A review by johndiconsiglio
The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps by Michael Blanding

3.0

There’s a lot to like in this brisk true-crime take on an antique map dealer who spent his spare time stealing hundreds of historical treasures from world-renowned libraries. The author skillfully sails the robbery tale around cartography history, neat exploration anecdotes & the madcap map-collecting world. An A for effort but, unless you’re a mapmaking enthusiast, the story’s kinda lightweight. John Smith & Robert Dudley are more fun than the titular thief. Stays afloat, but we’re not exactly in uncharted waters.