The Map Thief by Michael Blanding

[NicoleD404]

As a lover of history, geography, and biographies, The Map Thief by Michael Blanding was possibly my favorite book I read this year. This book takes a look at the interesting world of map-dealing with a focus on E. Forbes Smiley III --a convicted map thief. As a journalist, Blanding investigated Smiley's story and went beyond his duties of merely covering the story. Blanding digs into the world of high-end art dealers who specialize in cartography.

While this book gives an overall impression of the small and elite world of map dealers, it provides exquisite detail of the story behind each map. Blanding did good research and it shows in the details he reveals in this book. If you are a historian or geographer as I am, you will enjoy the detailed explanation, historical background, and educated interpretations that Blanding writes. If you are not a fan of those details, this book is not for you.

This book needs to be read with your full attention in order to gain the most from it, and you need to have your fingers or bookmarks placed in multiple pages. Blanding placed maps which he describes or tells the pedigree of ownership elsewhere in the text. You will find yourself turning back and forth between the text and the map it is describing. As a Geographer, I appreciated the inclusion of the maps and the historical background of their cartographer, printing, and sale. However, it would have benefited the reader to have the maps on the same page as their descriptions.

Overall, this book provides good detailed information about a world most people know little about. It digs deep into the life of Smiley, from Blanding's personal journalistic interview. It is told as a third person perspective of Smiley and a first person perspective of Blanding's understanding of cartography and map-dealing as he became familiar through his research. It is a good book for academics in the Geographic or Historic fields but might be a bit boring for the general population to read.

[psyche]

I had no idea maps were such a focus of dealing and high prices. It sounds like the sort of in depth non-fic I like.