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The Island of Lost Maps: a True Story of Cartographic Crime
The Island of Lost Maps: a True Story of Cartographic Crime
408 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
150 people are currently reading
4590 people want to read
About the author
Miles Harvey
39 books101 followersMiles Harvey's new book is The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch, which National Book Award-winner Nathaniel Philbrick calls a "masterpiece" and Pulitzer Prize finalist Dave Eggers describes as a "ludicrously enjoyable, unputdownable read." It will be published by Little, Brown & Co. in July 2020.
Harvey's previous work includes The Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime, a bestseller USA Today named one of the ten best books of 2000, and Painter in a Savage Land: The Strange Saga of the First European Artist in North America, awarded an Editors’ Choice honor from Booklist, and a best-books citation from The Chicago Tribune. A former Knight-Wallace journalism fellow at the University of Michigan, Harvey teaches creative writing at DePaul University, where he is a founding editor of Big Shoulders Books.
Harvey's previous work includes The Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime, a bestseller USA Today named one of the ten best books of 2000, and Painter in a Savage Land: The Strange Saga of the First European Artist in North America, awarded an Editors’ Choice honor from Booklist, and a best-books citation from The Chicago Tribune. A former Knight-Wallace journalism fellow at the University of Michigan, Harvey teaches creative writing at DePaul University, where he is a founding editor of Big Shoulders Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 418 reviews
May 10, 2016
Nothing ruins a good book more than an author confusing his quest to find the story with "the story."
This book is best when Harvey is relating actual events. He includes several true stories about map thefts or about cartographers that I found interesting because 1. their effect on historical events is obvious, and 2. the stories are generally unknown to the average reader. There are some great stories in the first half of this book.
But there is far too much philosophizing in this book, especially toward the end when there is really nothing left to tell about Gilbert Bland or the maps he stole. Harvey admits there was nothing left to tell. In light of this, it would seem that the book should have come to an end. But that is not what happens. Instead, the plot shifts to Harvey's journey to *find* more to tell. And so we are left to read about all the parallels he draws between: himself and Gilbert Bland; his quest and that of another early explorer or cartographer(and another; and then another; and then probably a few more;) his quest and that of Gilbert Bland; the psychological profiles of past thieves and Gilbert Bland; the results of his mother's childhood trauma and that of Gilbert Bland (really?) - (do I need to keep going?)
It seems, in the second half of the book, that Harvey found meaning in everything. He needed to tell us about his unplanned 100 miles-out-of-the-way trek to a town called Eldorado. The map told him to go. (I don't get it either...) And even though the trek failed to garner any new information about the story he was researching, it had some sort of romantic meaning to him, so we get to read about it in the book. (Snoooooooore.)
In relating all of these events, Harvey kept taking this circuitous route, whereby he interrupted the current flow of the text to go off and describe the meaning he found from the [fill in the blank.] I'm all for some of that. But it was overdone and often fruitless because it rarely advanced the story.
I didn't even know what he was talking about by the end. Birds had meaning. Rockets had meaning. Satellites had meaning. I just couldn't stomach it anymore. The book was suddenly about everything. I just wanted it to end.
You might think that the moral of this book would be: don't steal maps. But the real moral of the story is this: a story that doesn't end the way you want won't become any more interesting by inserting yourself as the main character.
This book is best when Harvey is relating actual events. He includes several true stories about map thefts or about cartographers that I found interesting because 1. their effect on historical events is obvious, and 2. the stories are generally unknown to the average reader. There are some great stories in the first half of this book.
But there is far too much philosophizing in this book, especially toward the end when there is really nothing left to tell about Gilbert Bland or the maps he stole. Harvey admits there was nothing left to tell. In light of this, it would seem that the book should have come to an end. But that is not what happens. Instead, the plot shifts to Harvey's journey to *find* more to tell. And so we are left to read about all the parallels he draws between: himself and Gilbert Bland; his quest and that of another early explorer or cartographer(and another; and then another; and then probably a few more;) his quest and that of Gilbert Bland; the psychological profiles of past thieves and Gilbert Bland; the results of his mother's childhood trauma and that of Gilbert Bland (really?) - (do I need to keep going?)
It seems, in the second half of the book, that Harvey found meaning in everything. He needed to tell us about his unplanned 100 miles-out-of-the-way trek to a town called Eldorado. The map told him to go. (I don't get it either...) And even though the trek failed to garner any new information about the story he was researching, it had some sort of romantic meaning to him, so we get to read about it in the book. (Snoooooooore.)
In relating all of these events, Harvey kept taking this circuitous route, whereby he interrupted the current flow of the text to go off and describe the meaning he found from the [fill in the blank.] I'm all for some of that. But it was overdone and often fruitless because it rarely advanced the story.
I didn't even know what he was talking about by the end. Birds had meaning. Rockets had meaning. Satellites had meaning. I just couldn't stomach it anymore. The book was suddenly about everything. I just wanted it to end.
You might think that the moral of this book would be: don't steal maps. But the real moral of the story is this: a story that doesn't end the way you want won't become any more interesting by inserting yourself as the main character.
February 11, 2011
As a cartomaniac, a librarian, and a history lover myself, this book seemed to be just the ticket for me. I loved the digressions into the science of maps, notable historic maps, mapmakers, historic map thieves, explorers, map collectors and the map trade.
However, I found the story of the map thief to be about as bland as the thief's own name. In fact, the author takes pains to illustrate that thief is a personification of his own name. His is a story not worthy of telling, except as a cautionary tale for all archivists, librarians, collectors and the like who might fall prey to low life vandals such as Bland. His story becomes even more tedious by the end, and then turns into a sentimental author's introspective.
I grew tired of the way the author always tries to tie the story of maps into the story of the map thief, as if everything about maps is somehow analogous to this repugnant protagnist. I also thought that the author's attempt to make the entire story applicable to himself, even to the point of drawing an analogy between his own life and that of the thief, as if his whole experience of researching the story of the map thief was actually a journey of self disovery, was pretty weak and contrived.
I think I would have rather read this book as two separate works--one a collection of newspaper clippings detailing the arrest of Mr. Bland and the subsequent crime investigation, and another as a brief history of all the varied aspects of the world of maps, including map crimes, of which this map thief's story would merely figure in as one egregious example, rather than as the focus of the entire work.
However, I found the story of the map thief to be about as bland as the thief's own name. In fact, the author takes pains to illustrate that thief is a personification of his own name. His is a story not worthy of telling, except as a cautionary tale for all archivists, librarians, collectors and the like who might fall prey to low life vandals such as Bland. His story becomes even more tedious by the end, and then turns into a sentimental author's introspective.
I grew tired of the way the author always tries to tie the story of maps into the story of the map thief, as if everything about maps is somehow analogous to this repugnant protagnist. I also thought that the author's attempt to make the entire story applicable to himself, even to the point of drawing an analogy between his own life and that of the thief, as if his whole experience of researching the story of the map thief was actually a journey of self disovery, was pretty weak and contrived.
I think I would have rather read this book as two separate works--one a collection of newspaper clippings detailing the arrest of Mr. Bland and the subsequent crime investigation, and another as a brief history of all the varied aspects of the world of maps, including map crimes, of which this map thief's story would merely figure in as one egregious example, rather than as the focus of the entire work.
November 19, 2013
In June 2002, I arrived in Worcester, Massachusetts, where the courteous natives felt impelled to tell me that it was pronounced Wooster -- as though it would be anything else! (We Australians know and use the English pronunciation of such places.)
There I entered the Goddard Library to get my paws on Robert Goddard's papers, and I was given firm instructions as to how I would sit, in relation to the librarian's desk. So I said brightly "You've read 'The Island of Lost Maps', haven't you?"
The librarian confirmed that he had. I indicated that I had also done so, and undertook not to behave in any manner that would in any way approach the concealing actions used by Gilbert Bland or any of the others described there, in order that he, the librarian, could be a little more comfortable.
I get furious enough when I see prints that are obviously taken from old books to be framed, on sale on market stalls. The idea of anybody stealing scholarship is even more anathematic to me. It makes my blood run cold.
Still, people who go into libraries need to know how the Blands of this world operate, if only so that they can flush them out. And librarians MUST read it.
One need not set a thief to catch a thief, but one needs to set somebody who is versed in the ways of thieves. This book prepares us well.
There I entered the Goddard Library to get my paws on Robert Goddard's papers, and I was given firm instructions as to how I would sit, in relation to the librarian's desk. So I said brightly "You've read 'The Island of Lost Maps', haven't you?"
The librarian confirmed that he had. I indicated that I had also done so, and undertook not to behave in any manner that would in any way approach the concealing actions used by Gilbert Bland or any of the others described there, in order that he, the librarian, could be a little more comfortable.
I get furious enough when I see prints that are obviously taken from old books to be framed, on sale on market stalls. The idea of anybody stealing scholarship is even more anathematic to me. It makes my blood run cold.
Still, people who go into libraries need to know how the Blands of this world operate, if only so that they can flush them out. And librarians MUST read it.
One need not set a thief to catch a thief, but one needs to set somebody who is versed in the ways of thieves. This book prepares us well.
September 16, 2018
This book had been languishing on my "I've started so I'll finish" shelf since forever, with the bookmark on page 289.
The first part had been really interesting, the part that had been all about the map thief Gilbert Bland and his eventual arrest. But then the author, who had become quite obsessed, went off on a quest of his own, and the rest of the book turned into a rambling mess.
When I finally picked it up again last night, I discovered that of the ca. 120 pages left, only 60 pages were text. The rest were acknowledgements, notes (that I hadn't even known were there — they weren't marked in the text, which makes them rather pointless in my view), and an index. I skimmed the rest of the text and am very relieved that I can now remove it from my shelves.
For a much better-worded review, and one I heartily agree with, see the one by Lori.
The first part had been really interesting, the part that had been all about the map thief Gilbert Bland and his eventual arrest. But then the author, who had become quite obsessed, went off on a quest of his own, and the rest of the book turned into a rambling mess.
When I finally picked it up again last night, I discovered that of the ca. 120 pages left, only 60 pages were text. The rest were acknowledgements, notes (that I hadn't even known were there — they weren't marked in the text, which makes them rather pointless in my view), and an index. I skimmed the rest of the text and am very relieved that I can now remove it from my shelves.
For a much better-worded review, and one I heartily agree with, see the one by Lori.
October 20, 2007
I bought the book for a few reasons:
- I liked the cover.
- I like Islands.
- I like maps.
- I like some true stories.
- It seemed totally random.
Highly recommended because even if you like none of the above reasons, you will still love reading it. Yay cartography!
- I liked the cover.
- I like Islands.
- I like maps.
- I like some true stories.
- It seemed totally random.
Highly recommended because even if you like none of the above reasons, you will still love reading it. Yay cartography!
February 19, 2023
Instead of the title "The Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime" this book would have been more accurately titled "The Story of Maps: Plotting, Thieves, Discoveries, The Unknown, and Anything Else I Can Possibly Think Of."
