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Stealing the Show: A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts by Zachary Schisgal, John Barelli
doloresofcourse's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
I found this book interesting because I read a lot about art theft and the history of museums. The book title is a misnomer. Famous art thefts are discussed along with smaller thefts at the Met. The second half of the book is mostly his history of famous people coming to visit the museum and all the security protocols taken. If the book had a different title, a solid four star.
tavibbbbb's review against another edition
3.0
This book had a lot of potential - the author is a really interesting person and clearly has many unique life experiences worth sharing. However, I found myself disappointing in its execution. Somewhere in between true crime and memoir, the author attempts to be both in under 200 pages, giving brevity to what I considered more interesting anecdotes and spending pages noting less important figures. I honestly think that the main problem is the organization and the editing - this was co-written with Zachary Schisgal, an editor, so I attribute the main weaknesses of the book to his lack of a heavy-hand editing. That being said, Barelli certainly knows his stuff and has some great stories. If you approach the book like you're listening to your dad talk about his day at work (unnecessary details, a little bias, and questionable storytelling) rather than a professional art crime novel, you may like it - and it's pretty short if you do want to give it a whirl.
tracey_stewart's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fascinating book, full of thing I love, like tales of art and of the inner workings of my favorite museum. But it felt like it should have been at least half again as long. Several of the stories - and there were more than six, as described in the title, and they weren't all of thefts - felt unfinished. What happened to the Banksy? (All the Banksys, really.) Why did that truck crash? Did the author ever try to locate and interview any of the culprits he talks about, to gain more information and insight - as he did when preparing his doctorate?
Another thing that bothered me - no, two - were, first, the fact that, especially toward the end, every time the author spoke in high praise of someone, I knew that one of the next paragraphs would describe their death. He really did seem to interact with a lot of people just a little time before their deaths. I can't blame him for name-dropping - it would be absurd to not tell those stories - but the overall effect was a bit ghoulish. Or indicative that he brought bad luck.
The second thing was an overriding sense, almost a smugness, of "If I had been in charge things would have gone better." September 11 might not have involved so much loss of life - or might have been prevented, I daresay, if Mr. Barelli had had charge of airport security. Princess Diana might not have died if he'd been in charge of her security. I'm not saying that's not true - some of the smugness seems to have been well-earned. He seems to have been excellent at his job. I just don't think it's too helpful to indulge in this kind of Monday morning quarterbacking, and it's certainly not enjoyable to listen to. Nor is it what I signed up for in a book subtitled "A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts".
On the whole, I was glad of the book. I love the Met; I love New York. I love a behind-the-scenes look at the former - even when I come away a little depressed that record-keeping used to be so nonexistent they could mislay a couple of Degas sculptures as easily as I misplace my keys. People are people, and actual excellence is rare and fleeting; I just wish I could think it was different at a place like the Met.
The narration was inflectionless, which was perfect for telling this story. I want a lot more anecdotes. (And less hubris.)
Another thing that bothered me - no, two - were, first, the fact that, especially toward the end, every time the author spoke in high praise of someone, I knew that one of the next paragraphs would describe their death. He really did seem to interact with a lot of people just a little time before their deaths. I can't blame him for name-dropping - it would be absurd to not tell those stories - but the overall effect was a bit ghoulish. Or indicative that he brought bad luck.
The second thing was an overriding sense, almost a smugness, of "If I had been in charge things would have gone better." September 11 might not have involved so much loss of life - or might have been prevented, I daresay, if Mr. Barelli had had charge of airport security. Princess Diana might not have died if he'd been in charge of her security. I'm not saying that's not true - some of the smugness seems to have been well-earned. He seems to have been excellent at his job. I just don't think it's too helpful to indulge in this kind of Monday morning quarterbacking, and it's certainly not enjoyable to listen to. Nor is it what I signed up for in a book subtitled "A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts".
On the whole, I was glad of the book. I love the Met; I love New York. I love a behind-the-scenes look at the former - even when I come away a little depressed that record-keeping used to be so nonexistent they could mislay a couple of Degas sculptures as easily as I misplace my keys. People are people, and actual excellence is rare and fleeting; I just wish I could think it was different at a place like the Met.
The narration was inflectionless, which was perfect for telling this story. I want a lot more anecdotes. (And less hubris.)
monisha19's review against another edition
3.5
This is a very interesting subject for me and i enjoyed the first hand experience by the author. It's actually increased my interest in art thieves... It was very informative
xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
John Barelli was the chief of security at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for almost forty years. In this book, he gives an account of the day to day museum life, what the massive amounts of visitors were like, and a lot of information about the artwork in the museum. There was a lot more information about what it was like making the entire museum safe for the guests and visiting dignitaries than about the thefts, which did make the title seem misleading, but I was not disappointed.
This book really made me want to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art more than I already wanted to. I would love to see the amazing collections housed in this museum, especially the ones that I have heard stories about now. I would be over the moon in the Egyptian treasures, Warhol, and Rembrandt rooms. I think it would be a very fun experience to work in a museum of any type, which is something I would have loved to do with my history degree. The behind the scenes look into museum life in this book was exciting and informative to me. This book is currently available on Audible Plus, and is about a five hour listen.
This book really made me want to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art more than I already wanted to. I would love to see the amazing collections housed in this museum, especially the ones that I have heard stories about now. I would be over the moon in the Egyptian treasures, Warhol, and Rembrandt rooms. I think it would be a very fun experience to work in a museum of any type, which is something I would have loved to do with my history degree. The behind the scenes look into museum life in this book was exciting and informative to me. This book is currently available on Audible Plus, and is about a five hour listen.
izzyvogel's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh, I was so excited to hear about the behind-the-scenes of these art thefts, but this book ended up being more of a memoir about the writer's career.
I wish it had been advertised that way, as it would have probably made me enjoy the story more.
I wish it had been advertised that way, as it would have probably made me enjoy the story more.
annouk's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5 stars
While interesting, I feel like this book is more about security than art theft. The six thefts don’t make up the entire story, and are often spoiled in the captions of the photos the author includes. Never the less, I did enjoy reading about the Met and appreciated the heart the author put into his writing.
While interesting, I feel like this book is more about security than art theft. The six thefts don’t make up the entire story, and are often spoiled in the captions of the photos the author includes. Never the less, I did enjoy reading about the Met and appreciated the heart the author put into his writing.