What do you think?
Rate this book
The Art of the Heist: Confessions of a Master Thief – The Legendary True Crime Memoir of Boston's Most Infamous Criminal
“One of the most beguiling criminal memoirs ever written. . . . A rare gem of a book.” — T. J. English, New York Times bestselling author of Havana Nocturne How did the son of a decorated policeman grow up to be one of Boston’s most notorious criminals? How did he survive a decades-long feud with the FBI? How did he escape one jail sentence with a fake gun carved out of soap? How did he trade the return of a famous Rembrandt for early release from another sentence? The Art of the Heist is a roller-coaster ride of a life, the memoir of America’s most infamous art thief Myles Connor. Once a promising young rock musician, the son of a respected policeman, Myles Connor became one of Boston’s most well-known criminals—a legendary art thief with irresistible charm and a genius IQ whose approach to his chosen profession mixed brilliant tactical planning with stunning bravado, brazen disguises, audaciously elaborate con jobs, and even the broad-daylight grab-and-dash. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, Boston’s Museum of Fine Art . . . no museum was off-limits. The fact that he was in jail at the time of the largest art theft in American history—the still-unsolved robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum—has not stopped the FBI from considering him a prime suspect. The Art of the Heist is Connor’s story—part confession, part thrill ride, and impossible to put down.
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 21, 2009
57 people are currently reading
1084 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
July 9, 2009
The Art of the Heist was written by Connor with help from a real writer. Hard to keep going--I kept skimming, hoping to find passages which were not full of pompous bloviation on the part of Connor. The blurbs are really misleading, almost bait and switch, since Connor is the supposed prime suspect for the Gardner heist, as the publisher keeps shouting at us, but the book only covers a short period in the 70s--ten years or so before the 1990 heist. So, he never really says he did it, one of the implied promises of the book jacket. I gave up after trying to get into this book twice. Connor's braggadocio about his criminal "feats", not to mention all the stolen art he owns, gets old real quick. Any storyteller who has to keep reminding the reader how smart he is, while not being able to write his own book, and who has spent the majority of his adult life in prison after being caught time after time for art theft, needs a reality check.
August 1, 2016
Almost a year ago (has it been that long? gah) I read
Master Thieves: The Boston Gangsters Who Pulled Off the World’s Greatest Art Heist
. As you will know, I am a sucker for heist stories. That book led me to The Art of the Heist: Confessions of a Master Art Thief, Rock-and-Roller, and Prodigal Son. Myles Connor was (still is) a primary suspect in the Gardner heist, despite the fact he was in jail at the time. Although Connor and coauthor Jenny Siler discuss aspects of the heist (from a purely hypothetical standpoint), the bulk of this book traces Connor’s origins as a thief, bank robber, and art collector. At times captivating and at other times too sugarcoated for my tastes, The Art of the Heist tries to convince you there is such a thing as a thief with a heart of gold. Whether or not you agree comes down to your stomach for an unreliable narrator, tales that might be taller than they are deep, and how much you—like me—love a good heist story.
It is refreshing to hear about heists from the mouth of someone who pulled them rather than a journalist or a former investigator. Setting aside questions of sympathy and credibility, I definitely enjoyed listening to Connor spin his tales. He puts different emphasis on his jobs than a detective might, and that makes for very interesting reading. He describes his thefts in practical terms, admitting that sometimes what he stole was influenced simply by whether or not he could get it out of the building. Connor also describes the way allegiances shift depending on self-interest or differences of opinion over how to handle a crime. He parallels this with the shifting allegiances and loyalties within law enforcement. As television shows remind us (even as law enforcement tries to minimize it), inter-agency rivalry is a big source of tension. It was interesting to see various detectives, police officers, and lawyers lining up to try to get a piece of Connor or even work with Connor’s interests if it aligned with their own priorities.
