Stealing the Show
A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts
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Stealing the Show
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Narrated by:
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Mack Sanderson
About this listen
When he retired as the chief security officer of New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, John Barelli had spent the better part of 40 years responsible not only for one of the richest treasure troves on the planet, but the museum's staff, the millions of visitors, as well as American presidents, royalty, and heads of state from around the world.
For the first time, John Barelli shares his experiences of the crimes that occurred on his watch, the investigations that captured thieves and recovered artwork, the lessons he learned and shared with law enforcement professionals in the United States and abroad, the accidents and near misses, and a few mysteries that were sadly never solved. He takes listeners behind the scenes, introduces curators and administrators, walks the empty corridors after hours, and shares what it's like to get the call that an ancient masterpiece has gone missing.
The Metropolitan Museum covers 12 acres in the heart of Manhattan and is filled with 5,000 years of work by history's great artists known and unknown: Goya, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Warhol, Pollack, Egyptian mummies, Babylonian treasures, Colonial crafts, and Greek vases. Over the years, John helped make the museum the state-of-the-art facility it is today and created a legacy in art security for decades to come.
Focusing on six thefts but filled with countless stories that span the late 1970s through the 21st century, John opens the files on thefts, showing how museum personnel along with local and sometimes federal agents opened investigations and more often than not caught the thief. But of ultimate importance was the recovery of the artwork, including Celtic and Egyptian gold, French tapestries, Greek sculpture, and more. At the heart of this audiobook there will always be art - those who love it and those who take it, two groups of people that are far from mutually exclusive.
©2019 John Barelli (P)2019 Blackstone PublishingListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"With his deep, authoritative voice, Mack Sanderson is the perfect narrator for this memoir by the former chief security officer of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is so believable that at times listeners may believe they're hearing the author himself as he recounts his experiences on the job.... Listeners will learn much about the psychology of the art thief - whether art lover, opportunist, or professional." (AudioFile magazine)
What listeners say about Stealing the Show
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Doodlebug
- 07-08-21
Misleading Title
It's interesting, but it's a very bait-and-switch title - if you want a history of art and crime in six thefts then I would not recommend this book; if you want a biography of the head of security for the New York Met then crack on, this is what you're looking for, it's well read and will scratch that itch. It's just *not* what it says it is. As just one example of what I'm talking about, he spends a significant amount of time talking about being a bodyguard to Princess Diana on a visit to the Met, and how sad she was about being unable to enjoy her visit, and her wanting to get gameboy games for her sons, and how much he wishes he could have been there in Paris to protect her... Nothing was stolen. There was no art theft at any point in said visit, it's just a rambling anecdote about his life, and one of many that have nothing to do with art thefts.
Luckily I listened to it on the Audible Plus scheme; if I'd bought it I'd be returning it with deep annoyance.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Philippa Martin
- 02-05-20
a collection of anecdotes
quite intersting recounting of the best dinner table stories from the career of the head of security at the met. New York.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mitchell W.
- 04-07-20
worthwhile and repeat listen worthy!
Excellent story and well narrated and interesting subject matter. Have recommended to a work colleague in the arts and antiquities field.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cliente Amazon
- 05-03-22
Mooooviiieee! Please!!
Do you like true crime stories about art theft, with famous museums in the background?
Would you like to know how the thefts happened throughout 3 decades of developing security strategies, technology, law and diplomacy?
Are you an expert at visualizing scenarios and characters?
Do the art thieves accounts (of their own experience!) steer your curiosity?
Are you eager to hear all about it from the person that lived and delt with it all?
My advice is: download this book to your library and start listening!
I am loving every minute and I'm hoping for a movie! O__O' !!!
It is one of the most amazing testimonies on art theft I have ever read.
Have fun! :D
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- mrs Heidi Peet
- 13-08-22
Not as advertised
Not as advertised- More about security than art theft. I was expecting a very different book!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Critical Enthusiast
- 07-03-23
ARCHBUREAUCRAT AND MASTER OF LISTS
You might suppose that a book described as being about art and crime would be about art and crime.... NOT so.
The art objects are not described. The crimes/thefts are not described in any but the barest outline. And the procedures involved in solving the crime/ reclaiming the object/ identifying / catching the culprit, not described.
We are treated to the most bureaucratic detail of the man's career. His progress up levels of security officer. He stages a major exhibition: we get some items mentioned, but not described, we get lists of all the departments involved, whether under or associated with him. We get nothing about the security measures set in place, understandable we wouldn't get Everything, but nothing? We get endless detail, and lists, about events like dinners for visiting celebrities/royalty/etc, (more lists), and how these eminent people all thanked him for the wonderful job he had done!
There is nothing interesting whatever in this book , no art, no history, no crime, no detection. It is the biography of a self-important, self-aggrandising bureaucrat, one immense ego-trip.
The narrator does his best, but what can you do with a succession of self-glorifying meetings with the famous and powerful, and endless endless Lists?
Very disappointing indeed.
Definitely a candidate for Most Boring Book.
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