Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures

Robert Wittman, with aide of John Shiffman, weaves a very detailed memoir that is captivating and incredibly informative. This is a must read for anyone interested the FBI's development and interest in recovering stolen art over the decades.Often times people take jobs in the public sector, spend a lifetime providing service and then retire. Everyone can say they left a mark in their own field and implemented changes that made the job for the next person more fluid, simpler or more efficient, but not everyone can say what Wittman has done. Robert Wittman through good fortune and solid investigative work and 'proper salesmanship' in the field slowly built a career not only for himself but a place for others to hopefully follow.Bob Wittman, AKA Bob Clay, undercover Art Dealer for an 'unnamed client' with a hefty checkbook, spent twenty years chasing down leads, setting up meetings in out-of-the-way darkened places, stings and apprehending a long list of people who ventured into Art Crime. Some were dangerous, others were probably more vacuous and obnoxious than dangerous, but still trouble all the same.The best part of the story that unfolds is learning that at one point the FBI gave Bob the leeway needed to see these cases through, recapture lost art and artifacts and take the lead with other Agents to generate success recovering paintings, lost swords, stolen battleflags and other antiquities. The worst part is learning by the end of the book that, like with all bureaucracies who become obsessed with core issues, the FBI supposedly lost interest in drafting a line item budget in their annual reserve policies for Bob's Art Crime Department. Perhaps if more money had been spent on the West Coast, Marion True would've been shut down years prior over at the Getty Center in Los Angeles … but that's another story.In reading the reviews, yes, I always do … I can see that Bob is unfairly taking a lot of flak for a portion of his writing style. Some readers come away a little turned off by what appears to be an oversized ego, but the truth is that when you're the first person to do something, anything you say is likely to come off that way. While Bob wasn't necessarily the first person to come along and do what he did with the FBI, he was likely the first to make a distinguished career out of it, go undercover and build an interest with FBI so they would create entire Departments which then made it able to frame the FBI in a favourable light for the recoveries. Bob Wittman does write a lot of “I did this” and “I did that” sentences, but having to protect other agents parts in cases is a part of it and the material should be read with such consideration.Some people never see the value in history or in art, but will quickly sign the permission slip to let their kids visit a museum for a field trip outing with their elementary school. Common sense can skip a generation (sometimes two) and that's okay. A good number of people understand the significance of what art and antiquities hold, and what it means about our own past.Bob Wittman's narrative of his case files make for good reading, thoughtful consideration and a warning to ne'er-do-wells who think ripping priceless art off the walls of sleepy half-forgotten museums can be profitable. Nine times out of ten you're likely going to be reselling the works to an undercover agent. So, the real lesson is clear – unless you're going to hang the stuff in your own two story home to look at and tell your neighbors it's a fake, decade after decade – don't even think about it.Five Stars. Many thanks to the author for a lifetime of dedicated service as well.

This is in general a well-written book, that is as far as I can ascertain, true. It is from a retired FBI agent, their only art specialist (when he retired). Art crime is different than almost any other crime. It's only comparison is kidnapping. The aim in both is the recovery of the art (person) first, with prosecution a secondary consideration.The FBI does not spend a lot of time or resources on art crime - people are not hurt (generally) in the commission of the crime, it generally takes a lot of time to solve the cases, and it is not glamorous, until the recovery is made. So, for the past 20-40 years (time is one of the reasons I only gave it a 4 instead of a 5 rating, as the passing of time is rather nebulous in this book) the FBI has only had one art crime specialist in the country.One of the main themes to come out of this book is that there needs to be reorganization of the FBI for a handful of situations. In the FBI, the SAIC (Special Agent In Charge) of an area is in charge of EVERYTHING that happens in his area. In most cases, this is great. But when an FBI office has to call in or deal with one of their specialists like art theft specialist Bob Whitman, he then works for that SAIC, not his home one. And that often causes problems. One of the largest art cases went unsolved largely because the SAIC of one office insisted he know more about how to solve the case than the art crime specialist who had spent 15 years on the case, getting to know every little nuance of the crooks and art crime world. In other words, hundreds of millions of one-of-a-kind art is not available for anyone to see because of the inflated ego of the SAIC. And keep in mind that sometimes art thieves have destroyed pieces so their is little or no evidence against them if they are caught. Keep in mind that Rembrandt and DaVinci are retired and not doing much painting anymore, so originals are hard to replace.All-in-all, a good book that move along at a nice pace. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could.

It’s as advertised

I bought this book shortly after watching the author plug it on "The Colbert Report." Customer reviews give it a big thumbs-up. I give it three stars only for the detailed information on how stolen art has been retrieved in the past and what kind of training it takes to become a successful art detective. One star for breaking the initial promise.I would not have bought the book at all if I had only gone on line and found out beforehand that the largest art theft in history remains unsolved. That is a huge disappointment. I don't want to be a spoiler, but this book ends with a whimper: "We blew it!" Even worse, the author also tells us that the FBI is no longer interested in art theft and has us believing that there is little likelihood that many missing art treasures will ever be recovered.The author has a right to insert autobiographical material into his book, but the extensive personal detail repeatedly breaks the suspense, especially at the beginning when the James Bond build-up offered in the opening pages is aborted, not to be picked up again until the last section of the book, and falling flat in the end.The author did crack many other cases, and kudos to him for his fine work. But I had hoped that his primary reason for writing this book would have been to tout the success of his final one, on which most of the book is focused, giving the reader a high expectation. The sad outcome is not his fault, of course, but it tarnishes his fine record. Don't expect James Bond or Indiana Jones here. This is the real world, after all.

This book helped me put in context the frustration that exists in the corporate world, where red tape and egos abound. The author faced so many obstacles as a field agent/under cover FBI agent, yet he never turned down an opportunity to revisit a case where he might be able to draw something to its conclusion. This book was Inspiring, frustrating, yet ultimately gratifying.

