Forgers and Thieves: The Shadowlands of Art Crime

Forgers and Thieves: The Shadowlands of Art Crime by Noah Charney is a masterful exploration of the lurid underbelly of the art world that intelligently weaves a bricolage of breathtaking case studies and insightful commentary. Structured across and within five interrelated themes that range from authenticity to popular culture, and conflict to the law, Charney authoritatively integrates a variety of fascinating topics into a suspenseful matrix of criminality. Within this, he confidently surveys subjects as poignant and diverse as Napoleon's insatiable desire for cultural plunder to Banksy's novel shredding device, which cements this book is an essential read for anyone interested in the shadows loitering behind the canvas.