The Book Thief
The True Crimes of Daniel Spiegelman
By Travis McDade
The True Crimes of Daniel Spiegelman
By Travis McDade
In the early 1990s a man walked into the Butler Library at
Columbia University and began a systematic crime. Remaining
undetected throughout several trips, Daniel Spiegelman stole several
million dollars worth of rare and unique items from the hyper-secure
Rare Book and Manuscript Library on the sixth floor. He was
eventually captured in Europe in the process of selling some of the
items and it fell to the federal judge assigned to his case to determine
the extent of the harm.
In what was one of the most extraordinary sentences in recent federal
criminal history, the judge determined that the crime was not simply
one whose monetary impact could determine its seriousness. This
was a crime against the culture.
The Book Thief describes the crime, capture and three year legal
process that led to the extraordinary sentence. Along the way - and
even a bit after - there are some really interesting twists and turns.
Will Manley, columnist for American Libraries:
"The Book Thief is a highly entertaining and thought provoking
study into the mind of a rare book thief. It works nicely on several
levels: an exciting true crime potboiler, a gripping courtroom drama,
and a fascinating peek into the rarefied air of the world of rare books
and manuscripts. It's a unique story that pits a slippery thief against
a scholarly rare books librarian. The resolution of this war of wits
will surprise you."
Columbia University and began a systematic crime. Remaining
undetected throughout several trips, Daniel Spiegelman stole several
million dollars worth of rare and unique items from the hyper-secure
Rare Book and Manuscript Library on the sixth floor. He was
eventually captured in Europe in the process of selling some of the
items and it fell to the federal judge assigned to his case to determine
the extent of the harm.
In what was one of the most extraordinary sentences in recent federal
criminal history, the judge determined that the crime was not simply
one whose monetary impact could determine its seriousness. This
was a crime against the culture.
The Book Thief describes the crime, capture and three year legal
process that led to the extraordinary sentence. Along the way - and
even a bit after - there are some really interesting twists and turns.
Will Manley, columnist for American Libraries:
"The Book Thief is a highly entertaining and thought provoking
study into the mind of a rare book thief. It works nicely on several
levels: an exciting true crime potboiler, a gripping courtroom drama,
and a fascinating peek into the rarefied air of the world of rare books
and manuscripts. It's a unique story that pits a slippery thief against
a scholarly rare books librarian. The resolution of this war of wits
will surprise you."
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |