Art Crime: Terrorists, Tomb Raiders, Forgers and Thieves - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1137407565 ISBN 13: 9781137407566

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015

Synopsis

When one thinks of art crime, a Hollywood image is conjured, one of black-clad cat burglars, thieves in top hats and white gloves, and perhaps the occasional criminal collector twirling his waxed moustache as he cackles maniacally over a stolen horde in his Bavarian castle. But the truth behind art crime is far more sinister, and more intriguing. Art crime has its share of cinematic thefts and larger-than-life characters, but it is also the realm of transnational organized crime groups and terrorists, and is integrally linked to the drug and arms trades.
 
Since the Second World War, art crime has shifted from a relatively innocuous, often ideological crime, into a major international problem, considered by some to be the third-highest grossing criminal trade worldwide. This rich volume features work by the most respected and knowledgeable experts in this interdisciplinary subject, both professionals and scholars. It is essential reading for criminologists, archaeologists, anthropologists, art historians, and all those interested in art crime.

About this title

Review:

'This remarkable anthology appears just when it is most needed, showing, from a broad variety of perspectives, that criminal acts against works of art and architecture looting, vandalism, iconoclasm, illicit trade exert profound effects on individual human beings and on civil society. A riveting rogues' gallery: passive-aggressive art forgers, brutal religious iconoclasts, Napoleon, and the swindlers who bottle sugar water as wine in China, matches wits against a colorful gathering of heroes, from police officers to art historians to the former Mayor of Rome. A fascinating, appalling, and timely discussion.' - Ingrid D. Rowland, Professor, School of Architecture, University of Notre Dame, USA

'This riveting book provides the inside-story on a range of art crimes, from the relationship between looted antiquities and terrorism to the most recent developments concerning Nazi looted art to wine fraud in China, among other "toxic" objects. The contributors hail from diverse backgrounds, but are united in their painstaking research and their search for reform-minded responses to the myriad challenges concerning cultural heritage. This book is essential for scholars, collectors, and anyone who cares about cultural property.' - Jonathan Petropoulos, John V. Croul Professor of European History, Claremont McKenna College, USA

About the Author:

George H.O. Abungu, Okello Abungu Heritage Consultants, Kenya.  Stefano Alessandrini, Specialist Consultant to the Ministero per i Beni Culturali and the Advocate General Maurizio Fiorilli, Italy.  Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, New York County District Attorney's Office, USA. Toby J.A. Bull, Hong Kong Police Force, Hong Kong SAR Neil Brodie, University of Glasgow, UK. Duncan Chappell, Australian Institute of Criminology Noah Charney, Association for Research into Crimes against Art Simon A. Cole, Newkirk Center for Science and Society, USA. Tess Davis, University of Glasgow, UK. Asif Efrat, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Israel Paolo Girogio Ferri, Former Italian State Prosecutor David Gill, University Campus Suffolk, UK. Blake Gopnik, Art Critic Patricia Kennedy Grimsted, Harvard University, USA. Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen, Association of National Committees of the Blue Shield Jerome Hasler, Art Recovery Group International Charles Hill, Formerly London. Metropolitan Police, UK. Saskia Hufnagel, Queen Mary University London, UK. Martin Kemp, University of Oxford, UK. John Kerr, University of Roehampton, UK. Thierry Lenain, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium. Simon Mackenzie, University of Glasgow, UK. Christopher A. Marinello, Art Recovery Group International Erik Nemeth, Independent Scholar Vernon Rapley, Victoria and Albert Museum, UK. Lawrence Rothfield, University of Chicago, USA. Laurie W. Rush, US. Army Francesco Rutelli, Associazione Priorita' Cultura, Italy. Howard Spiegler, Herrick, Feinstein's International Art Law Group Arthur Tompkins, District Court Judge, New Zealand. Christos Tsirogiannis, University of Glasgow, UK. Bill Wei, Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands.

About this edition

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1137407565
• ISBN 13: 9781137407566
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 392
• Editor: Charney Noah