The Art of the Heist reminds me somewhat of Making a Murderer. This might seem strange, in that I haven’t actually watched the latter—but I’ve read enough reviews of it to understand what its makers have tried to do. Both of these shine a light on critical flaws in the criminal justice system, flaws that allow innocent people to be framed and railroaded for crimes while guilty people go free. The Canadian system is no picnic and probably too close to the American system for comfort, but at least we don’t do stupid things like have elected judges and district attorneys. Seriously, America: why?? Connor corroborates what other sources have long said: at every level, the system that is supposed to protect us from criminals while also rehabilitate them pretty much just exists to sustain itself, to generate profit, and to let law enforcement do what it wants. From transferring Connor to a facility where they hope he will be murdered by the other inmates to framing him for murders with the help of lying witnesses, certain law enforcement agents give that entire sector a bad name.
For that alone I’m glad I read The Art of the Heist. I’m less enthusiastic about Connor’s voice. The writing isn’t bad, but he doesn’t manage to charm me the way he so obviously wants to. I’m a pretty big bleeding heart liberal, and I’ll be the first to admit I think a lot of “criminals” are simply people caught up circumstances thrust upon them by a harsh and oppressive system. Yet Connor’s constant reminders that he doesn’t like people getting hurt, that he’s only stealing this art because he really wants it, that he’s oh-so-intelligent but just misunderstood by a society hung up on ideas of personal property … these all ring hollow. He might consider art theft a victimless crime, in the sense that he tries not to hurt people in the process and he steals from institutions that are insured or families rich enough to take the financial hits. But he also freely admits to trafficking in cocaine and heroin. Because that stuff is totally victimless too, right? I believe Connor believes he is an “honourable thief” but I can’t really apply that label to him. And while I wouldn’t call him an outright liar, it’s important to view this book as one with an ultimately unreliable narrator: he wants to come off looking good, so take that into consideration.
Reliable or no, Connor’s voice provides another interesting perspective on the world of Boston crime, art theft, and the justice system. Although not as engrossing as I had hoped, The Art of the Heist was at least informative and often interesting.
It is refreshing to hear about heists from the mouth of someone who pulled them rather than a journalist or a former investigator. Setting aside questions of sympathy and credibility, I definitely enjoyed listening to Connor spin his tales. He puts different emphasis on his jobs than a detective might, and that makes for very interesting reading. He describes his thefts in practical terms, admitting that sometimes what he stole was influenced simply by whether or not he could get it out of the building. Connor also describes the way allegiances shift depending on self-interest or differences of opinion over how to handle a crime. He parallels this with the shifting allegiances and loyalties within law enforcement. As television shows remind us (even as law enforcement tries to minimize it), inter-agency rivalry is a big source of tension. It was interesting to see various detectives, police officers, and lawyers lining up to try to get a piece of Connor or even work with Connor’s interests if it aligned with their own priorities.
The Art of the Heist reminds me somewhat of Making a Murderer. This might seem strange, in that I haven’t actually watched the latter—but I’ve read enough reviews of it to understand what its makers have tried to do. Both of these shine a light on critical flaws in the criminal justice system, flaws that allow innocent people to be framed and railroaded for crimes while guilty people go free. The Canadian system is no picnic and probably too close to the American system for comfort, but at least we don’t do stupid things like have elected judges and district attorneys. Seriously, America: why?? Connor corroborates what other sources have long said: at every level, the system that is supposed to protect us from criminals while also rehabilitate them pretty much just exists to sustain itself, to generate profit, and to let law enforcement do what it wants. From transferring Connor to a facility where they hope he will be murdered by the other inmates to framing him for murders with the help of lying witnesses, certain law enforcement agents give that entire sector a bad name.
