Publication Date:June 1, 2010 Availability:Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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ISBN13: 9780307461476
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Product Description The Wall Street Journal called him “a living legend.” The London Times dubbed him “the most famous art detective in the world.”
In Priceless, Robert K. Wittman, the founder of the FBI’s Art Crime Team, pulls back the curtain on his remarkable career for the first time, offering a real-life international thriller to rival The Thomas Crown Affair.
Rising from humble roots as the son of an antique dealer, Wittman built a twenty-year career that was nothing short of extraordinary. He went undercover, usually unarmed, to catch art thieves, scammers, and black market traders in Paris and Philadelphia, Rio and Santa Fe, Miami and Madrid.
In this page-turning memoir, Wittman fascinates with the stories behind his recoveries of priceless art and antiquities: The golden armor of an ancient Peruvian warrior king. The Rodin sculpture that inspired the Impressionist movement. The headdress Geronimo wore at his final Pow-Wow. The rare Civil War battle flag carried into battle by one of the nation’s first African-American regiments.
The breadth of Wittman’s exploits is unmatched: He traveled the world to rescue paintings by Rockwell and Rembrandt, Pissarro, Monet and Picasso, often working undercover overseas at the whim of foreign governments. Closer to home, he recovered an original copy of the Bill of Rights and cracked the scam that rocked the PBS series Antiques Roadshow.
By the FBI’s accounting, Wittman saved hundreds of millions of dollars worth of art and antiquities. He says the statistic isn’t important. After all, who’s to say what is worth more --a Rembrandt self-portrait or an American flag carried into battle? They're both priceless.
The art thieves and scammers Wittman caught run the gamut from rich to poor, smart to foolish, organized criminals to desperate loners. The smuggler who brought him a looted 6th-century treasure turned out to be a high-ranking diplomat. The appraiser who stole countless heirlooms from war heroes’ descendants was a slick, aristocratic con man. The museum janitor who made off with locks of George Washington's hair just wanted to make a few extra bucks, figuring no one would miss what he’d filched.
In his final case, Wittman called on every bit of knowledge and experience in his arsenal to take on his greatest challenge: working undercover to track the vicious criminals behind what might be the most audacious art theft of all.
Good but not gripping (so far)September 5, 2010 S. Tom Baker(San Francisco, CA United States) 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
So far, I am up to page 80 and most of the prose so far has been about the author: how he got into the FBI and a personal tragedy. Just now, page 80, is he getting into art theft and how cases were solved, which is the reason I bought the book.Hopefully from this point on, the book will be more interesting.
A National TreasurerSeptember 1, 2010 Aaron Gutsell(Clementon, NJ) Robert Wittman is a smart guy and made the right decision for his memoirs, he utilized the services of an award-winning journalist in writing them. Hence 'Priceless' is snappily written and expertly presented, flipping back and forth between key cases, suspenseful moments, and important times in Mr. Wittman's life. Agent Wittman had a different perspective from many in the bureau, sure bust a drug smuggler or a bank robber, but there's just going to be another drug deal, or another heist, but there are only so many Vermeers in the world, or a limited number of Rembrandts; and when art is stolen from a country, a nation and its people loses an irreplaceable piece of their history. It could be a Rodin statue, a tribal headdress, or grave goods from virtually anywhere, but these are the things that make a culture and a nation, and Bob Wittman sought to protect them. Mr. Wittman was based in Philadelphia, home of some of the largest historical collections in the nation, and he began his career at a time when nobody in the U.S. was looking at art as anything more than property theft, while in Italy a dedicated unit of 300 officers worked full-time safeguarding and recovering their own history. Bob worked undercover and has some great commonsense tips, like always using his given first name, because the fewer lies you tell the better (this also avoids that dangerous moment when you bump into an acquaintance and they use the wrong name.) Battling bureaucracy and indifference, Agent Wittman bends the rules and applies his considerable savvy to recover major pieces of art, and other works that some may dismiss as mere 'Americana,' say a dozen Norman Rockwells. Wittman couldn't get much interest in the case of the stolen Rockwells, as it was just after 9/11 and terrorism had become paramount at the FBI. But Bob Wittman correctly deduced that it is more important than ever in times of national crisis to safeguard our heritage. He studied copies of the paintings and saw that one included the Manhattan skyline and the Twin Towers. He took the Rockwell case to a supervisor who saw the headline value, and did just that, recovered the paintings and made headlines. Bob Wittman points out that Americans make 30 million museum visits annually, more than many professional sports, and there is a great culture and history to protect and preserve for us all. He recovers an original copy of the Bill of Rights, one of only fourteen, and returns a battle flag from an African American Civil War unit, one of only five remaining. Mr. Wittman founds the FBI's Art Crime Team, traveling the world and recovering art in a dozen countries and receiving awards from grateful governments, but always hanging in the back of the press conference, staying away from the cameras. 'Priceless' is an exciting memoir packed with the biggest art heists over the last few decades (Bob worked cold cases too), the biggest names in art, and more importantly, the most successful recoveries by probably the world's best art crime investigator.
Just greatAugust 27, 2010 Wonderful man solves art thefts while loving his nation and family. We need more of this esp. under this clown show Pres. The fast pace takes you on a legal and historical ride worth your time. Grade A.
Fast-paced FunAugust 26, 2010 kdea473 This is the third "art"-related book I've read this summer, and has certainly been the most enjoyable. (I have no background in art, history, or such, just happen to have picked up a few similar books...)
The author tells a good story, keeping the flow of the book going, without getting too bogged down in the minutiae. I enjoy watching White Collar: Season One, and this book provides similar enjoyment...FBI, crime stories, undercover work, etc. I could see this book as a tv show itself.
I think this book would appeal to a lot of people of all ages, especially if you enjoy a good, fast-paced story, or have always wished you'd chosen a more exciting career path!
Fascinating and InspiringAugust 24, 2010 Debra Malenovsky I truly enjoyed reading the captivating stories of how the incredible pieces of history were stolen, the interesting places they ended up in and how Robert Wittman cleverly maneuvered to get them back. The best part was knowing the stories actually took place. I lived in and around his main stomping grounds during the time the events occurred and imagined myself having possibly passed Wittman by on the street or in a restaurant while he was under cover and in the middle of a big case. There's nothing like really getting "into" the book you're reading.
Wittman showed a vulnerability by opening up about his most difficult times during his service as an FBI agent which gave me more interest in seeing him succeed in his adventures. I have studied art in the past, but this book sparked a renewed interest that has inspired me to do further reading on the subject. Exciting, inspirational, educational and impossible to put down, are the qualities that make "Priceless" my five star favorite.
