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The Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece (P.S.) | 
 enlarge | Author: Edward Dolnick
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $1.98
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Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 30390
Media: Paperback
Pages: 320
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.3 x 0.9
ISBN: 0060531185
Dewey Decimal Number: 364
EAN: 9780060531188
ASIN: 0060531185
Publication Date: July 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Reading copy only -- all pages intact -- Visible liquid damage -- Visible wear-marking-shelf wear
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Product Description
In the predawn hours of a gloomy February day in 1994, two thieves entered the National Gallery in Oslo and made off with one of the world's most famous paintings, Edvard Munch's Scream. It was a brazen crime committed while the whole world was watching the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. Baffled and humiliated, the Norwegian police turned to the one man they believed could help: a half English, half American undercover cop named Charley Hill, the world's greatest art detective. The Rescue Artist is a rollicking narrative that carries readers deep inside the art underworld -- and introduces them to a large and colorful cast of titled aristocrats, intrepid investigators, and thick-necked thugs. But most compelling of all is Charley Hill himself, a complicated mix of brilliance, foolhardiness, and charm whose hunt for a purloined treasure would either cap an illustrious career or be the fiasco that would haunt him forever.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 A really interesting subject October 18, 2005
kitjank (Hunt Valley, MD United States)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
This was a book I would not have purchased if I had not heard the author on the radio. I am so glad I did. While the book does jump around a bit, I didn't really find it distracting as the story and Charlie Hill are so fascinating! Even beyond the theft itself, I found myself wanting to know more about Edvard Munch. If you have a chance, read a bio on the artist first and then read this book. It's very interesting to know what Munch was trying to convey in his painting and give more insight as to why the painting is so valuable.
There has never been a better book on art crime. July 23, 2005
Student of Art Theft
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
Using the 1994 theft in Oslo of Edvard Munch's The Scream as the foundation, Edward Dolnick paints a vivid picture of the world of art crime. He describes the thefts and occasional recovery of other great masterpieces and he destroys the myth of crooks with the charm and looks of Cary Grant, Steve McQueen and Pierce Brosnan. His interviews with cops, nobility, thieves, museum officials, fences, gallery owners and snitches reveal a raging war where fortunes are won and lost in a clash of class and culture. These are exciting stories, told with humor and enthusiasm. But the real delight is the central figure, Charley Hill, The Rescue Artist. Trained to be a historian (Fulbright Scholar), soldier (Vietnam vet), teacher (Belfast, N.I.) and Anglican priest (King's College, London) before choosing a career at Scotland Yard, Hill is a bundle of quirks and enigmas. And he is a hero we can admire. Going undercover with only his nerve and quick wits for protection, he has recovered works by, amomg others, Goya, Vermeer, Cranach, Metsu, Titian and Munch. He has a deep appreciation for the art and he relishes his role as a bridge between the tony society of the art collectors and the brutal gangs who steal the great works. This is the "true story" and it will grab and hold you from beginning to end.
A nice jaunt into the sinister world of art theft October 17, 2005
Diego Delvalle (Portugal)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I was told that it would be a fast read yet I found myself reading and rereading certain sections just for the enjoyment of the mood; prolonging the promenade as long as possible. Hill is a narcissist extraordinaire and at certain points does remind one of the town bully but his love of adventure and admiration of the paintings he pursues (as well as his respect for the shrewdness of the criminal mind)was charming. I agree with previous reviews that the book tended to ramble at times, briefly, but not to the extent where one would put it down. It's and interesting and (for the most part) exciting read and you will walk away with a bit more knowledge of the world of investment paintings.
A good romp May 10, 2007
bensmomma (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Edward Dolnick has turned the story of the theft of Edvard Munch's famous painting "Scream" from a museum on Oslo into a great character study of the English detective who gets it back. Two mystery men steal a ladder, climb a wall, break a window, and make off with the poorly-defended painting.
Detective Charlie Hill uses his half-English, half-American upbringing to impersonate an employee of California's Getty Museum interested in ransoming the painting. James Bond-type intrigue ensues - missed connections, interfering local police, thuggish bodyguards, aimless drives through the middle of the night, fistfights, etc. etc.
Dolnick writes with humor and verve; the story moves speedily and only occasional descends to cliche. The greatest strength of the book is its some heroic depiction of Hill and some sidekick characters. My only slight disappointment was that the "whodunnit" revelations at the end seem like an offhand afterthought. The motivations, plans, and intentions of the actual thieves are given minimal space; I was left feeling a bit teased (teased, but satisfied).
Seedy adventures in high art! July 18, 2005
Michele W. Missner (Appleton, Wi.)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I just finished Edward Dolnick's new book, _The Rescue Artist_. It is a fun read filled with madcap, Damon Runyonesque characters who would be hard to make up. This book, with the theft of Edvard Munch's "The scream" as its main story, covers the underside of the art world. As a person who enjoys art and goes to museums, I certainly never imagined that works of art would be held as ransom by political groups. Dolnick delves into the hows and why of art heists, and how detectives track down the paintings most importantly, and often the thieves. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good adventure "story". You don't even have to be interested in art!
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