For that alone I’m glad I read The Art of the Heist. I’m less enthusiastic about Connor’s voice. The writing isn’t bad, but he doesn’t manage to charm me the way he so obviously wants to. I’m a pretty big bleeding heart liberal, and I’ll be the first to admit I think a lot of “criminals” are simply people caught up circumstances thrust upon them by a harsh and oppressive system. Yet Connor’s constant reminders that he doesn’t like people getting hurt, that he’s only stealing this art because he really wants it, that he’s oh-so-intelligent but just misunderstood by a society hung up on ideas of personal property … these all ring hollow. He might consider art theft a victimless crime, in the sense that he tries not to hurt people in the process and he steals from institutions that are insured or families rich enough to take the financial hits. But he also freely admits to trafficking in cocaine and heroin. Because that stuff is totally victimless too, right? I believe Connor believes he is an “honourable thief” but I can’t really apply that label to him. And while I wouldn’t call him an outright liar, it’s important to view this book as one with an ultimately unreliable narrator: he wants to come off looking good, so take that into consideration.
Reliable or no, Connor’s voice provides another interesting perspective on the world of Boston crime, art theft, and the justice system. Although not as engrossing as I had hoped, The Art of the Heist was at least informative and often interesting.
December 27, 2012
OK, a bit of background first. I am a sucker for a good heist story. I am a double sucker for a true crime heist story. I love loveable con men, and rougish yet brilliant thieves who walk away with a pile of cash or a Monet that used to belong to some rich ass hole. I don’t really like the Ann Rule sort of true crime- crazy killers killing in a crazy way. I see crazy people at work all the time. They do not fascinate me as much as crafty people do. I like my criminals more Thomas Crown or Doug Street, less Hannibal Lector or Lyle Mendez.
So I read “The Art of The Heist” by Myles J Conner.
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Heist-Confe....
It chronicles the story of Connor’s life from the mid 60s through the early 80s. When he wasn’t involved in crime, or in jail, Mr. Conner was/ is a guitarist and band leader. Whether this is a cause of, or effect of his enormous ego I’m still not sure. He is, by all accounts (all of HIS accounts,) an excellent and skilled art thief. So far, so good. The parts of the story that talk about art theft, and the sale of stolen art are very engaging. The problem with his story is that he is also an admitted drug smuggler, a cop shooter, and thug.
I am not sure if he is a bad person who’s one “redeeming” quality is that he is a skilled art thief. Or if the sad truth is, all those other loveable rogues are also involved in criminal endeavors that mix them up with drug dealers, the mafia, and general thuggary, but they have the good sense not to talk about it. He spends a lot of time in jail. His friends are killers, and goons. And he has little insight and no remorse re: his crimes and personal choices.
I think that this book can serve as an excellent bromide for the geeks out there who walk around museums and check out camera placement, guard rotas etc. The folks with 9 to 5 jobs who dream about a life of international intrigue and high stakes crime. You won’t be David Niven. You won’t be Jim diGriz. You will be in jail, or dead. Not a great book, but a good message.
.
So I read “The Art of The Heist” by Myles J Conner.
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Heist-Confe....
It chronicles the story of Connor’s life from the mid 60s through the early 80s. When he wasn’t involved in crime, or in jail, Mr. Conner was/ is a guitarist and band leader. Whether this is a cause of, or effect of his enormous ego I’m still not sure. He is, by all accounts (all of HIS accounts,) an excellent and skilled art thief. So far, so good. The parts of the story that talk about art theft, and the sale of stolen art are very engaging. The problem with his story is that he is also an admitted drug smuggler, a cop shooter, and thug.
I am not sure if he is a bad person who’s one “redeeming” quality is that he is a skilled art thief. Or if the sad truth is, all those other loveable rogues are also involved in criminal endeavors that mix them up with drug dealers, the mafia, and general thuggary, but they have the good sense not to talk about it. He spends a lot of time in jail. His friends are killers, and goons. And he has little insight and no remorse re: his crimes and personal choices.
I think that this book can serve as an excellent bromide for the geeks out there who walk around museums and check out camera placement, guard rotas etc. The folks with 9 to 5 jobs who dream about a life of international intrigue and high stakes crime. You won’t be David Niven. You won’t be Jim diGriz. You will be in jail, or dead. Not a great book, but a good message.
