Thieves of Baghdad, Matthew Bogdanos
Thieves of Baghdad, Matthew Bogdanos
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Thieves of Baghdad
One Marine's Passion for Ancient Civilizations and the Journey to Recover the World's Greatest Stolen Treasures

Author: Matthew Bogdanos

Narrator: Matthew Bogdanos

Abridged: 6 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/26/2005


Synopsis

One Marine's Passion for Ancient Civilizations and the Journey to Recover the World's Greatest Stolen Treasures.

A blend of treasure hunt, police procedural, war-time thriller, and exposé of the international black-market in stolen art, told in the voice of a truly remarkable man: a soldier, a father, and a scholar.

The New York tabloids call him ‘the pit bull' for his relentless prosecution of high-profile defendants. He's an assistant D.A., a spit-and-polish Marine, a trigger-puller on counter-terrorist missions to Afghanistan, a competitive boxer—and a dedicated classics scholar. So when Matthew Bogdanos discovered that the Iraq National Museum had been looted during the battle of Baghdad, he immediately embarked on a mission to recover the stolen antiquities. Accompanied by a select group of men, Bogdanos set off across the desert without official sanction, risking his career and his life in pursuit of this priceless international treasure.

THIEVES OF BAGHDAD immerses the listener into the rich culture, the colorful characters, the double-dealing, and the derring-do, to sort out once and for all what actually happened during the chaos of the Baghdad invasion, exactly how the thefts took place, and how the most notable objects were retrieved. We hear Bogdanos and his team going on raids and negotiating recoveries, blowing open safes, and mingling in the marketplaces—often encountering an assortment of rogues and villains. He gradually earns the trust of Iraqis eager to preserve their cultural heritage—and then stuns the world by unearthing the most sensational treasure of all, The Gold of Nimrud over 1,000 pieces of gold jewelry, precious stones, and ornaments often called "Iraq's Crown Jewels."

About Matthew Bogdanos

Matthew Bogdanos has been an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan since 1988. He holds both a law degree and a master's in classics from Columbia University, as well as a master's in Strategic Studies from the Army War College. Recalled to active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps after September 11, 2001, he received a Bronze Star for counter-terrorist operations in Afghanistan, and served several tours in Iraq. Upon his release from active duty, he will return to the D.A.'s office to head New York's first antiquities task force.


Reviews

Goodreads review by George on November 19, 2019

Sometimes when reading I amuse myself coming up with a better title for the book. This is a sign of two things; one that the book is sadly mis-titled, and two, that I am not very engaged. This book as currently presented buries all the important and interesting material about the Iraq museum underne......more

Goodreads review by Marian on August 29, 2014

I love art. I love classical quotations. Intrigue is to me what catnip is to Bali. My horror of violence is matched by my respect for the courage of the thin military line that stands between civilization and chaos. Indiana Jones may be Speilberg's swashbuckling knee-buckler, but Bogdanos matches In......more

Goodreads review by Leanne on March 16, 2022

Original writing and really engaging read. I was overseas when the story broke that the museum had been looted. I was deeply upset about the loss of this great heritage. Now two decades later I am reading what is probably a lot closer to the truth. I read the book as I took a class on art plundering......more

Goodreads review by Gea on March 08, 2016

I absolutely loved this. I listened to it on Audible in just a few days and I found it enhanced by Colonel Bogdanos personal narration. His voice sounds like his writing--strong, determined, and driven. No doubt he is a hyperactive control freak, but he has a heart too. I thought he was fascinating.......more


Quotes

"Bogdanos is a remarkable blend of warrior, academic and communicator, and he cuts through politics and hyperbole to tell an engrossing story abundant with history, colored by stories of brave Iraqis and Americans, and shaded with hope for the future. " - Publishers Weekly