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

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)

A way to learn history through a modern event

Well written story and performance. Nice introduction to map history.
Many complain about the reader; for me, he fits the story.

Hidden intrigue in library's oldest books.

I enjoyed the book and learned about the Map market, but it's not a terribly exciting book. I like the Reader and that helped me finish. I think that the author did an excellent job of wrighting on a fairly dry subject.

interesting premise turned dull

I had high hopes for this, but it put me to sleep. Maybe it was the content, maybe it was the delivery, but it is a snooze-fest.

Loved it

The information and story in this book kept me enthralled. I've even read it twice, because after the first time, I recommended it to my bookclub.

the map thief

I love true stories, so this book is right up my alley. I like to hear about the backgrounds of the subject.