.
January 29, 2024
I felt like this book was a grandpa telling stories to his kids/grandkids and trying to be the coolest person ever. Also not being from New England it was difficult to picture understand all the locations without looking at a map.
October 28, 2012
I was hoping this was going to be a real life Ocean's Thirteen or The Italian Job. You know, good looking people who are carrying out a heist because some really bad person has it coming.
Unfortunately, crime in real life is not like crime in the movies. Nobody is attractive, all the sociopathic tendencies are front and center and the characters are all repellent, violent jerks instead of suave, funny, smooth-talkers.
The man at the center of this story is possibly the most odious, hateful, foul piece of garbage excuse for a human being born in New England at any time in the last century. He, of course, thinks that he is a stand-up guy who was just doling out revenge to the upper classes. Their crime? Treating him as a member of the lower class.
Avoid this book.
Unfortunately, crime in real life is not like crime in the movies. Nobody is attractive, all the sociopathic tendencies are front and center and the characters are all repellent, violent jerks instead of suave, funny, smooth-talkers.
The man at the center of this story is possibly the most odious, hateful, foul piece of garbage excuse for a human being born in New England at any time in the last century. He, of course, thinks that he is a stand-up guy who was just doling out revenge to the upper classes. Their crime? Treating him as a member of the lower class.
Avoid this book.
September 16, 2015
Η αυτοβιογραφία ενός (μεταξύ άλλων) κλέφτη έργων τέχνης.
Το βιβλίο δεν έχει ιδιαίτερη λογοτεχνική αξία, αν και είναι γραμμένο απλά και στρωτά σαν αφήγηση. Η ιστορία του τύπου είναι πραγματικά απίστευτη, αλλά ο ίδιος δεν είναι ένας συμπαθητικός άνθρωπος. Αυτό μου άρεσε. Δεν είναι άγγελος και δεν προσπαθεί να περάσει τον εαυτό του σαν τέτοιο (έι, πουλούσε και ναρκωτικά εξάλλου) αλλά είναι αυτή ακριβώς η ειλικρίνεια που το κάνει ένα συναρπαστικό ανάγνωσμα. Από όσα βιβλία true crime έχω διαβάσει τελευταία, αυτό είναι το καλύτερο. Ο λόγος που δεν του έδωσα 5 αστεράκια είναι πως προς το τέλος με όλες αυτές τις αμερικανιές του δικαστικού συστήματος με τα παζάρια και τις συμφωνίες, γίνεται βαρετό.
Το βιβλίο δεν έχει ιδιαίτερη λογοτεχνική αξία, αν και είναι γραμμένο απλά και στρωτά σαν αφήγηση. Η ιστορία του τύπου είναι πραγματικά απίστευτη, αλλά ο ίδιος δεν είναι ένας συμπαθητικός άνθρωπος. Αυτό μου άρεσε. Δεν είναι άγγελος και δεν προσπαθεί να περάσει τον εαυτό του σαν τέτοιο (έι, πουλούσε και ναρκωτικά εξάλλου) αλλά είναι αυτή ακριβώς η ειλικρίνεια που το κάνει ένα συναρπαστικό ανάγνωσμα. Από όσα βιβλία true crime έχω διαβάσει τελευταία, αυτό είναι το καλύτερο. Ο λόγος που δεν του έδωσα 5 αστεράκια είναι πως προς το τέλος με όλες αυτές τις αμερικανιές του δικαστικού συστήματος με τα παζάρια και τις συμφωνίες, γίνεται βαρετό.
July 21, 2009
Dad HATED this one! The guy thought he was SSOO cool and apparently it was pretty sickening.
August 12, 2024
WHAT A JOKE!
Another con successfully deployed if this farce of a book is to be believed. Shit, I didn't get past the first 3 chapters...
