Three books that go inside the world of art heists – even New York’s Met is a target

The Woman Who Stole Vermeer by Anthony M. Amore, Pegasus Crime

Facebook users should be able to find Rose Dugdale, who in 1974 orchestrated a robbery of 19 paintings from Ireland’s Russborough House. You know it’s her because in the place of a Facebook portrait is Vermeer’s Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid. The theft of that artwork, among others by such greats as Gainsborough, Rubens and Goya, earned Dugdale a place in the world of art crime.

“That it was thought to be the largest such heist in history was remarkable,” writes Anthony Amore, who investigates art robberies when he is not writing about them. “That the mastermind was a woman was unprecedented.” Unlike the author’s Stealing Rembrandts (2011), however, this book is less about art theft and more about Dugdale, an intriguing character who gave up a life of privilege for one of activism: she sought the unification of Ireland and stole more than 20 artworks, some believe, on behalf of the IRA, although according to Amore, the organisation disavowed her crimes and she was never an official member.

His biography details Dugdale’s path to freedom fighting and her escapades, including a helicopter hijacking and attempted bombing of a police barracks in Strabane, Northern Ireland. Even when she ends up in prison, there’s drama: she is pregnant. Dugdale’s participation in the book would have been a boon but there’s much to hold readers’ attention, including a curious Villanelle connection.

Evolution: Becoming a Criminal by Chas Allen, Motivational Press