The purported core of the story, a map thief named Bland, remains a mystery and so the author, in an attempt not to waste 10 years of research, throws everything and anything into the pot. The result is a thin gruel — not that palatable and often quite boring.
The purported core of the story, a map thief named Bland, remains a mystery and so the author, in an attempt not to waste 10 years of research, throws everything and anything into the pot. The result is a thin gruel — not that palatable and often quite boring.
February 19, 2021
I can’t believe I finally finished reading this book! I never thought I’d make it. Even Jake said he felt relieved when I was finally done. So I suppose it’s not hard to guess that I thought this book was pretty boring and way longer than it needed to be. While reading, I would repeatedly find myself at the bottom of a paragraph and realize I had no clue what I had just read. Or I would suddenly come-to with a jolt and a major crick in my neck.
The author took what was a mildly interesting case - a man who stole hundreds of valuable old maps from rare book rooms at libraries around the nation - and researched it to death. He spent four years interviewing anyone even remotely connected to the case or to rare maps collecting. He gathered all kinds of court documents, police records, military records, etc. Then he dumped all of that information into this book. The info wasn’t well organized to begin with, but then he intersperses it with all kinds of tidbits on the history of maps, the history of map collecting, the history of explorers - and it was mostly a jumbled mess.
It starts to get weird when Harvey admits that he became obsessed with this case and the criminal involved, Gilbert Bland. He continually delved into Bland’s psyche, trying to get to the bottom of his motivations in committing this type of crime. He constantly wrestled with his obsession, trying to figure out throughout the book why he was so obsessed with this case and why he was doing such extensive research into it. While I appreciated his candor and typically enjoy trying to get to the psychological heart of things, it got awkward to sit there and read about his inner struggle.
At one point the Harvey talks about how he was beginning to take on traits of the map thief (!) He even compares his search for Gilbert Bland to that of Stanely’s immortal search for Dr. Livingstone and then goes on to tell us of what kind of a person Stanley became -- he ended up working as a Belgian mercenary and was involved in the oppression and torture of thousands of people in the Congo!
{note: I've read another book that casts Stanley in a much more favorable light (it wasn't a book about Stanley, but still), so I don't know if the author's assessment here is correct, but whether it is or it isn't - why would he draw that comparison for all to see?! And if it isn't correct - that's total slander!!}
Even after all that, I won’t say that this book was totally worthless. As I mentioned, the case itself was mildly interesting and as with any work of non-fiction, there was information to be gleaned that I can take with me.
Whether I like or dislike a book is not the most important thing to me. I care more whether a book provides food for thought and good discussion material; if it provides me an outlet for expressing my opinions in a fairly safe and neutral forum (like goodreads!). I think this book has done those things for me and I look forward to the discussion at book club.
Thanks for hanging in there with me if you’ve made it this far. If you feel so inclined, leave a comment so I can give you due gratitude!
The author took what was a mildly interesting case - a man who stole hundreds of valuable old maps from rare book rooms at libraries around the nation - and researched it to death. He spent four years interviewing anyone even remotely connected to the case or to rare maps collecting. He gathered all kinds of court documents, police records, military records, etc. Then he dumped all of that information into this book. The info wasn’t well organized to begin with, but then he intersperses it with all kinds of tidbits on the history of maps, the history of map collecting, the history of explorers - and it was mostly a jumbled mess.
It starts to get weird when Harvey admits that he became obsessed with this case and the criminal involved, Gilbert Bland. He continually delved into Bland’s psyche, trying to get to the bottom of his motivations in committing this type of crime. He constantly wrestled with his obsession, trying to figure out throughout the book why he was so obsessed with this case and why he was doing such extensive research into it. While I appreciated his candor and typically enjoy trying to get to the psychological heart of things, it got awkward to sit there and read about his inner struggle.
At one point the Harvey talks about how he was beginning to take on traits of the map thief (!) He even compares his search for Gilbert Bland to that of Stanely’s immortal search for Dr. Livingstone and then goes on to tell us of what kind of a person Stanley became -- he ended up working as a Belgian mercenary and was involved in the oppression and torture of thousands of people in the Congo!
{note: I've read another book that casts Stanley in a much more favorable light (it wasn't a book about Stanley, but still), so I don't know if the author's assessment here is correct, but whether it is or it isn't - why would he draw that comparison for all to see?! And if it isn't correct - that's total slander!!}
Even after all that, I won’t say that this book was totally worthless. As I mentioned, the case itself was mildly interesting and as with any work of non-fiction, there was information to be gleaned that I can take with me.
Whether I like or dislike a book is not the most important thing to me. I care more whether a book provides food for thought and good discussion material; if it provides me an outlet for expressing my opinions in a fairly safe and neutral forum (like goodreads!). I think this book has done those things for me and I look forward to the discussion at book club.
Thanks for hanging in there with me if you’ve made it this far. If you feel so inclined, leave a comment so I can give you due gratitude!
February 16, 2021
Awful. Just awful.
I love old maps and have many framed in my collection, so this seemed like a natural for me. Ah well. The author couldn’t follow a sharpie drawn on an interstate to the next town. This is a ridiculous, meandering, hokum-filled book. Allegedly the tale of a map thief, you know: True Crime. Sadly, our author can’t trace a line from one incident to the next without a nauseating excess of crap. He seemed to need to follow every available dirt road to its end to see if there might be dirt there.
You know the pity you feel for soap opera actors, telenovela types who, we assume, might not be as terrible at what they do if they had perhaps rehearsed? They must have been denied the opportunity to absorb, feel out the silly, melodramatic plots, right? No one is that pathetic if they’re gainfully employed? What if a cross-dresser in a Christmas panto thought it was real theater?