Wasted a book credit on my libby account for this ILOVEME memoir.
Another con successfully deployed if this farce of a book is to be believed. Shit, I didn't get past the first 3 chapters...
Wasted a book credit on my libby account for this ILOVEME memoir.
July 10, 2015
I will admit, I didn't care for this book. Reading about Connor relating his life story, one thought I returned to again and again was he never found himself in a situation which he couldn't make worse. Connor has the combination of cockiness, vengefulness, and the inability to take responsibility for his own actions that I've seen in many "career criminals." Yes, I'm in law enforcement, yes that may bias me.
Somewhat improbably, Connor claims to be an art connoisseur, master thief, martial arts expert, and at least on the local level, rock and roll star. He commits crimes, and then complains that law enforcement is "picking on him." Just about everyone that opposes him is depicted as vicious, foolish, and spiteful. Of course, even while he goes to prison several times, he sticks by his code and won't inform on anyone, even while he has that happen to him several times.
He gets irritated at others involving his family members, and yet he stores stolen property with lovers and friends. He skips out on the last day of a trial his team is winning, so, even though his side wins, he gets an additional charge. He moves from art thief, which some find to be a romantic ideal, to drug dealer.
It's an interesting, if doubtful, story. It's well enough written, although very one sided on most fronts.
Somewhat improbably, Connor claims to be an art connoisseur, master thief, martial arts expert, and at least on the local level, rock and roll star. He commits crimes, and then complains that law enforcement is "picking on him." Just about everyone that opposes him is depicted as vicious, foolish, and spiteful. Of course, even while he goes to prison several times, he sticks by his code and won't inform on anyone, even while he has that happen to him several times.
He gets irritated at others involving his family members, and yet he stores stolen property with lovers and friends. He skips out on the last day of a trial his team is winning, so, even though his side wins, he gets an additional charge. He moves from art thief, which some find to be a romantic ideal, to drug dealer.
It's an interesting, if doubtful, story. It's well enough written, although very one sided on most fronts.
July 14, 2014
Of all the """true""" memoirs of conmen, thieves, and bank robbers, this might be one of my favorites. Connor is a likable thief, pragmatic and interesting. He talks about museum heists in a way that makes him seem sympathetic to the museum workers and also hyper-critical of the art world. I would recommend it.
May 6, 2009
I expected more from this bio of master art thief Myles J Connor, but he just didn't deliver. Needed a ghost writer to help punch up what probably was a remarkable life.
June 29, 2009
You'd have known if it was me. I would have taken the Titian.
But drawn to each other by our mutual love of animals and by a shared interest in martial arts, we quickly became friends.
But drawn to each other by our mutual love of animals and by a shared interest in martial arts, we quickly became friends.
May 5, 2011
Miles is a bit off a show off. It's hard to believe that this is all true.
I did enjoy all the mentions of local spots. And yes i did go to the Gardener Museum after finishing!!
I did enjoy all the mentions of local spots. And yes i did go to the Gardener Museum after finishing!!
June 14, 2012
For a guy who claims to have been a "master art thief", the author sure did spend a lot of time in prison...
May 14, 2021
Reading this book is a little like talking with your friend who just keeps getting back with her clusterfuck of a boyfriend: you love her, she's great fun to talk to, but damn, you wish she'd make better decisions and sometimes it's very, very sad to watch her keep making the same mistakes. That, in a nutshell, is my take on Myles Connor.
My wife and I picked this up to read together after watching Netflix's new documentary about the robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. Connor was interviewed for that and every time we heard about his life or saw him talk, we were like, okay, tell us more, how on earth did you get into art heists as a side gig for your music profession?!?!? This book certainly answers many of our questions, and in short, it involves a lot of way worse decision-making than we thought. It's a very engaging read: My wife, who has ADHD, describes it as, "ADHD friendly, because Connor has ADHD". I'm inclined to agree with her analysis. Nothing drags on, plot-wise, and having recently read Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood a lot of Connor's life is just painfully reminiscent of the chapter on people self-medicating through the adrenaline rush of risky behaviors. Connor is also clearly very charismatic, which is evident through both his documentary interviews and writing here.
