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Book: The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession
Author: Michael Finkel
Reviewed by: Jorge Fernandez
“The Art Thief” by Michael Finkel is a fascinating narrative that chronicles the audacious, strange heists carried out by Stéphane Breitwieser, who stole over 200 artworks from various European museums and cathedrals within eight years in the late 1990s.
The book delves into the intricacies of these thefts, highlighting Breitwieser’s unique motivation—not to sell the artwork for money, but because of his desire to admire his stolen art treasure privately in a secret room in his house rather than selling it for profit. Finkel provides a nuanced portrayal of Breitwieser, his girlfriend, and the investigators, offering insights into their lives and the overarching themes of cultural value, security and the nature of art.
The storytelling is compelling, blending journalism with historical context and suspense, making it a thought-provoking read that examines the complex world of art theft and Breitwieser’s belief that museums restrict art’s true essence by being “prisons for art.”
The topic was made all the more timely by the Louvre heist of October 2025, which resulted in the theft of French crown jewels from the storied museum, the first such theft since 1998, the year after Breitweiser was caught by authorities.
Reviewer bio:
Jorge Fernandez joined Pendleton Atlanta after serving as Vice President of Global Commerce for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, where he led its Global Commerce economic development team for more than a dozen years and worked to grow metro Atlanta’s reputation as a top competitor. Prior to joining the Chamber, Fernandez served as international and alliance Vice President for Delta Air Lines at its world headquarters in Atlanta. His responsibilities included international operations and sales outside of the United States, developing Delta’s alliance strategy, managing the SkyTeam global alliance, and overseeing codeshare relationships with partner airlines around the globe.
Prior to joining Delta, he served as senior political-military analyst at Veridian Engineering where he led the company’s efforts in implementing strategic plans for federal agencies and institutions that respond to overseas crises. He also served in the United States Air Force for more than 20 years, as a command pilot, strategic planner, and international affairs advisor. And he held various diplomatic posts, including leading air base access rights negotiations for a U.S. Air Force aviation hub and directing mediation between US allies.
He is a native of Havana, Cuba, and, in addition to English, is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Jorge currently resides in Denver, Colo.
Editor’s notes:
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Each year, Global Atlanta asks influential readers and community leaders to review the most impactful book they read during the course of the year. This endeavor has continued annually since 2010.
See last year’s full list of books on BookShop here and see Global Atlanta’s full store, featuring Reader Picks lists going back to 2013 along with lists of books we’ve covered through stories or author talks.
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