I began with that overly kind approach, probably because the paper this book is printed on feels so smooth and yummy. But by the time i had forced my way through half of this tiresome ramble no mercy remained. It is so overwritten - pages of imagined facial expressions, emotions and motivations of a ghost? Details of details of nonsense psychobabble? It reminded me of the writing in The Three Faces of Eve the authors of which i diagnosed with testicularia, the sad manifestation of "hysteria" in males:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I appreciate that the author spent a long time in his research, but do we really need to know the librarian’s assistant’s mother’s age of menarche? And, maybe if any other human in history related to maps in any way had anything in common with her? I’m sure his work was exhaustive, but a good writer shouldn't use that excuse to exhaust us.
What if there was a book that wanted to tell a story, but every word was followed by its complete etymology? Yeah, like that.
I love old maps and have many framed in my collection, so this seemed like a natural for me. Ah well. The author couldn’t follow a sharpie drawn on an interstate to the next town. This is a ridiculous, meandering, hokum-filled book. Allegedly the tale of a map thief, you know: True Crime. Sadly, our author can’t trace a line from one incident to the next without a nauseating excess of crap. He seemed to need to follow every available dirt road to its end to see if there might be dirt there.
You know the pity you feel for soap opera actors, telenovela types who, we assume, might not be as terrible at what they do if they had perhaps rehearsed? They must have been denied the opportunity to absorb, feel out the silly, melodramatic plots, right? No one is that pathetic if they’re gainfully employed? What if a cross-dresser in a Christmas panto thought it was real theater?
I began with that overly kind approach, probably because the paper this book is printed on feels so smooth and yummy. But by the time i had forced my way through half of this tiresome ramble no mercy remained. It is so overwritten - pages of imagined facial expressions, emotions and motivations of a ghost? Details of details of nonsense psychobabble? It reminded me of the writing in The Three Faces of Eve the authors of which i diagnosed with testicularia, the sad manifestation of "hysteria" in males:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I appreciate that the author spent a long time in his research, but do we really need to know the librarian’s assistant’s mother’s age of menarche? And, maybe if any other human in history related to maps in any way had anything in common with her? I’m sure his work was exhaustive, but a good writer shouldn't use that excuse to exhaust us.
What if there was a book that wanted to tell a story, but every word was followed by its complete etymology? Yeah, like that.
May 24, 2018
This was certainly an interesting take on a cartographic criminal, namely one who steals maps from libraries. I have to admit I became a bit riled upon reading that rare books were destroyed in the guilty one's greed, so I didn't have much sympathy for him. But the author kept my attention by taking paths into the days of Columbus and Magellan and the great explorers, thus illuminating the constant crimes in search of rare maps.
Librarians do not come off well here. They allowed their books to be torn apart and then either didn't know about it or were too embarrassed to admit it. The author is mildly kind to them, but his frustration shows, and I like his emotion coming through the pages.
We rarely reach our destinations, at least not the ones we set out to find.
Book Season = Year Round
Librarians do not come off well here. They allowed their books to be torn apart and then either didn't know about it or were too embarrassed to admit it. The author is mildly kind to them, but his frustration shows, and I like his emotion coming through the pages.
We rarely reach our destinations, at least not the ones we set out to find.
Book Season = Year Round
March 6, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2010
Very interesting story of a branch of literary theft -- specializing in taking maps, sometimes cutting desirable maps out of special collection edition books. As well as the hunters who track these thieves down. Interestingly, the thieves appear addicted to their pursuits, unable to stop even when they know they are close to being caught.
July 15, 2017
The book has a very attractive dust jacket.
The sub-title of the book indicates that it is about "cartographic crime" presumably those thefts committed by Gilbert Bland. But the book was all over the place. There are a lot of anecdotes about explorers, old maps, map-collecting and map collectors. Some of these were related to the supposed subject and some weren't. At one point the author sees the name El Dorado on a map and just decides to drive 100 miles out of his way to see it. That would have been fine if he hadn't taken us with him.
The author occasionally bounces back to the crimes that were supposedly the subject of the book but actually spends more time on his own research for the book and his unhealthy obsession with Gilbert Bland. By page 89 he is referring to Gilbert Bland as "our hero" and I get the bad feeling that he is not being ironic.
If we are to be warned to be on the look out for Gilbert Bland, the author could have included a photo of him (besides the one with his hands over his face).
By far the most interesting part of the book for me concerned the FBI's efforts to return the stolen maps. Special Agent Gray Hill and his work were far more interesting than Gilbert Bland and his relatively boring thefts. When all was said and done, Gilbert Bland was just a thief who happened to steal maps. It was obvious from how he sold the maps that he didn't know much about them and wasn't particularly interested in them except for their monetary value. If cars were smaller or lamp shades were more valuable, he might have stolen them instead.
And finally, the nit picking that I am famous for: on page 86 Cynthia Requardt, curator of special collections at Johns Hopkins University's Milton S. Eisenhower Library tried to excuse their failure to repair the leaking roof on Peabody Library saying "It's a nineteenth-century building that's on the National Register of Historic Places, so there are certain restraints on what you can and cannot do." This statement, as quoted, is absolutely not true. The National Register places no restrictions on repairing a leaky roof. If you want to check, here's their number (202) 354-2211 (yes, I did).
