The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft

by Ulrich Boser

Book Overview

"Boser cracks the cold case of the art world's greatest unsolved mystery."-- Vanity FairOne museum, two thieves, and the Boston underworld: the riveting story of the 1990 Gardner Museum robbery, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061451835
• ISBN13: 9780061451836
• Release Date: February 2009
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books (DC)
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Highly Recommend

Wether you are interested in Art or Crime this book is a page turner!

Best read with a glass of wine in front of the fire...

There are certain mysteries that continue to fascinate and confound and the Gardner Heist is one of those enduring riddles in need of answers. Fortunately we have Ulrich Boser who comes the closest yet to solving this notorious crime. With the eye of an artist and the nose of a gumshoe, the author wades through thousands of leads and a rogue's gallery of despicably colorful characters in a wonderfully detailed book that is as much about the journey as it is about the destination. The Gardner Heist shows us what happens when the world of high art is plundered by a subterannean sub culture of crooks,conmen and killers some of whom you'd think were created by a comic book artist's pen. We have to remind ourselves that these are indeed real people playing all the angles for their own nefarious purposes. Ulrich Boser all but identifies the thieves while narrowing down the most likely places to hide the stolen masters. Where the paintings are is anyone's guess and the crime writer in me hopes they will remain that way - just a bit out of reach but never truly out of touch in one's imagination. Once The Gardner Heist is consumed, Ulrich Boser Like any great writer leaves you wanting more yet at the same time feeling completely satisfied with the meal. Casey Sherman - author, The Finest Hours & Bad Blood

A well-written story...

Another reviewer of this book gave it four stars because he thought the ending was inconclusive - the paintings stolen in 1990 have never been found. Well, that is the fact, and if this book could only end with the recovery, then it wouldn't/couldn't have been written. Boser writes a very readable tale of art, both purchased and stolen, and the personalities who came together - over a period of about 150 years - to make the Gardner heist the world's largest theft. He writes about the paintings and their provenance and how Isabella Stewart Gardner - an outsized personality - came to collect her art and put together her highly idiosyncratic museum. He writes about the search - ongoing for the past 20 years - to recover the masterpieces and the men and women, who were both victims and perpetrators of the crime. I enjoyed the book.

Looking for Who Done It

I found The Gardner Heist by Ulrich Boser a fascinating mix of who done it, the Boston underword and the author's search for the missing art and himself. The uncontroverted facts of the Gardner robbery of a Vermeer, two Rembrandts and other priceless painting would only fill a chapter. What makes this book an interesting and provocative read is the author's speculations and his tour of the Boston underworld filled with colorful and lethal characters. Moreover, the author has a real talent for quickly sketching them in a way that brings them to life. Boser's own experience playing junior shamus for three years is fine, but not nearly as good as his frequent and highly insightful comments about art, crime and human nature. I highly recommend this book.

Riveting.

There are only a few books about true events which keep you on the edge of your seat. "All the President's Men" was one. This book is another. Beautifully written, excitingly paced, with a fascinating subject, this author has either narrowed the search for the thieves or done great investigative work that may lead to their identification and/or prosecution. The various characters' love for the artwork itself is a strong motivating force.

Gripping

It's hard to put this book down. Through a bit of serendipity, Ulrich Boser inherited a famed art detective's files on the Gardner Heist. He plunged into this mysterious case, and brings us along for the ride as he explores not only what happened, but why the artwork meant so much to so many both before and after the heist. As the author treads ever closer to cracking the case, you remember that this isn't fiction and start to believe he might get the paintings back - but you also wonder if he might find trouble in this shady underworld. A fascinating read.