The downside is that, because the book is narrowly focused on his art thefts, it can be very, very hard to orient yourself to exactly when something is occurring both within the timeline of Connor's life and within...you know, time. This is one of those works that makes us youngsters realize just how much has changed both in terms of surveillance technology and the police state since the 1970s/80s, realizations undercut somewhat by how hard it is to track who Connor is doing what with when. I understand that some of this is unavoidable, given...you know, the subject at hand, and I also respect Connor keeping much of his family life only peripheral at best to his memoir. The outcome, however, can be confusing.
For the most part, Connor is relatively believable, the major exception being that I in no way believe that he wasn't aware of the mob connections of the people he was running with. Hell, I'm leaning towards him having been directly tied into the mob himself. He very much paints himself as a gentleman thief. He may well believe that self-image. I do not, particularly as he veers away from bank robbery and art heists and into drug trafficking. I appreciate that he is forthright without making the book feel confess-y. But even reading into this with a tendency to give him the benefit of the doubt, it can be hard to empathize with him, especially through his nearly-inexplicable decisions to repeatedly run from police. Whether you agree with his overturned convictions or not, this book will make you look at the justice system and think, "shit, what is the point?". You will think that because of the things he did and got away with almost as much as because of the things he didn't do and suffered so much for.
If you're looking for inspiration for your next bard/rogue character or for a better understanding of how a museum robbery or fencing a stolen piece of artwork actually works, this is a great work to read and I highly, highly, recommend it.
If you're looking for a role model for your anarchist, authority-defying ways, look somewhere else. He may have stolen from the rich, but he did not so much give to the poor as circle himself repeatedly into and out of poverty, and his justification of some of the crimes he describes as 'thumbing [his] nose at authority' really just requires some extreme mental gymnastics to comprehend.
My wife and I picked this up to read together after watching Netflix's new documentary about the robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. Connor was interviewed for that and every time we heard about his life or saw him talk, we were like, okay, tell us more, how on earth did you get into art heists as a side gig for your music profession?!?!? This book certainly answers many of our questions, and in short, it involves a lot of way worse decision-making than we thought. It's a very engaging read: My wife, who has ADHD, describes it as, "ADHD friendly, because Connor has ADHD". I'm inclined to agree with her analysis. Nothing drags on, plot-wise, and having recently read Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood a lot of Connor's life is just painfully reminiscent of the chapter on people self-medicating through the adrenaline rush of risky behaviors. Connor is also clearly very charismatic, which is evident through both his documentary interviews and writing here.
The downside is that, because the book is narrowly focused on his art thefts, it can be very, very hard to orient yourself to exactly when something is occurring both within the timeline of Connor's life and within...you know, time. This is one of those works that makes us youngsters realize just how much has changed both in terms of surveillance technology and the police state since the 1970s/80s, realizations undercut somewhat by how hard it is to track who Connor is doing what with when. I understand that some of this is unavoidable, given...you know, the subject at hand, and I also respect Connor keeping much of his family life only peripheral at best to his memoir. The outcome, however, can be confusing.
For the most part, Connor is relatively believable, the major exception being that I in no way believe that he wasn't aware of the mob connections of the people he was running with. Hell, I'm leaning towards him having been directly tied into the mob himself. He very much paints himself as a gentleman thief. He may well believe that self-image. I do not, particularly as he veers away from bank robbery and art heists and into drug trafficking. I appreciate that he is forthright without making the book feel confess-y. But even reading into this with a tendency to give him the benefit of the doubt, it can be hard to empathize with him, especially through his nearly-inexplicable decisions to repeatedly run from police. Whether you agree with his overturned convictions or not, this book will make you look at the justice system and think, "shit, what is the point?". You will think that because of the things he did and got away with almost as much as because of the things he didn't do and suffered so much for.