The sub-title of the book indicates that it is about "cartographic crime" presumably those thefts committed by Gilbert Bland. But the book was all over the place. There are a lot of anecdotes about explorers, old maps, map-collecting and map collectors. Some of these were related to the supposed subject and some weren't. At one point the author sees the name El Dorado on a map and just decides to drive 100 miles out of his way to see it. That would have been fine if he hadn't taken us with him.
The author occasionally bounces back to the crimes that were supposedly the subject of the book but actually spends more time on his own research for the book and his unhealthy obsession with Gilbert Bland. By page 89 he is referring to Gilbert Bland as "our hero" and I get the bad feeling that he is not being ironic.
If we are to be warned to be on the look out for Gilbert Bland, the author could have included a photo of him (besides the one with his hands over his face).
By far the most interesting part of the book for me concerned the FBI's efforts to return the stolen maps. Special Agent Gray Hill and his work were far more interesting than Gilbert Bland and his relatively boring thefts. When all was said and done, Gilbert Bland was just a thief who happened to steal maps. It was obvious from how he sold the maps that he didn't know much about them and wasn't particularly interested in them except for their monetary value. If cars were smaller or lamp shades were more valuable, he might have stolen them instead.
And finally, the nit picking that I am famous for: on page 86 Cynthia Requardt, curator of special collections at Johns Hopkins University's Milton S. Eisenhower Library tried to excuse their failure to repair the leaking roof on Peabody Library saying "It's a nineteenth-century building that's on the National Register of Historic Places, so there are certain restraints on what you can and cannot do." This statement, as quoted, is absolutely not true. The National Register places no restrictions on repairing a leaky roof. If you want to check, here's their number (202) 354-2211 (yes, I did).
December 4, 2020
Map stealing has gone on from time immemorial; Christopher Columbus discovered America with the help of maps and charts stolen from the Portuguese and Sir Francis Drake went to the East Indies using captured Spanish maps. So what is new when Gilbert Bland decides that he has a new career as a map thief?
Well, Bland does not steal them from his enemies, he steals them from public institutions ... and for profit! It is quite amazing to think that he got away with secreting large sized maps on his person in the most, supposedly, security conscious institutions. But he did and he carried it on for quite some time until some eagle-eyed assistant was alerted to something going wrong in the George Peabody Library in Baltimore. Thus began the chase to catch the map thief, who was only exposed fully because he left behind a tell-tale notebook at the Peabody that was read and interpreted later. Initially the Peabody decided not to prosecute as Bland agreed to pay restoration costs ... how generous of him!
The book, which has many fascinating sidelines into the history and collecting of maps very tidily interspersed with the narrative, reads like a thriller and is a difficult one to put down until one finally discovers what happens to Bland - who stated that he only began his cartographic thefts when one of his businesses failed and he needed money. It was a crime spree that took him to the most influential map fairs in the USA and brought him into contact with many serious collectors and dealers ... and initially nobody thought it odd that he had such good quality and rare maps for sale. At one point he had three copies of a very scarce map that a dealer was desperate to get his hands on and had not seen in his whole career. With hindsight the dealer realised that something was wrong ... but not immediately because the desire to own something scarce overrides most other feelings. Well, it does with some people.
A much recommended read.
Well, Bland does not steal them from his enemies, he steals them from public institutions ... and for profit! It is quite amazing to think that he got away with secreting large sized maps on his person in the most, supposedly, security conscious institutions. But he did and he carried it on for quite some time until some eagle-eyed assistant was alerted to something going wrong in the George Peabody Library in Baltimore. Thus began the chase to catch the map thief, who was only exposed fully because he left behind a tell-tale notebook at the Peabody that was read and interpreted later. Initially the Peabody decided not to prosecute as Bland agreed to pay restoration costs ... how generous of him!
The book, which has many fascinating sidelines into the history and collecting of maps very tidily interspersed with the narrative, reads like a thriller and is a difficult one to put down until one finally discovers what happens to Bland - who stated that he only began his cartographic thefts when one of his businesses failed and he needed money. It was a crime spree that took him to the most influential map fairs in the USA and brought him into contact with many serious collectors and dealers ... and initially nobody thought it odd that he had such good quality and rare maps for sale. At one point he had three copies of a very scarce map that a dealer was desperate to get his hands on and had not seen in his whole career. With hindsight the dealer realised that something was wrong ... but not immediately because the desire to own something scarce overrides most other feelings. Well, it does with some people.
A much recommended read.
June 10, 2012
I suppose I was warned. After all, it says right in the title that this is a true STORY.
Our intrepid journalist started out to track down information so he could write an article about some faceless guy who was caught making off with valuable old maps he'd razored free from rare books housed in a special university reading room.
Over time, said intrepid journalist becomes obsessed just shy of stalking, and he amasses enough info. to write a 350 page book about the thief- all without the benefit of interviewing the person himself.
The faceless thief was determined to remain faceless after all. This didn't stop I. Journalist from speculating wildly about his motives, what he was feeling at various times, etc. It's easy to see here how legends are born.
-Except the overall story isn't legend-worthy. When reduced to the simple facts that I.J. collected, it's rather dry stuff.
I like antique maps, but I'd need to be much more passionate about them for this book to leap off the shelves at me.
Add to this the author's over-extended tendency to apply map terminology to just about everything, and oddly enough, I found myself getting lost. I had difficulty navigating through the Desert of No Firsthand Information, across the placid seas of Ancillary Anecdotes and around the Whirlpools of Historical Ruminations. (I'd continue on in this vein, but I don't want to repeat the author's error...)
Let this review point you in another direction unless you are totally into maps or searching for an average read.
