The Map Thief
by Michael Blanding
The Map Thief
The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps
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 (hence, the New England connection). 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. The Map Thief interweaves Smiley’s escapades with stories of the explorers and mapmakers he knew better than anyone.
Jacket cover courtesty of Gotham Books. Author photo courtesy of Penguin Random House.