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A Gentleman and a Thief: The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue
“A master of narrative nonfiction … in this mesmerizing tale about a Jazz Age gentlemanly thief, Jobb has found his own perfect jewel.” – David Grann, New York Times #1 bestselling author of The Wager and Killers of the Flower Moon
Catch Me If You Can meets The Great Gatsby meets the hit Netflix series Lupin 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 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, members of the Royal Family who were touring America, 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.
Catch Me If You Can meets The Great Gatsby meets the hit Netflix series Lupin 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 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, members of the Royal Family who were touring America, 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.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published June 25, 2024
About the author
Dean Jobb
30 books215 followers"Jobb's true crime stories are not to be missed" – CrimeReads
I specialize in true crime and I'm drawn to overlooked or forgotten stories. My new book, A Gentleman and a Thief, coming in June 2024, tells the incredible story of Arthur Barry, one of the world’s most successful jewel thieves, who charmed the elite of 1920s New York, brazenly swiped gems worth millions of dollars from their posh country estates, and outfoxed the police and private detectives on his trail.
My previous books include The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream , winner of the inaugural CrimeCon CLUE Award for Best True Crime Book of 2021 and longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. It recreates Scotland Yard's hunt for a Victorian Era serial killer who murdered at least ten people in Britain, the U.S. and Canada. Empire of Deception, the rollicking tale of Chicago con man Leo Koretz and his amazing 1920s oil swindle, was the Chicago Writers Association's Nonfiction Book of the Year. Esquire proclaimed it one of the best biographies of all time.
I'm also the author of The Acadian Saga: A People's Story of Exile and Triumph , which chronicles the expulsion of French-speaking Acadians from Eastern Canada more than two centuries ago and the founding of Louisiana’s Cajun culture.
My books have won the Crime Writers of Canada Award for best true crime book and I have been a finalist for the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize, Canada's top award for nonfiction.
My true crime column "Stranger Than Fiction" appears in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and I write book reviews and features for The Irish Times, CrimeReads, the Washington Independent Review of Books and other major publications. I'm a professor at the University of King’s College in Halifax and teach in the King's MFA in Creative Nonfiction program.
I specialize in true crime and I'm drawn to overlooked or forgotten stories. My new book, A Gentleman and a Thief, coming in June 2024, tells the incredible story of Arthur Barry, one of the world’s most successful jewel thieves, who charmed the elite of 1920s New York, brazenly swiped gems worth millions of dollars from their posh country estates, and outfoxed the police and private detectives on his trail.
My previous books include The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream , winner of the inaugural CrimeCon CLUE Award for Best True Crime Book of 2021 and longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. It recreates Scotland Yard's hunt for a Victorian Era serial killer who murdered at least ten people in Britain, the U.S. and Canada. Empire of Deception, the rollicking tale of Chicago con man Leo Koretz and his amazing 1920s oil swindle, was the Chicago Writers Association's Nonfiction Book of the Year. Esquire proclaimed it one of the best biographies of all time.
I'm also the author of The Acadian Saga: A People's Story of Exile and Triumph , which chronicles the expulsion of French-speaking Acadians from Eastern Canada more than two centuries ago and the founding of Louisiana’s Cajun culture.
My books have won the Crime Writers of Canada Award for best true crime book and I have been a finalist for the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize, Canada's top award for nonfiction.
My true crime column "Stranger Than Fiction" appears in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and I write book reviews and features for The Irish Times, CrimeReads, the Washington Independent Review of Books and other major publications. I'm a professor at the University of King’s College in Halifax and teach in the King's MFA in Creative Nonfiction program.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 4, 2024
I'm not saying I want to be a criminal. All I am saying is that there are a few brief fleeting moments in Dean Jobb's A Gentleman and a Thief where I entertained the idea of becoming a jewel thief. Of course I wouldn't hurt anyone. Well, maybe their pocketbooks, but like our boy Arthur Barry, I'd only steal from the rich and then go on epic gambling runs.
Jobb tells the full story of Barry as he grows up, fights honorably in World War I, and then decides to go from juvenile delinquent to criminal mastermind. Like any great historical true crime, Jobb makes sure to educate the reader of the times in which Barry lived. I have always appreciated Jobb's ability to make time periods come alive as much as the characters he is writing about. It's one thing to be a thief. It's another thing to be a thief during the time of The Great Gatsby. Maybe you might daydream a little bit like me. That is, until you inevitably get to the point where Barry himself realizes crime doesn't pay.
Sometimes, it looks like a lot of fun, though.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Algonquin Books.)
Jobb tells the full story of Barry as he grows up, fights honorably in World War I, and then decides to go from juvenile delinquent to criminal mastermind. Like any great historical true crime, Jobb makes sure to educate the reader of the times in which Barry lived. I have always appreciated Jobb's ability to make time periods come alive as much as the characters he is writing about. It's one thing to be a thief. It's another thing to be a thief during the time of The Great Gatsby. Maybe you might daydream a little bit like me. That is, until you inevitably get to the point where Barry himself realizes crime doesn't pay.
Sometimes, it looks like a lot of fun, though.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Algonquin Books.)
June 23, 2024
I spotted this book by chance at my bookstore and I’m so glad I grabbed it! I started reading the paperback but then switched to audio, and even the narrator added to the whole vibe—he sounded very period appropriate for a Jazz Age jewel thief!
All in all, this was an excellent true crime story about Arthur Barry, who I was not familiar with before. The book made me a Barry stan almost immediately, especially as victims began to explain how he was just nice, actually. Yeah, sure, he stole some stuff, but he seems like a swell guy! This sort of story is my personal catnip and my only regret is that the book is over.
