Loot: Inside the World of Stolen Art

by Thomas McShane, Dary Matera

Thomas McShane is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the art theft business. Here, he presents a unique memoir that gives readers a thrilling ride through the underworld of stolen art and historical artefacts. For 36 years, McShane masked his colorful alter egos in various disguises and chased down $900 million worth of stolen art pieces. From Rembrants taken from the Leon Bonnat Museum in Bayonne, France, to van Goghs snatched from the Armand Hammer Galleries across from Trump Plaza in Manhattan, McShane always brought these world treasures back to their rightful owners.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art

360 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Regan Gambier · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for Thomas McShane; 1 star for Dary Matera and Maverick publishing.

McShane's stories are fascinating, unfortunately not brilliantly written. I don't know which of the two authors was the man who never met a simile he didn't like enough to use twice, but as a professional writer, I hold Matera responsible. I had to really work to motivate myself to finish the book. My desire to hear more of Tom McShane's adventures was seriously tempered by reading outlandish simile after outrageous analogy.

The publishing house, Maverick House, also must carry some blame as entire sentences were almost unreadable having been squashed together in the interest of saving space. I could understand better if the last few words of the self-same paragraph hadn't been dangling loose on a line of their own. It all could have been tighter and would have been a better credit to McShane's incredible experiences, and the fascinating histories of the masterpieces.

[Ian Pattinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting memoir of life in the FBI's art crime squad. Reading it as research for a story I'm working on.