberg to an undisclosed warehouse and showed him an old master oil painting.
Inspecting the painting by flashlight, Mashberg believed it to be Rembrandt’s Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, famously stolen, along with several other priceless pictures, from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. Since Mashberg’s possible sighting, the missing Gardner artworks have gone back underground, and the crime remains unsolved.
Mashberg has now teamed up with the Gardner Museum’s head of security, Anthony M. Amore, to write Stealing Rembrandts, a detailed look at numerous robberies targeting works by the great Dutch master over the past century. Combining impressive shoe-leather reporting skills with solid art-world knowledge, this fascinating book debunks many myths about museum heists while providing vivid profiles of the criminals and their motives.
The rest of my review is available free online from the Associated Press:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/10...
Inspecting the painting by flashlight, Mashberg believed it to be Rembrandt’s Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, famously stolen, along with several other priceless pictures, from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. Since Mashberg’s possible sighting, the missing Gardner artworks have gone back underground, and the crime remains unsolved.
Mashberg has now teamed up with the Gardner Museum’s head of security, Anthony M. Amore, to write Stealing Rembrandts, a detailed look at numerous robberies targeting works by the great Dutch master over the past century. Combining impressive shoe-leather reporting skills with solid art-world knowledge, this fascinating book debunks many myths about museum heists while providing vivid profiles of the criminals and their motives.
The rest of my review is available free online from the Associated Press:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/10...
August 12, 2011
Co-authored by the director of security at the Isabella Stewart Museum (scene of a still-unsolved, infamous art theft in 1990) in Boston and an investigative reporter, this book focuses mostly on Rembrandt thefts around the world which HAVE been solved. However, it stresses the number of unsolved thefts. It is really a plea to thieves that stealing famous Rembrandts rarely results in big bucks and often badly damages priceless paintings, etchings etc. due to mishandling and poor/humid storage conditions outside museum or home settings. I agree with the authors' assessment that "the art theft book" is now a genre unto itself. I have a number of them on my shelves and found this one to be an excellent addition. The book, together with its footnotes and bibliography, offer further reading and movie rental ideas. A list of known Rembrandt thefts is also included in the back. A shocking piece of reporting that I had not known previously: in the 1960s and 70s, prisoners got work-release in art museum basements - where some of them learned the intricacies of "the system" and quite easily stole from treasures not being displayed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2011
"A spellbinding journey into the high-stakes world of art theft
"Today, art theft is one of the most profitable criminal enterprises in the world, exceeding $6 billion in losses to galleries and art collectors annually. And the masterpieces of Rembrandt van Rijn are some of the most frequently targeted."
A truly thrilling and extremely facinating foray into a much under-appreciated issue- the theft of priceless paintings. Mr. Amore- who certainly knows from what he writes about- has managed to make a topic which should recieve more attention, into a book that this reviewer feels will indeed to bring to light this most terrible of crimes.
The writing style is both informative and gripping, full of facinating events and characters ( real life characters!) - handled in such a way as to make this superb book read as much like a thriller as the sadly- non-fiction work it is. Mr. Amore's section on the thefts at the Isabelle Stuart Gardner Museum in Boston is just one breath-taking part of a MUST READ book
HIGHEST RECCOMENDATION- OFFICIAL JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ
RICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
"Today, art theft is one of the most profitable criminal enterprises in the world, exceeding $6 billion in losses to galleries and art collectors annually. And the masterpieces of Rembrandt van Rijn are some of the most frequently targeted."
A truly thrilling and extremely facinating foray into a much under-appreciated issue- the theft of priceless paintings. Mr. Amore- who certainly knows from what he writes about- has managed to make a topic which should recieve more attention, into a book that this reviewer feels will indeed to bring to light this most terrible of crimes.
