Books › The island of lost maps
The island of lost maps
First published 2000 · 445 pages
An intellectual true-crime adventure that charts the hidden world of antiquarian map theft and the enigmatic nature of the thief himself.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like embarking on a journalistic quest through the quiet, dusty archives of prominent research libraries, only to uncover a surprisingly brazen cross-country crime spree. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging pace, blending the suspense of a true-crime investigation with the intellectual thrill of cartographic history. The mood is deeply inquisitive and enigmatic, mirroring the author's attempt to chart the blank slate of a chameleon-like thief. The prose is curious and thoughtful, transforming a simple account of stolen antiquities into a broader exploration of obsession, collecting, and identity. It is a perfect fit for readers who delight in niche historical mysteries and the fascinating, hidden underworlds of rare artifacts.
- Mood
- enigmatic
- adventurous
- scholarly
- Tone
- curious
- investigatory
- intellectual
- intrigued
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the allure of antiquities · obsession and collecting · unraveling a mystery · the nature of identity
- The writing
- Journalistic and inquisitive, blending true-crime pacing with historical and cartographic fascination.
- The arc
- Moves from the initial shock of a curious crime spree into a deep, intellectual quest to map the mind of an enigmatic thief.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love true crime that intersects with niche historical subjects, antiquities, and intellectual mysteries.
Content notes
- theft
- crime
About the book
"The Island of Lost Maps is the story of a curious crime spree: the theft of scores of valuable centuries-old maps from some of the most prominent research libraries in the United States and Canada. The perpetrator was the Al Capone of cartography, a man with the unlikely name of Gilbert Bland, Jr., an enigmatic antiques dealer from south Florida whose cross-country slash-and-dash operation went virtually undetected until he was caught in December 1995.".
"This is also the story of author Miles Harvey's quest to understand America's greatest map thief, a chameleon who changed careers and families without ever looking back. Gilbert Bland was a cipher, a blank slate - for Harvey, journalistic terra incognita. Filling in Bland's life was like filling in a map, and grew from an investigation into an intellectual adventure."--BOOK JACKET.
Description from Open Library.
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