The Man Who Stole the Gods
A True Story of War, Obsession, and a Global Art Conspiracy
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The Man Who Stole the Gods
Narrated by:
Nicholas Boulton
Pre-order Now for £15.55
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Narrated by:
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Nicholas Boulton
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By:
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Matthew Campbell
About this listen
Amidst the chaos of Cambodia's brutal genocide, a new crime wave emerged—one that would sweep across borders and entangle the world's most prestigious art institutions. Priceless treasures of the ancient Khmer Empire, the civilization that produced Angkor Wat, vanished from sacred temples, looted by smugglers and trafficked into the hands of elite collectors. At the center of it all was a man named Douglas Latchford.
Known later as "Dynamite Doug" for the ruthless methods used to extract statues from temple ruins, Latchford orchestrated one of history's most audacious cultural heists. From dusty Cambodian villages to the glittering auction houses of London and New York and institutions like the Met, he played a double game—presenting himself as an expert on Khmer art while secretly flooding the market with stolen antiquities.
In The Man Who Stole the Gods, award-winning journalist Matthew Campbell unravels the gripping story of Latchford's criminal enterprise, and a global conspiracy of greed and collusion—one that involves some of the world's most powerful museums and collectors.
A masterful blend of true crime, history, and investigative journalism, The Man Who Stole the Gods is the definitive account of one man's greed, an industry's complicity, and the fight to expose the truth and restore stolen treasures to their rightful home.
Critic reviews
“Painstakingly researched and paced like a thriller, this sweeping, cinematic account weaves together true crime and Asian history to shine a light on a little-explored art world scandal. It’s a breathtaking ride.”
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Thought-provoking true crime on a grand scale.”
— Kirkus
“An epic tale of art, war, and crime, The Man Who Stole the Gods unspools a sprawling conspiracy of tomb raiders, art dealers, and museum curators, with one elusive expatriate at the heart of it all. Campbell brings the story to life with brisk pacing, an instinct for drama, and a firm grasp of the moral and historical stakes.”
— Stuart A. Reid, senior fellow for history and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of The Lumumba Plot
“The Man Who Stole the Gods transcends reportage, marrying investigative rigor to the emotional force of great fiction. Propulsive and devastating, it traces a story of greed and violence that opens, finally, onto redemption, rendered with exceptional clarity and insight.”
— Katie Engelhart, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Inevitable
“Immaculately researched and beautifully written, The Man Who Stole the Gods is a gripping real-life exposé of the ugly deals that underpin the trade in beautiful objects.”
— Oliver Bullough, author of Everybody Loves Our Dollars and Moneyland
“The Man Who Stole the Gods is both an archaeological adventure to rival David Grann’s Lost City of Z, and a riveting exposé of the plunder that still fills the world’s top art museums.”
— Zeke Faux, author of Number Go Up
“Masterfully reported and beautifully told, The Man Who Stole the Gods is a piercing indictment of our unequal world. It reads like a thriller, starring elite curators, business moguls, despots, freedom fighters, and one of the most fascinating anti- heroes in modern memory.”
— Sheelah Kolhatkar, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Black Edge
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Thought-provoking true crime on a grand scale.”
— Kirkus
“An epic tale of art, war, and crime, The Man Who Stole the Gods unspools a sprawling conspiracy of tomb raiders, art dealers, and museum curators, with one elusive expatriate at the heart of it all. Campbell brings the story to life with brisk pacing, an instinct for drama, and a firm grasp of the moral and historical stakes.”
— Stuart A. Reid, senior fellow for history and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of The Lumumba Plot
“The Man Who Stole the Gods transcends reportage, marrying investigative rigor to the emotional force of great fiction. Propulsive and devastating, it traces a story of greed and violence that opens, finally, onto redemption, rendered with exceptional clarity and insight.”
— Katie Engelhart, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Inevitable
“Immaculately researched and beautifully written, The Man Who Stole the Gods is a gripping real-life exposé of the ugly deals that underpin the trade in beautiful objects.”
— Oliver Bullough, author of Everybody Loves Our Dollars and Moneyland
“The Man Who Stole the Gods is both an archaeological adventure to rival David Grann’s Lost City of Z, and a riveting exposé of the plunder that still fills the world’s top art museums.”
— Zeke Faux, author of Number Go Up
“Masterfully reported and beautifully told, The Man Who Stole the Gods is a piercing indictment of our unequal world. It reads like a thriller, starring elite curators, business moguls, despots, freedom fighters, and one of the most fascinating anti- heroes in modern memory.”
— Sheelah Kolhatkar, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Black Edge
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