The writing style is both informative and gripping, full of facinating events and characters ( real life characters!) - handled in such a way as to make this superb book read as much like a thriller as the sadly- non-fiction work it is. Mr. Amore's section on the thefts at the Isabelle Stuart Gardner Museum in Boston is just one breath-taking part of a MUST READ book
HIGHEST RECCOMENDATION- OFFICIAL JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ
RICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
July 21, 2016
An entertaining book about the daring and bumbling theft of Rembrandt's works of art from around the world. This book highlights both the vulnerability of great master works, as well as the impossibility of selling such works on the black market. Additionally, the motivation of the criminals, from money, to dissatisfaction with government are quite eye opening. Although the book was cowritten by the current chief of security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, home of one of the most famous Rembrandt heists in history, don't expect to read any juicy information about the whereabouts of the missing paintings. Amore revealed in a recent lecture that they actually know WHO stole the paintings, but that the paintings' whereabouts are still unknown. Since the statue of limitations for prosecuting the thieves is over, they are sitting on the information in the hope that the paintings will one day be returned.
November 22, 2013
I don't know why I have been obsessed with reading about art thefts. Don't get the wrong idea-- I am not planning a major heist! However, I do find it intriguing, a bit like my fascination with being stranded alone on an island.
This book focuses on Rembrandt paintings and etchings that have been stolen over the years. Sprinkled in it are tales from the life of Rembrandt himself, which were some of my favorite portions of the book. Even so, there are some interesting tales of criminals and how they pulled off the job. Without giving away too much, here is what I learned:
1. It is one thing to steal art, it is quite another thing to sell it. Many robbers ended up trying to return the work to avoid long jail sentences.
2. Most art thieves know nothing about art. One even stored multi-million dollar paintings in a barn for years.
3. Forged etchings of Rembrandt are far more common and nearly impossible to detect. Beware.
This book focuses on Rembrandt paintings and etchings that have been stolen over the years. Sprinkled in it are tales from the life of Rembrandt himself, which were some of my favorite portions of the book. Even so, there are some interesting tales of criminals and how they pulled off the job. Without giving away too much, here is what I learned:
1. It is one thing to steal art, it is quite another thing to sell it. Many robbers ended up trying to return the work to avoid long jail sentences.
2. Most art thieves know nothing about art. One even stored multi-million dollar paintings in a barn for years.
3. Forged etchings of Rembrandt are far more common and nearly impossible to detect. Beware.
Read
February 24, 2021If you're here for the Rembrandts, you'll probably find this book interesting; if you're here for the heists, you'll be Hugely Disappointed. (I was not here for the Rembrandts.)
On the heist front, Chapter Six is the only one worth reading. The rest of the book was an endless litany of "Art Crime Is Bad, Kids, Don't Do It," which...valid. But I was totally here to read about Heists, not to be lectured on how bad theft is.
Also, the writing was dry, except where I laughed at lines I'm 87% sure weren't meant to be funny. Journalistic and borderline clinical, where it wasn't being preachy. If you're considering picking this one up for heisty purposes, just read Chapter Six (it's 26 pages), and know that's as good as it gets.
On the heist front, Chapter Six is the only one worth reading. The rest of the book was an endless litany of "Art Crime Is Bad, Kids, Don't Do It," which...valid. But I was totally here to read about Heists, not to be lectured on how bad theft is.
Also, the writing was dry, except where I laughed at lines I'm 87% sure weren't meant to be funny. Journalistic and borderline clinical, where it wasn't being preachy. If you're considering picking this one up for heisty purposes, just read Chapter Six (it's 26 pages), and know that's as good as it gets.
December 31, 2013
After attending an entertaining talk given by the author on the subject matter in the book, my wife and I purchased a copy from Mr. Amore. Having visited the Gardener Museum many times over the years and being a life long admirer of Rembrandt's paintings, this well researched book that chronicles the surprising number of thefts of the master's works, is a great read for any lover of Rembrandt, fine art, and un solved mysteries.
December 23, 2011
This book is such a disappointment. It should have been a can't-put-down sort of book: it has true crime, exotic locales, master criminals -- and I was bored to tears. I can't quite pin down why. Somehow, the writing was tedious. Read for the information. Don't read it to be enthralled.
November 1, 2011
Oh my gosh, how do you make art theft boring? These guys have answered that question well. I had to give up!
