# A Gentleman and a Thief: The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue - Hardcover

by **Dean Jobb** (Author)

**_Catch Me If You Can_ meets _The Great Gatsby_ meets Cary Grant in _To Catch a Thief_ in this captivating Jazz Age true-crime caper about "the greatest jewel thief who ever lived" (_Life Magazine_), Arthur Barry, who charmed celebrities and millionaires--everyone from Rockefellers to members of the royal family--while simultaneously planning and executing the most audacious and lucrative heists of the 1920s.**

"A master of narrative nonfiction. In this mesmerizing tale about a Jazz Age gentlemanly thief, Jobb has found his own perfect jewel."  
―DAVID GRANN, #1 _New York Times_ bestselling author of _The Wager_ and _Killers of the Flower Moon_

"An enthrallingly propulsive, unpredictably twisty biography of one of the most fascinating criminals of the 20th Century. I was hooked from the very first heist."  
―MICHAEL FINKEL, _New York Times_ bestselling author of _The Art Thief_ and _The Stranger in the Woods_

A skilled con artist and one of the most successful burglars in history, Arthur Barry was adept at slipping in and out of bedrooms undetected, even when his victims slept only inches away. He became a folk hero, a gentleman bandit touted in the press as the "Prince of Thieves" and an "Aristocrat of Crime." Think Cary Grant in _To Catch a Thief._ In a span of seven years, Barry stole pearls, diamonds, and other precious gems worth almost $60 million today. Among his many victims were a Rockefeller, an heiress to the Woolworth Department Store fortune, an oil magnate, Wall Street bigwigs, a top executive of automotive giant General Motors, and a famous polo player. He befriended the Prince of Wales, Harry Houdini, and other luminaries. The rollicking, caper-filled rise and dramatic downfall of this master thief is a high-speed ride told in stylish prose.

_A Gentleman and a Thief_ is also a love story. Barry confessed to dozens of burglaries to protect his wife, Anna Blake (and was the prime suspect in scores of others on Long Island and across Westchester County). Sentenced to a twenty-five-year term, he staged a dramatic prison break--triggering a bloody inmates' riot--when Anna became seriously ill, so they could be together for a few more years as fugitives. Page-turning, escapist, and sparkling with insight into the allure of gemstones and our fascination with well-planned heists and the suave, clever criminals who pull them off, _A Gentleman and a Thief_ is perfect for true crime fans who relish the exploits of con artists and high-class crooks.

### Author Biography

**Dean Jobb** is the author of _The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream_, winner of the inaugural CrimeCon CLUE Award for true crime book of the year and longlisted for the American Library Association's Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. His previous books include _Empire of Deception_, which the _New York Times Book Review_ called "intoxicating and impressively researched" and the Chicago Writers Association named the Nonfiction Book of the Year. _Esquire_ magazine has hailed him as "a master of narrative nonfiction." Jobb has written for major newspapers and magazines, including the _Chicago Tribune_ and Toronto's _Globe and Mail_ and his monthly true crime column, "Stranger Than Fiction," appears in _Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine_. He is a professor at the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he teaches in the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction program.  

**Number of Pages:** 448

**Dimensions:** 1.6 x 6.4 x 9.1 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** June 25, 2024

## Details

- **Price:** 32.5 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 32.50 USD | In stock |

## Images

- A Gentleman and a Thief: The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue - Hardcover

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