An informative and thrilling read - the book manages to speak to the value of art in broad terms as well as economic ones. The prose might have caused a cringe in one place or another, but really, this was a *priceless* look into an underground world.

I liked a lot of this book, but boy did in lose steam (when changing format) in the final quarter. Probably not the best book on this topic, but not a bad one either.

Really fascinating glimpse at both the art crime world and the FBI. I don't know much about art/antiquities but found the author's story incredibly compelling. Anyone interested in the Isabella Stewart Gardner case should absolutely read this. Also, anyone who likes the show White Collar should consider this.

As both a memoir and an account of the current state of the FBI, the priorities of international and local policing of art crimes, and a look into the life of an undercover detective, this book was an incredibly entertaining episodic compilation of a topic that can easily become complex and confusing. So, while I read it all in the space of 24 hours, I sort of wished the writing was more, perhaps, literary? Erudite? I don't know, it just felt unevenly colloquial (in places where it shouldn't be) and formal, and often repetitive in syntax. Nevertheless, I was fascinated by the complexities of Wittman's successful dealings and always grateful at the end of each chronicle for the work he did in recovering important items of cultural and historical heritage. All I can think of, now, is the missed opportunity of recovering the stolen Gardner works, and how far out of our reach they might be now.

Being an art lover, this book fascinated me. I listened to each story with hopes that all of the stolen art would be recovered. Love art? Love true crime? Read this one!

Fascinating, even if he comes off as a bit full of himself.

Не стоит ждать от этой книги увлекательных историй об успешных поисках похищенных шедевров в стиле "Аферы Томаса Крауна". Автор рассказывает о том, как устроен в США (или как был устроен до 2010-х гг) поиск музейных артефактов: от украденных из музея в Бостоне и так и не найденных, Рембрандта и Вермеера, до одного из первых экземпляров Билля о правах или традиционных индейских головных уборов из перьев.
В начале автор приводит данные о том, какие средства выделялись на организацию поиска предметов искусства в США и Европе в начале 2000-х. Лидировала Италия, затем шли другие страны Европы, США были далеко не в первой пятерке. Уиттман довольно откровенно говорит о недостатках организации работы по поиску музейных ценностей, о низком уровне специального образовании агентов, занимающихся преступлениями в сфере искусства, о других особенностях системы.
Читается "Операция "Шедевр" очень легко, сюжеты увлекательные, автор честно рассказывает о себе и это приближает читателя к главному герою, "включает" сопереживание и книга воспринимается уже не просто как нон-фикшн, а как своеобразная автобиография с элементами детектива.

Wittman, the founder of the FBI’s Art Crime Team, has some seriously fascinating stories to tell. Although he dismisses the film portrayals of art crime as glamorous or exciting as incorrect, nothing in his book dispels the fact that art crime (and stolen art hunting) is like no other aspect of law enforcement. Wittman may not be hunting characters straight out of National Treasure or The Thomas Crown Affair, but he was hunting works of art worth tens of millions of dollars and going undercover to associate with some shady characters in order to arrange SWAT-style take downs in foreign hotel rooms.

There’s no argument that Wittman has been involved in some of the most fascinating art crime cases in the past several decades and I love his behind-the-scenes stories in the recoveries of several major works. Despite how much I enjoyed the book as a whole, I thought it had some uneven points. First, it was hard to establish the chronology of his cases. This may have been intentional, but it could be confusing and disorienting. Second, Wittman seemed to want to inject some personal anecdotes about his family and background into the text, but they appear so randomly as to be surprising and stilted when they do. I think it would have served the text well for Wittman to have expanded more thoroughly on his family and other personal experiences in order to avoid his somewhat one-dimensional portrayal.

I still heartily recommend this book, and didn’t put it down for several hours in order to finish. For an art buff or art history major or anyone with a passing familiarity or interest, this book would be a clear hit. It’s a light, fun, suspenseful read and perfect for a bit of entertainment if you’ve been bogged down in heavy novels recently.