Town-wide Read with Michael Blanding THE MAP THIEF: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps
Come meet the author of our Town-wide Read, Michael Blanding, and hear the story of E. Forbes Smiley (the titular map thief), the dealers he worked with, and the librarians affected by Smiley’s theft. Blanding expertly reports a tale of personal destruction and redemption played out against the dog-eat-dog world of a secretive subculture. The Map Thief delves into the untold history of this fascinating high-stakes criminal, interweaving it with the stories of the explorers and mapmakers he knew better than anyone, and the inside story of the industry that consumed him.