If you're looking for inspiration for your next bard/rogue character or for a better understanding of how a museum robbery or fencing a stolen piece of artwork actually works, this is a great work to read and I highly, highly, recommend it.
If you're looking for a role model for your anarchist, authority-defying ways, look somewhere else. He may have stolen from the rich, but he did not so much give to the poor as circle himself repeatedly into and out of poverty, and his justification of some of the crimes he describes as 'thumbing [his] nose at authority' really just requires some extreme mental gymnastics to comprehend.
November 15, 2023
Interesting autobiographical story about a Irish guy Myles Connor from Boston that stole art and paintings from museums, robbed banks and was an excellent musician. The author spent many years in jail. He shot a policeman, he sold drugs, cocaine and heroin, he managed to have a couple of girls fall in love with him and had a couple of kids by one of them.
He tells the story like he is this upstanding guy who knows more about art than the conservators at museums who takes the painting because he just loves them so much and other people, cops, lawyers, other criminals treat him badly and that is why is forced to do certain things. (He wouldn't have shot the policeman if he hadn't been forced to. He never wanted to hurt anyone) Haha from a guy who sells cocaine!
His father is a highly regarded honest cop. His mother worries about him. He says he just couldn't help himself from leading the life he led.
The story is hard to believe and since he admits to being a liar and I could not find any corroborating information on most of his claimed exploits in a brief scan of the web, who knows what is true and what is the made-up self-aggrandizing story of a sociopathic, egotistical criminal.
He tells the story like he is this upstanding guy who knows more about art than the conservators at museums who takes the painting because he just loves them so much and other people, cops, lawyers, other criminals treat him badly and that is why is forced to do certain things. (He wouldn't have shot the policeman if he hadn't been forced to. He never wanted to hurt anyone) Haha from a guy who sells cocaine!
His father is a highly regarded honest cop. His mother worries about him. He says he just couldn't help himself from leading the life he led.
The story is hard to believe and since he admits to being a liar and I could not find any corroborating information on most of his claimed exploits in a brief scan of the web, who knows what is true and what is the made-up self-aggrandizing story of a sociopathic, egotistical criminal.
December 10, 2024
The Art of the Heist is a very readable and often entertaining memoir of a career criminal and virtual sociopath. Myles Conner is very intelligent and has a weakness for possessing fine art. He is also an accomplished martial artist, charismatic rock and roller and loyal acquaintance to some notorious Boston bad guys in the 1960s and 1970s. He became infamous for breaking into museums and stealing valuable artwork, and breaking into banks and stealing cash. He masterminded a string of brazen robberies that had numerous law enforcement agencies working to bring him down, both legitimately and also underhandedly. Stealing a Rembrandt from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in broad daylight was a coup really pissed them off and put a lot of public pressure on the agencies.
Myles broke out of jails and prisons; got into gunfights with cops; got the crap beat out of him; jumped bail; and when presented with opportunities to go straight, opted instead for the bigger bucks in crime.
But Conner is a good story teller and this is a fine look behind the scenes in cops and robbers adventures.
Helpful if you are familiar with Boston area geography.
Myles broke out of jails and prisons; got into gunfights with cops; got the crap beat out of him; jumped bail; and when presented with opportunities to go straight, opted instead for the bigger bucks in crime.
But Conner is a good story teller and this is a fine look behind the scenes in cops and robbers adventures.
Helpful if you are familiar with Boston area geography.
August 23, 2017
This was an interesting and quick read, if you like true crime books. The author and thief writes in an engaging manner.
But my objection with the book is that it is much more about his trials and time in prison than about art, thievery, and rock and roll.
The corruption of law enforcement in the 70s and 80s in Boston and Massachusetts may or may not be overstated, but it is certainly presented plausibly.