November 10, 2011
thanks goodreads.com for the free book. Entertaining read! The book dismantles the notion of the debonair art thief and the high tech caper (sorry whitecollar fans!).
May 26, 2020
4.5 stars--great information and interesting stories of art theft
June 21, 2014
So glad I bought this book after hearing a lecture given by the author. It was very insightful. This book is nothing like anything I have ever read.
July 26, 2020
I read the whole book, enjoyed parts and learned many things, but this book could’ve been so much more.
My sister gifted this to me years ago, when I visited the Isabella Stewart Gardiner museum, home of perhaps the most notorious unsolved art heist of the last century. This book starts there, grasping at the motivations, the methods, the investigation, and the fate of that art. The beginning had me hooked.
From there, it proceeded to recount several other heists, with insight from the thieves about how and why they did it, the detectives that tracked them down, the museum representatives, and the press. I flew through several more chapters, developing an appreciation of the general framework of how and why paintings are stolen.
But from there, it gets far more granular and repetitive than I think is beneficial. There’s a pattern we see again and again: museum is robbed, stolen art includes works by Rembrandt, thieves get away initially, but don’t know how to offload the art, investigators catch on to them, a trap is set, the art is recovered (typically) or destroyed (occasionally), and public viewing recommences at the museum.
For at least a third of the book, we get a factual and moralized account of a Rembrandt being stolen and what became of it. This is what the title says the book will be about. And yet, it underwhelms. There are so many interesting questions bubbling just below the surface that this book doesn’t take the time to ask or answer because it has so many dates and Rembrandt works and museum directors to mention along the way.
My biggest frustration is that this book does to little to address the fundamental questions about its own structure. Why Rembrandt? He’s not the only painter in history. Why do people steal his works so frequently? Why are his works so highly valued? Why should we care every time a Rembrandt is stolen when it has happened at least once a year and there are hundreds of verified works by the Dutch master? The most satisfying answer I found to this came on page 157 as they specifically address Rembrandt’s self portraits. If you ask me, it was too little, too late in this book.
There wasn’t enough of a theme to tie all the stories in this book together in a satisfying way. I learned a lot, and now I want to know more. I also have a greater appreciation for and desire to visit museums, so the book is a success on that front. But it was a chore to read at times, and that’s a shame.
My sister gifted this to me years ago, when I visited the Isabella Stewart Gardiner museum, home of perhaps the most notorious unsolved art heist of the last century. This book starts there, grasping at the motivations, the methods, the investigation, and the fate of that art. The beginning had me hooked.
From there, it proceeded to recount several other heists, with insight from the thieves about how and why they did it, the detectives that tracked them down, the museum representatives, and the press. I flew through several more chapters, developing an appreciation of the general framework of how and why paintings are stolen.
But from there, it gets far more granular and repetitive than I think is beneficial. There’s a pattern we see again and again: museum is robbed, stolen art includes works by Rembrandt, thieves get away initially, but don’t know how to offload the art, investigators catch on to them, a trap is set, the art is recovered (typically) or destroyed (occasionally), and public viewing recommences at the museum.
For at least a third of the book, we get a factual and moralized account of a Rembrandt being stolen and what became of it. This is what the title says the book will be about. And yet, it underwhelms. There are so many interesting questions bubbling just below the surface that this book doesn’t take the time to ask or answer because it has so many dates and Rembrandt works and museum directors to mention along the way.
My biggest frustration is that this book does to little to address the fundamental questions about its own structure. Why Rembrandt? He’s not the only painter in history. Why do people steal his works so frequently? Why are his works so highly valued? Why should we care every time a Rembrandt is stolen when it has happened at least once a year and there are hundreds of verified works by the Dutch master? The most satisfying answer I found to this came on page 157 as they specifically address Rembrandt’s self portraits. If you ask me, it was too little, too late in this book.
There wasn’t enough of a theme to tie all the stories in this book together in a satisfying way. I learned a lot, and now I want to know more. I also have a greater appreciation for and desire to visit museums, so the book is a success on that front. But it was a chore to read at times, and that’s a shame.
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