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kahlloria's review against another edition
2.0
Not as fascinating as I had hoped. Maybe because I had the kindle version so I couldn't look at the maps themselves in very much detail. The author was hampered by the fact that Smiley had agreed to do the book, then backed out, so he wasn't well-drawn. The most interesting part for me was the end when there was a discussion of the push-pull between the libraries and the criminal justice system.
k8iedid's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not a map lover, or even an ardent map follower, but I LOVE a great con story. Especially when they involve cultural artifacts.
Blanding's writing and research includes a fascinating look at the history of map making, which has been rife with thievery since the beginning (who wouldn't draw a map slightly in their favor, right?). Is everyone out there stealing maps and knowing about map stealing except me?
Smiley (Smily? Oh the drawback of audiobooks) is an interesting character, and given the small map selling/buying community presented in the book, it's wild to see how long he was able to carry on his thieving.
Blanding's writing and research includes a fascinating look at the history of map making, which has been rife with thievery since the beginning (who wouldn't draw a map slightly in their favor, right?). Is everyone out there stealing maps and knowing about map stealing except me?
Smiley (Smily? Oh the drawback of audiobooks) is an interesting character, and given the small map selling/buying community presented in the book, it's wild to see how long he was able to carry on his thieving.
franschulman9's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.75
gturner92's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
A lot of map talk that was both informative and boring. But the story behind made it more interesting. However, it brings of very Western views of the Native Americans and how the Americas were colonized. Also brings up issues of security or lack thereof in major institutions.
marginaliant's review against another edition
3.0
I love true crime books but especially art and property crimes in which no one dies so I feel less bad about reading it and loving it as much as I do. Blanding does his best to tell the story of Forbes Smiley, an antique map dealer who stole maps from archives to dig himself out of financial straits, all while Smiley refused to grant him interviews. It gives an excellent portrait of the map trait and about what makes some maps more valuable than others. This book really needed more from Smiley, so maybe it could have been put off a few years. Other than that, it was a fun title.