Name: Ryan LaFerney's review of The Woman Who Stole Vermeer by Anthony M. Amore
Item: The Woman Who Stole Vermeer
Rating: 5
Author: Ryan LaFerney

Anthony M. Amore

The extraordinary life and crimes of heiress-turned-revolutionary Rose Dugdale, who in 1974 became the only woman to pull off a major art heist. In the world of crime, there exists an unusual commonality between those who steal art and those who repeatedly kill: they are almost exclusively male. But, as with all things, there is always an outlier—someone who bucks the trend, defying the reliable profiles and leaving investigators and researchers scratching their heads. In the history of major art heists, that outlier is Rose Dugdale. Dugdale’s life is singularly notorious. Born into extreme wealth, she abandoned her life as an Oxford-trained PhD and heiress to join the cause of Irish Republicanism. While on the surface she appears to be the British version of Patricia Hearst, she is anything but. Dugdale ran head-first towards the action, spearheading the first aerial terrorist attack in British history and pulling off the biggest art theft of her time. In 1974, she led a gang into the opulent Russborough House in Ireland and made off with millions in prized paintings, including works by Goya, Gainsborough, and Rubens, as well as Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid by the mysterious master Johannes Vermeer. Dugdale thus became—to this day—the only woman to pull off a major art heist. And as Anthony Amore explores in The Woman Who Stole Vermeer, it’s likely that this was not her only such heist. The Woman Who Stole Vermeer is Rose Dugdale’s story, from her idyllic upbringing in Devonshire and her presentation to Elizabeth II as a debutante to her university years and her eventual radical lifestyle. Her life of crime and activism is at turns unbelievable and awe-inspiring, and sure to engross readers.

The True Story of Rose Dugdale and the Russborough House Art Heist

The Woman Who Stole Vermeer

Kimberly

Ryan LaFerney

This is the first examination of the only known woman to mastermind an art heist, Rose Dugdale. No matter if your interest is art, true crime, or biography, this is a fantastic read and you won’t want to put it down. It is the story of how Rose Dugdale, an Oxford-educated woman, and English aristocrat, leaves behind her world of wealth and privilege, to fight for the liberation of Northern Ireland from the English. In doing so, she masterminds one of the more astounding art heists in history.

Rose herself is at once sympathetic and frustrating, which in terms of biography, makes for a fascinating read. You could say that her political leanings were not inherently wrong (to a degree - of course, the Northern Irish deserve to be one with their mother country and of course, religious persecution is a terrible thing). Her methodologies as well as her actions - in promoting violent and intimdating tactics as well staging heists -are sadly inexcusable. But this is the paradox of Rose Dugdale, she is educated enough to understand that her decisions are her own. She is okay with stealing and she is okay with violence. 

It is rare to read the biography of a woman who is remembered for her crimes. For that alone, this book is well worth picking up. Dugdale emerges as a fascinating and contradictory figure. The narrative is lively, well-written, and exhaustively researched.

Kimberly &
The Woman Who Stole Vermeer by Anthony M. Amore

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The Woman Who Stole Vermeer by Anthony M. Amore