SAFE congratulates Bob Wittman on "Priceless"

Robert K. Wittman, who recently retired as Senior Investigator and Founder of FBI's Art Crime Team, has given us decades of service recovering stolen art and antiquities. He has now also told his story.

The new book takes the reader away from Hollywood fantasies and academic theories to the harsh, gritty reality of art crime. Described by Wittman as "a memoir, not an autobiography or exposé", Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures highlights the fact that the theft of cultural property is anything but a victimless crime. And Wittman's book recounts them all: from individuals, institutions, states, governments, countries, to history, memory and identity.

Deftly written by Wittman with John Shiffman, the book offers case studies of successful recoveries. And like every human story, it also includes disappointments and regrets. The trials and tribulations of undercover work are portrayed in a matter-of-fact style that is all the more remarkable given the accolades Wittman has received. The Wall Street Journal called him “a living legend.” The London Times dubbed him “the most famous art detective in the world.” But don't let the self-effacing style fool you. Priceless is full of valuable information rarely known outside the field, and insights only someone who has "been there and done that" could offer.

No wonder AP calls Priceless "absolutely, hands down, the best book ever written on art crime."

Sphere: Related Content