Couldn't let it go - read it with curiosity, amasement. Didn't dissapoint in the intrigue, facts, methods, style and even slight education on art matters. No complaints.

This book is really interesting, each chapter is a new adventure in the world of art, stolen art. Some cases are more intriguing than others, but the narrative is very well done.

表紙のがっしりとした男（著者本人とのこと）の後ろ姿が、どうにも羽振りの良かったころのアル・カポネを連想させ、なにか映画「アンタッチャブル」みたいな中身をすこしだけ想像していたのだが、読んでみるとまったくの勘違いで、マシンガンも発砲事件も出てこない。しかし、それにもましてスリリングな「盗難美術品奪還のための覆面捜査」の現場がリアルに描かれており、なんども息をするのを忘れるほどに引き込まれて読んでしまった。ノンフィクションの重みがある。日本人を母に持つ著者は、もともとは田舎の農業関係の業界新聞発行に携わっていたのだが、小さいころからの「FBIで働きたい」との夢をつかむため、３０をとうに過ぎてはいたが職員募集の広告をみて何の迷いもなく、収入激減のFBI捜査官という職業に飛び込んだとのこと。泥酔運転で、同乗していた同僚を死に至らしめたとのあらぬ疑いが晴れるまで、妻子を残したまま数年間収監されるかもしれないという宙ぶらりんの恐怖を何年間も味わわされた著者には、同情を禁じ得なかった。ノーマン・ロックウェルの作品や、米国にとっては「国宝」ともいうべき、羊皮紙にペン書きされた「権利章典」の奪還にも成功したこのウィットマン氏は、FBI在職中に、しめて数百億円に相当する美術・工芸品の奪還に関わっており、その後、数々の栄誉ある賞を受賞したとのこと。むべなるかな。しかし、とりわけ面白かったのは、カードナー美術館から盗まれた絵画奪還のくだりだ。時価数百億円もの価値がある盗難絵画の奪還まであと一歩と迫りながら、結局は不発に終わってしまうのだが、奪還の見通しが出てきたころに、手柄にあずかろうといきなり群がってくるFBI他部署の連中や、複雑なフランス警察側との交渉、TVの刑事ものを見過ぎと思われる同僚や悪党ども、事件解決よりお役所の決まりごと優先の上司、そんな連中に囲まれながら、ゲル状の沼をゆっくりかきわけて進んでいくような筆者の姿は、著者には悪いがじつにおかしくて笑ってしまった--どの国にもあるんだ、こんなことが。ふたたび地下に潜ってしまった絵画が、闇取引の機をうかがいながら再度地上に姿を見せるのは何十年後になるのだろう。せめてそれまでは、ぜひとも良い状態で眠っていてほしいものだ。著者は、FBIに採用されて間もないころ、美術品を見る目をやしなうため、バーンズ・コレクション（バーンズ財団美術館）の一種の鑑賞眼養成講座に参加するよう上司から助言を受けた。その後の長年にわたる捜査官としてのキャリアの中で、数多くの事件を解決に導き、今度はかれがこの講座で若きFBIのエージェントたちに指導的立場でセザンヌやピカソなどを解説している場面が出てくる。読んでいるこちらまで、この講座に参加したい気分になった。現在、この美術館は新しい場所に新築移転し、今までと同様に要予約とのことだが、フィラデルフィアに行く機会があったら、ぜったいに訪れてみたい美術館だ。わたしが本書を購入したときにはウィキペディアに著者ウイットマン氏の項目はなかったのだが、いまは本書を著したおかげだろう、ウィキにも彼のページがつくられている（英語版のみ）。のぞいてみたら、この人がかかわって奪還に成功した美術品、工芸品、歴史遺産の一部がいくつも写真入りで紹介されている。（ただし、その後、著作権の関係だろうか、掲載されている写真の大部分が削除されてしまった。）氏がFBIに入ったころは、たとえ一点数十億円の価値がある美術品であろうと、そんな盗品奪還のための捜査は局内では誰も関心を示さない、まったくうかばれない仕事であり、FBI内外でもてはやされるのは、きまって麻薬密売や銀行強盗事件の解決ばかりだったらしい。時代はかわり、氏のおかげで現在は十数名の美術品犯罪対処チームができあがったとのこと。しかし、本書の後半でウットマン氏は、FBIという組織もこの盗難美術品対処チームも、しだいに官僚組織の弊害でがんじがらめになっており、求められるのは数字だけ。長い目で見たときに本当の意味での「結果」をだせる捜査官が、のびのびと活躍できなくなってきたと記している。日本でサラリーマンをやってきた、著者とほぼ同世代のわたしも、まったくもって似たような心証を職場に抱いてきた。へえぇ、海の向こうのアメリカさんもおんなじか…と、くすっと笑ってしまった。表題の Priceless は、もちろん「極めて貴重な美術品」を指しているが、じつは著者ウィットマン氏こそが priceless な存在なのだということが、本書を読んでよくわかる。

This is such a super book. It combines art and detective work in a rare and intelligent manner that turns the pages for you. I don't know very much about art. I have been to a few museams and art galleries but I would certainly not call myself well-educated in the art world. I hear the news reports on stolen art or recovered art and like many I forget the story almost immediately. Here, in this book, the reader is taken behind the news reports and it becomes personal. We are given an insight into the mind of the art thief and those who pursue this crime against all that is cultured and learned in our societies.There is nothing high-brow about this book. The author and detective had to learn about art and what motivates the art thief - usually plain and simple greed - and he shares his lived experience in pages that are a delight to read. Even if you know nothing about art this is a great detective piece of writing. A wonderful and interesting take on sharing one's life work with others.