Our intrepid journalist started out to track down information so he could write an article about some faceless guy who was caught making off with valuable old maps he'd razored free from rare books housed in a special university reading room.
Over time, said intrepid journalist becomes obsessed just shy of stalking, and he amasses enough info. to write a 350 page book about the thief- all without the benefit of interviewing the person himself.
The faceless thief was determined to remain faceless after all. This didn't stop I. Journalist from speculating wildly about his motives, what he was feeling at various times, etc. It's easy to see here how legends are born.
-Except the overall story isn't legend-worthy. When reduced to the simple facts that I.J. collected, it's rather dry stuff.
I like antique maps, but I'd need to be much more passionate about them for this book to leap off the shelves at me.
Add to this the author's over-extended tendency to apply map terminology to just about everything, and oddly enough, I found myself getting lost. I had difficulty navigating through the Desert of No Firsthand Information, across the placid seas of Ancillary Anecdotes and around the Whirlpools of Historical Ruminations. (I'd continue on in this vein, but I don't want to repeat the author's error...)
Let this review point you in another direction unless you are totally into maps or searching for an average read.
July 17, 2017
This is one of those popular history/current affairs books which takes a theme, in this case the career of a antique map thief, and supplements it with excurses into other, related subthemes and topics. The thief in question here is one Gilbert Bland. The text begins with his arrest at the Peabody Library, an arrest which began the investigation revealing a whole series of thefts, spanning North America. This and the efforts of the author to retrace not only Bland's criminal career but also his entire life is punctuated by brief biographies of other such thiefs and of other map collectors as well as by histories of various map collections. In addition, author Harvey discusses, occasionally, portions of the history of map making, of the lives of some map makers and of the business of map making and of map collecting. And that's not all--but you get the idea.
Reading this is effortless fun and one does pick up some interesting information, but sometimes the author gets carried away with his metaphors, filling pages with relatively contentless lyricism, padding what is otherwise an engaging text.
This book was recommended to me by an old friend, credited in its Acknowledgements, the reading of which also turned up another local acquaintance. Indeed, Harvey states in the Introduction that he did much of his writing at the Kopi Cafe, just a couple of miles south of here on Clark Street.
Reading this is effortless fun and one does pick up some interesting information, but sometimes the author gets carried away with his metaphors, filling pages with relatively contentless lyricism, padding what is otherwise an engaging text.
This book was recommended to me by an old friend, credited in its Acknowledgements, the reading of which also turned up another local acquaintance. Indeed, Harvey states in the Introduction that he did much of his writing at the Kopi Cafe, just a couple of miles south of here on Clark Street.
October 14, 2017
I am still shaking my head about Miles Harvey's "The Island of Lost Maps" -- what a wasted opportunity for an interesting book. I decided to read this one after reading Michael Blandings' excellent and far superior book "The Map Thief" and I just shouldn't have bothered.
The book is supposed to be about map thief Gilbert Bland Jr., who ripped maps out of library books and made a pretty good living at it until he got caught. Harvey clearly doesn't have enough material on Bland for a full-length book so he includes lots of junk that has no bearing on the story. It's like writing a story about a famous doctor and saying, "I had some cashews for breakfast and that takes me back to the main character of my story, because he was nuts." Harvery frequently inserts himself into the story in bizarre ways.
The point of no return for me was when Harvey begins describing how the ghost of a dead librarian felt about Bland's thefts. I'm sure this was based on extensive interviews with the ghost of the library. Hello, this isn't supposed to be a fiction! It was impossible to take anything Harvey said seriously after that chapter.
Skip this book and read "The Map Thief" instead... you'll get much more out of it.
The book is supposed to be about map thief Gilbert Bland Jr., who ripped maps out of library books and made a pretty good living at it until he got caught. Harvey clearly doesn't have enough material on Bland for a full-length book so he includes lots of junk that has no bearing on the story. It's like writing a story about a famous doctor and saying, "I had some cashews for breakfast and that takes me back to the main character of my story, because he was nuts." Harvery frequently inserts himself into the story in bizarre ways.
The point of no return for me was when Harvey begins describing how the ghost of a dead librarian felt about Bland's thefts. I'm sure this was based on extensive interviews with the ghost of the library. Hello, this isn't supposed to be a fiction! It was impossible to take anything Harvey said seriously after that chapter.
Skip this book and read "The Map Thief" instead... you'll get much more out of it.
June 28, 2019
I enjoyed the back story of the history of maps in this book, more than the actual theft of the maps. A weasel of a guy, Mr. Bland (such a fortuitous name) defaces library books by cutting antique maps from their pages. No one really wants to prosecute, until the libraries begin to realize the scale involved. Spoiler alert - that is pretty much the whole story. Still, the beauty of this book is in the writing, the author has a way of presenting dry facts and making them engrossing, and the characters inhabiting the pages are anything but bland.
March 5, 2019
This book gives the reader a dose of cartographic history while focusing on a particular criminal who steals old maps from libraries. Unfortunately, it's also an account of the author's journey of self-discovery, and that just isn't very interesting as far as I'm concerned. You might try THE MAP THIEF by Michael Blanding.
May 20, 2020
A meandering stream of Miles Harvey's thought processes and investigation but I did learn a lot about explorers, cartographers, history, books and maps along the way.
December 6, 2020
Very informative. I enjoyed the authors insights. I feel I learned a lot about cartography. Also learned a lot about history. And I love learning about old books.My favorite things.
