The Art of the Heist: Confessions of a Master Art Thief, Rock-and-Roller, and Prodigal Son - Hardcover

Connor, Myles J.; Siler, Jenny

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0061672289 ISBN 13: 9780061672286

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009

Synopsis

Traces the exploits of a bank robber, con man, and art thief who once stole a Rembrandt from Boston's Museum of Fine Arts; describing his childhood as the son of a decorated police officer, his forays into rock music, and his notorious heists that eventually resulted in his imprisonment. 50,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

From his daring 1965 jail break at age 22 to his legendary career pilfering treasures from museums all over New England, Connor s life is the stuff of adventure novels. --Publishers Weekly (starred review)"

"From his daring 1965 jail break at age 22 to his legendary career pilfering treasures from museums all over New England, Connor's life is the stuff of adventure novels."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

From the Back Cover:

From New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, to the Smithsonian Institution in D.C., to Boston's Museum of Fine Art, to dozens of regional museums throughout the United States, no museum was off-limits to leg­endary art thief Myles Connor. He has used every technique in the book, from breaking and entering, to cat burglary, to false identities and elaborate con jobs. He once even grabbed a Rembrandt off a wall in broad daylight and simply ran like hell. His IQ is at genius level, and his charm is legendary. The fact that he was in jail at the time of the famous robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum—which remains the largest art theft in American history—has not stopped the FBI from considering him a top suspect in that still unsolved robbery.

How did the son of a decorated policeman grow up to become one of Boston's most notorious criminals? How did he survive a decades-long feud with the Boston police and the FBI? How did he manage to escape one jail sentence with a simple fake gun carved out of soap? How did he trade the return of a famous Rembrandt in exchange for early release from another sentence?

The Art of the Heist is a roller-coaster ride of a life, by a man who was drawn to misadventure at every turn. As a promising young rock star, Myles Connor started collecting Japanese swords and weapons. Soon his collection expanded through less than legitimate means, and his education in European masters and modern artists accelerated. Disguised as an art collector, he spent time in the archives of museums far and wide, and visited after hours to take advantage of what he learned by day.

Along the way, he robbed banks, warehouses, trailers, and estate homes. He engaged in rooftop shootouts with the police. He walked the streets of Boston in disguise while dozens of policemen were out searching for him.The Art of the Heist is part confession, part thrill ride, and impossible to put down.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0061672289
• ISBN 13: 9780061672286
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 294