Boston Public Library Author Talk

Michael Blanding, author of The Map Thief

In The Map Thief, award-winning investigative reporter Michael Blanding tells the true story of map dealer-turned-criminal E. Forbes Smiley III, who stole more than three million dollars’ worth of antique maps from rare-book libraries including the Boston Public Library. Smiley was ultimately caught in 2005 when an attentive librarian spotted a razor blade he dropped on the floor, leading to the ultimate unraveling of his deceptions. Drawing on an exclusive interview with Smiley as well as in-depth investigations involving map collectors, dealers, curators, and law enforcement, Blanding paints a compelling psychological portrait of an obsessive man who committed daring crimes against the backdrop of a quirky and cutthroat subculture. He also looks at the backstories of the explorers and mapmakers who charted the history of North America through their maps, many of which are worth tens of thousands of dollars today. Blanding is a regular contributor to publications including the Nation, the Boston Globe Magazine, and Boston Magazine and is the author of The Coke Machine: The Dirty Truth Behind the World’s Favorite Soft Drink.