December 31, 2012
7/11 - I love a book about books, and while this doesn't actually appear to be a book about books, once I got reading I realised it is after all. This was origianally a book about maps (interesting enough to start with), but most of the maps Harvey talks about are located within books (or they were until horrible book destroyers ripped them out in order to sell the maps as individual plates, as they are worth more that way than as a whole). Reading about someone, or a group of someones (especially supposedly trustworthy institutions like libraries), desecrating antique, one-of-a-kind books from hundreds of years ago really makes my blood boil. I want to yell at them, and tell them that they can't do that to a book, any book, but especially not a book as special as some of these books are (or were before their maps were ripped out). Harvey weaves other threads of interesting information into the story of the greatest theft of maps in modern times. I'm learning about cartographers from the 1400s, the Peabody Library in Baltimore, the reasons behind some of the more interesting decorations on maps from the 13, 14 and 1500s and the long process involved in printing a map in the first days of the printing press. To be continued...
17/12 - I was very disappointed to read how lenient the courts were in their sentencing of Gilbert Bland - only 15 months including time served, which in the end meant he was only in jail another 5 months after the end of the trial. I don't understand why the desecration of a book that is hundreds of years old and one of a kind in the world is different from the desecration of a painting that is hundreds of years old and one of a kind in the world. Shouldn't the punishment be the same for a book as a painting? This book was well researched, but despite it being a possibly dry topic, Harvey made it interesting and even funny in some places.
17/12 - I was very disappointed to read how lenient the courts were in their sentencing of Gilbert Bland - only 15 months including time served, which in the end meant he was only in jail another 5 months after the end of the trial. I don't understand why the desecration of a book that is hundreds of years old and one of a kind in the world is different from the desecration of a painting that is hundreds of years old and one of a kind in the world. Shouldn't the punishment be the same for a book as a painting? This book was well researched, but despite it being a possibly dry topic, Harvey made it interesting and even funny in some places.
17/12 - I was very disappointed to read how lenient the courts were in their sentencing of Gilbert Bland - only 15 months including time served, which in the end meant he was only in jail another 5 months after the end of the trial. I don't understand why the desecration of a book that is hundreds of years old and one of a kind in the world is different from the desecration of a painting that is hundreds of years old and one of a kind in the world. Shouldn't the punishment be the same for a book as a painting? This book was well researched, but despite it being a possibly dry topic, Harvey made it interesting and even funny in some places.
17/12 - I was very disappointed to read how lenient the courts were in their sentencing of Gilbert Bland - only 15 months including time served, which in the end meant he was only in jail another 5 months after the end of the trial. I don't understand why the desecration of a book that is hundreds of years old and one of a kind in the world is different from the desecration of a painting that is hundreds of years old and one of a kind in the world. Shouldn't the punishment be the same for a book as a painting? This book was well researched, but despite it being a possibly dry topic, Harvey made it interesting and even funny in some places.
August 28, 2016
2.5 stars
Good map facts throughout, but nothing that you couldn't learn from reading any of the multitudes of other map history books out there.
And while the focus on Bland was good in theory, because the author was unable to interview Bland directly (and Bland certainly wanted nothing to do with him), much of this part of the book takes on a purely speculative tone. In a way, it becomes more of a memoir of the author's search for information on Bland and maps, rather than an actual history-biography of the case. For the second half, it became more of this odd allegorical meta journey, with the author so obsessed with the case, that it just started lacking credibility in a way.
If you're looking for a book about map thievery that includes more fact and focus on the case, I'd suggest The Map Thief. It focuses on a different thief, but it's much better written and researched.
Good map facts throughout, but nothing that you couldn't learn from reading any of the multitudes of other map history books out there.
And while the focus on Bland was good in theory, because the author was unable to interview Bland directly (and Bland certainly wanted nothing to do with him), much of this part of the book takes on a purely speculative tone. In a way, it becomes more of a memoir of the author's search for information on Bland and maps, rather than an actual history-biography of the case. For the second half, it became more of this odd allegorical meta journey, with the author so obsessed with the case, that it just started lacking credibility in a way.
If you're looking for a book about map thievery that includes more fact and focus on the case, I'd suggest The Map Thief. It focuses on a different thief, but it's much better written and researched.
September 1, 2017
This book is nominally about a man named Gilbert Bland who made a living for a few years stealing antique maps from books in libraries across the U.S. and Canada. It starts out well, covering a variety of interesting topics: explorers and map creators, antique map and book restoration and map collectors. Unfortunately it gets off the track about half way through. First the author presents a strained analogy between the motivation of Bland and explorers like John Fremont. He follow this up with comparisons between himself and explorers, between himself and map collectors, and finally between himself and Bland. There is far to much self-examination and little about Bland himself. The author should have quit about halfway through with a rather interesting treatise on maps and left the pop-psych out.
April 24, 2008
This is the story of Gilbert Bland, who was arrested after stealing historic maps from libraries all over North America. The author talks about how the popularity of eBay and the Antiques Roadshow is putting archival collections in more danger, as interest in -- and prices for -- old documents, maps, books, and so on continue to rise. He also claims that some libraries refused to admit they had anything stolen, presumably so as not to frighten off potential donors. However, this meant that they were not able to get their maps back once they had been recovered (since they insisted they weren't missing).
I could have done without the digressions into sea monsters and the Hardy Boys, but the story of the thief was interesting, as were the security issues the case raises.
I could have done without the digressions into sea monsters and the Hardy Boys, but the story of the thief was interesting, as were the security issues the case raises.
May 8, 2007
"For him that steals, or borrows and returns not, a book from its owner, let it change into a serpent in his hand and rend him. Let him be struck with palsy, and all his members blasted. Let him languish in pain crying aloud for mercy, and let there be no surcease to his agony till he sing in dissolution. Let bookworms gnaw at his entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not. And when at last he goes to his final punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him for ever."