I would have much more appreciated more on his learning and appreciation of art, on his time with an alias as an expert on art, and on the planning and carrying out of the heists, including some personal perspective on "the art of the heist" as the title suggests.
It was not what I'd hoped, and yet was not bad. Three stars fits. I liked it but was a bit disappointed.
But my objection with the book is that it is much more about his trials and time in prison than about art, thievery, and rock and roll.
The corruption of law enforcement in the 70s and 80s in Boston and Massachusetts may or may not be overstated, but it is certainly presented plausibly.
I would have much more appreciated more on his learning and appreciation of art, on his time with an alias as an expert on art, and on the planning and carrying out of the heists, including some personal perspective on "the art of the heist" as the title suggests.
It was not what I'd hoped, and yet was not bad. Three stars fits. I liked it but was a bit disappointed.
March 20, 2021
A sensational read of the life of crime (primarily art theft) of the author. As much as he lived his life brazenly, it was an empty, even boring read after a while. Not too many insights from a man who would rather live a life of crime and rebellion and who had no clear moral compass, guided rather by the "thrill of holding a Rembrandt."
The pattern of thrill, capture, incarceration and repeat got old pretty quick.
He is left with nothing to speak of at the end and with no real contribution to the world except being able to hold court for a moment by telling tales of his own "fearlessness."
The pattern of thrill, capture, incarceration and repeat got old pretty quick.
He is left with nothing to speak of at the end and with no real contribution to the world except being able to hold court for a moment by telling tales of his own "fearlessness."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2022
Very good autobiography, I believe it is important to keep in mind what was written about Myles J. Connor by others, however, so as to reveal certain parts which might have been made slightly grandiose. I think this aspect of the book makes it more interesting to read, however, because its not only an incredibly interesting detail of Myles's life as an art thief but also a look into the mind of someone who was capable of carrying out such endeavours, which requires more cunning, gut, and frankly confidence/grandiosity than the average individual contains.
July 24, 2021
The best thing about this book was the double meaning in the title. I wish I had smiled at that and moved on rather than wasting the time to read it. This supposedly true story read like a boring, braggadocious, lie filled piece of fiction. One thing that stood out to me though is that the criminal mind is a coldhearted one and this criminal was really proud of what he did!
January 25, 2024
"Someone could write a book about you someday, but no one would believe it". That line about perfectly sums up this book.
Even if just the smallest part of this book is true, Connor lived one hell of an insane life. I'll definitely be doing some deep-dives into some of the crimes he mentioned and see if I can find any additional/ less biased info on them.
3.5 stars
Even if just the smallest part of this book is true, Connor lived one hell of an insane life. I'll definitely be doing some deep-dives into some of the crimes he mentioned and see if I can find any additional/ less biased info on them.
3.5 stars
November 15, 2021
If you’ve watched “This Is A Robbery” on Netflix, you saw Myles Connor talking about the Gardner Museum, you’ll be pleased with what this autobiography tells. That story is about 1% of this entire book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2023
easily the most attention grabbing and page-turning nonfiction book i’ve ever read. myles’ story is one that i’ve never heard anything like and i think everyone who has any interest in the US justice system should read it.
January 17, 2017
An enjoyable read, but it bogs at times and Myles spends an awful lot of time letting you know just exactly how awesome he is. Show don't tell, mah dude.
March 25, 2018
One of my favorite true crime books!
September 19, 2018
This was fascinating. So much so that I kept accidentally staying up past my bedtime to find out what happened next. Review, then: absorbing book, do not read if trying to fall asleep.
January 23, 2020
A very interesting book on the mind of a criminal.
May 22, 2020
Great read! I found the author's narrative thought-out, and surprisingly charming. Enjoy the heists, and regret the friendships. A casual read for True Crime enthusiasts.
November 27, 2020
Picked it up at a library book sale. Took me a long time to get through. Wasn't as good as I had hoped.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews