For the past two centuries, the West has plundered the treasures of the ancient world to fill its great museums, but in recent years the countries where ancient civilizations originated have begun to push back, taking museums to court, prosecuting curators, and threatening to force the return of these priceless objects. Sharon Waxman brings us inside this high-stakes conflict, from the great cities of the West to Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy, as these countries face down the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum, the British Museum, and the J. Paul Getty Museum. She shows how the actions of a few determined and implacable characters may yet strip these museums of some of their most cherished treasures. For readers who are fascinated by antiquity, who love to frequent museums, and who believe in the value of cultural exchange, "LOOT" opens a new window on an enduring conflict.
- ISBN10 0805090886
- ISBN13 9780805090888
- Publish Date 1 September 2009 (first published 31 December 2008)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 4 July 2009
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Henry Holt & Company Inc
- Format Paperback
- Pages 432
- Language English