What do You think about The Medici Conspiracy: The Illicit Journey Of Looted Antiquities--From Italy's Tomb Raiders To The World's Greatest Museums (2006)?
A fascinating look at the unscrupulous and criminal ways that museums and major auction houses have aided and abetted the looting of priceless antiquities. This has damaged history and archaeology; the theft of these pieces not only removes them from their country of origin, but prevents scientists from seeing them in the context they were found. As a result, their display adds nothing to our understanding of the cultures and civilizations that created them. The museums involved are not small ones you've never heard of, they are among the most prominent worldwide. A great read.
—Donn
This is an extremely well researched book. And while it may make it a dense read, the amount of detail seems necessary to show the scope of looted antiquities trade. Watson follows an international network of looters, middle men, art dealers, archaeologists, and collectors - exposing not only the convoluted schemes, but also making it very clear what a gray area antiquities trade is. That's not to say that he's an apologist for the looters, but on the receiving end, there are scholar providing false accounts of provenance, and museum curators turning a blind eye to sources of the art, and they are no less guilty. This book made it very obvious.
—kari
A fascinating read, written by a writer from The New Yorker, some of which I had read in that magazine. I've also seen collections of antiquities in major museums in Berlin, Paris, London, New York, and Malibu (plus a few others). The question of provenance of these objects is hotly contested, even to the extent of prosecutors taking some cases to court on an international scale. This book describes in great detail some of these cases. It would be hard now to look at some Greek pots and statues and not wonder whether or not they had been looted or even faked.
—Millie