Library of the San Pedro Monastery, Barcelona
Harvey, Miles. The Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime. New York: Broadway Books, 2000 (73).
Library of the San Pedro Monastery, Barcelona
Harvey, Miles. The Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime. New York: Broadway Books, 2000 (73).
July 22, 2016
In -Island of Lost Maps- Miles Harvey writes of cartographic history, crime, printing challenges, auctions, and one particular cartographic criminal. I am convinced that map books need to join the archives or that map/rare books rooms need more security. Harvey fears that asking researchers why they want to do map research and asking for creditentials and letters of reference will limit individual'sender access to our Earth and cultural history. With the widespread use of the Internet (Book was published in 2000.), the maps can be to some degree made available online. I enjoyed this book and appreciate this book, so a 4 star rating.
June 15, 2018
I was surprised by this book, and myself for enjoying it so much. I chose this non-fiction piece to push myself outside my usual preference for novels with clever plots and quirky characters. I wasn't at all sure I'd persist with it, but I'd give it a start. It turned out to be engaging and profoundly informative. Fundamentally about Gilbert Bland's crime spree in the 1990s of stealing rare maps from libraries and archives, I became more fascinated with the art, science, history, and collecting of old maps. Cartography was a subject of which I understood little more than its definition. Reaching beyond my usual reading diet turned out very rewarding.
February 10, 2017
What started as an intriguing story and interesting idea turns into something else by the end. The author realizes that he isn't going to be able to finish the story he has begun, so he tries really hard to interject himself and his experiences into the story. Some interesting historical stories here and there, but the author tried too hard to find meaning where there wasn't any. By the end, I wanted the book to be done
November 6, 2023
This is quite possibly the worst book I've read in years. When I was assigned the book for an Archives class at my college, I was actually quite excited! It sounded and looked cool. A book about crime and maps? Awesome! If only it were actually well written, and not incredibly creepy to read.
Throughout the book Harvey dives into the history of cartography, as well as the life and crimes of Gilbert Bland, who stole multiple rare maps from libraries across the United States and Canada. Not only is Harvey an horrible writer (word choice, sentence structure, repetitive, too descriptive, bad pacing), he's also obsessed with Bland and full on stalked him.
Now, I fully agree that Bland is a criminal and what he did was wrong. However, instead of being given the same treatment as any other non-violent criminal, he and his family were stalked and harassed by a creepy man who saw "filling in Bland's life was like filling in a map" (Blurb on cover). Harvey tracked down Bland's family, his personal records, his criminal records, and even his medical records. He even went as far as to pull his number from some random public-records site and CALL HIM. And to absolutely no surprise, Bland did not take that well. As any sane person in this situation would have done, Bland told Harvey to 1. Never contact him again and 2. If Harvey does contact him (Bland) again, he'll press civil charges (pg.317). Bland literally calls Harvey out on stalking on pg. 318. So Harvey drops it and moves on right? No, actually Harvey got so upset that he decided to punish Bland in his own way; "he cherished his anonymity...Even the courts had not taken it away from him. But I would." (pg. 322). Listen, I don't care who you are or what you did, NO ONE DESERVES THAT. Bland was not a violent and dangerous murderer, he shouldn't've have had so much information on his personal life published against his will like that.
Miles Harvey wrote this book because he's obsessive (or as he says, "compassionate" (pg. 323)) and didn't get his way. This book was written out of spite against a man who barely even appears when you search his name on Google.
Throughout the book Harvey dives into the history of cartography, as well as the life and crimes of Gilbert Bland, who stole multiple rare maps from libraries across the United States and Canada. Not only is Harvey an horrible writer (word choice, sentence structure, repetitive, too descriptive, bad pacing), he's also obsessed with Bland and full on stalked him.
Now, I fully agree that Bland is a criminal and what he did was wrong. However, instead of being given the same treatment as any other non-violent criminal, he and his family were stalked and harassed by a creepy man who saw "filling in Bland's life was like filling in a map" (Blurb on cover). Harvey tracked down Bland's family, his personal records, his criminal records, and even his medical records. He even went as far as to pull his number from some random public-records site and CALL HIM. And to absolutely no surprise, Bland did not take that well. As any sane person in this situation would have done, Bland told Harvey to 1. Never contact him again and 2. If Harvey does contact him (Bland) again, he'll press civil charges (pg.317). Bland literally calls Harvey out on stalking on pg. 318. So Harvey drops it and moves on right? No, actually Harvey got so upset that he decided to punish Bland in his own way; "he cherished his anonymity...Even the courts had not taken it away from him. But I would." (pg. 322). Listen, I don't care who you are or what you did, NO ONE DESERVES THAT. Bland was not a violent and dangerous murderer, he shouldn't've have had so much information on his personal life published against his will like that.
Miles Harvey wrote this book because he's obsessive (or as he says, "compassionate" (pg. 323)) and didn't get his way. This book was written out of spite against a man who barely even appears when you search his name on Google.
April 24, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this true story about a man who was caught stealing rare maps from libraries. Harvey, a journalist, follows the trail and provides a lot of information about the development and importance of maps throughout history.The book also documents libraries and their reactions to being targeted by thieves, including some who denied they'd be robbed. At some point, as this was such a huge theft of maps over a number of years and institutions, the FBI got involved. And, it turns out that there is quite a subculture of people who collect and who covet maps. I loved the way that Harvey became obsessed with the case. If you liked "The Feather Thief" you will really enjoy this book.
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