Will absolutely be checking out the rest of the author’s work—his narrative voice feels as familiar, approachable, and charming as Barry himself, which is no mean feat in nonfiction!
All in all, this was an excellent true crime story about Arthur Barry, who I was not familiar with before. The book made me a Barry stan almost immediately, especially as victims began to explain how he was just nice, actually. Yeah, sure, he stole some stuff, but he seems like a swell guy! This sort of story is my personal catnip and my only regret is that the book is over.
Will absolutely be checking out the rest of the author’s work—his narrative voice feels as familiar, approachable, and charming as Barry himself, which is no mean feat in nonfiction!
June 2, 2024
I loved it! It is similar to The Art Thief and Catch Me If You Can, but not quite as fast paced. Sidebars into the history of the Roaring 20’s and the excessive opulence of the newly wealthy (easily skipped for those who’d rather get back to the next heist), provide interesting historical context. And, marvelous photos are included throughout the book. Jobb paints a full picture of Barry’s complex character, but no sugarcoating, and his life after his incarcerations. Fans of David Grann, Michael Finkel, and Erik Larson will especially enjoy this one.
Thank you to my awesome Lewes, DE public library for an ARC of this book, out on June 25th.
Thank you to my awesome Lewes, DE public library for an ARC of this book, out on June 25th.
April 17, 2024
4 1/2 stars
We all have an image of a big city criminal in the 20's and 30's - a rough, streetwise man driving a getaway car shooting widely. So this version of a gentleman jewel thief named Arthur Barry, who was more Cary Grant than Al Capone, intrigued me. The author pulls you in from the first page as we begin to understand how this handsome and charming man wove his way into the parties and homes of the New York elite only to come back and relieve them of their prized jewels. Daring home break ins with no hint of violence was his stock and trade. Even after being caught and imprisoned Barry was a model prisoner. The ladies loved him, the men admired his style, the newspapers wrote about him all of which made the law want him that much more. Excellent and vivid storytelling that works for fiction and non-fiction readers alike especially fans of Erik Larson. This would make for a great car trip listen. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
We all have an image of a big city criminal in the 20's and 30's - a rough, streetwise man driving a getaway car shooting widely. So this version of a gentleman jewel thief named Arthur Barry, who was more Cary Grant than Al Capone, intrigued me. The author pulls you in from the first page as we begin to understand how this handsome and charming man wove his way into the parties and homes of the New York elite only to come back and relieve them of their prized jewels. Daring home break ins with no hint of violence was his stock and trade. Even after being caught and imprisoned Barry was a model prisoner. The ladies loved him, the men admired his style, the newspapers wrote about him all of which made the law want him that much more. Excellent and vivid storytelling that works for fiction and non-fiction readers alike especially fans of Erik Larson. This would make for a great car trip listen. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
June 23, 2024
A gentleman And A Thief, a daring jewl heist of a jazz age rogue by Dean Job it’s a book about Arthur Barry the Jazz age jewel thief who like with any endeavor started small by the end of his thieving career he was stealing Jewls from the richest people in the country. He would even dress up and attend their parties and there were years he made the equivalent of millions of dollars but in the end his career ended like most criminals and the cost would be Time lost with the love of his life Ann Blake and the one thing everyone forfeits in their heyday his youth he was so popular in his day that even the judge was stunned by the criminals verdict and although he would live to regret it again like most thieves it is always after the fact. This book reads like it should’ve been a movie, I think the author did an awesome job writing this book he referenced mini mini newspaper articles court records and definitely did his due diligence this is a great book and a very entertaining read. It is long but so worth getting into. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.#AlgonquinBooks, #NetGalley, #DeanJobs, #AGentlemanAndAThief,
June 28, 2024
They just don’t make them like this anymore. In the 1920’s Arthur Barry was perhaps the best of his kind - a jewel thief. Dressed in a tuxedo, he would sneak into parties thrown by the rich and famous so that he could get a look at the jewelry being worn, and also case the joint. He read the newspapers’ society papers to find out when wealthy couples would be away from home. Then he’d sneak onto their property, climb a porch or trellis to the second floor, and gather up the goods. Or not even wait until they weren’t home - just sneak in while the folk are home having dinner. He dressed well and had good manners. What happened to the millions of dollars of valuables that he absconded? Easy come, easy go. Speakeasies, gambling parlors, nice clothing. He spent it all and then went out and got more. He was quite a character.
June 23, 2024
A look at history that kept me involved, intrigued and interested in its conclusion! Well written, making non-fiction a moment of memory. Shedding light on crime, criminals and calamity while being nice, nuanced and novel! Loved it!
May 17, 2024
Dean Jobb just gets better and better. "Dr. Cream" was excellent, but A Gentleman and a Thief is a truly thorough examination of a life & time far removed from today's world.
Arthur Barry's heists were indeed daring and amazing to read. Even his final days as a reformed criminal are noted. Well done, Mr. Jobb!
Arthur Barry's heists were indeed daring and amazing to read. Even his final days as a reformed criminal are noted. Well done, Mr. Jobb!
May 30, 2024
Many thanks to Novel Suspects Insiders Club and Algonquin.
This book tells the story of Arthur Barry and his life. He was a young man that got into trouble as a youth and due to unexpected circumstances ended up with a life of crime that he later regretted. I found this book very interesting. I wanted to take my time reading because I find books like this fascinating.
This book tells the story of Arthur Barry and his life. He was a young man that got into trouble as a youth and due to unexpected circumstances ended up with a life of crime that he later regretted. I found this book very interesting. I wanted to take my time reading because I find books like this fascinating.
March 23, 2024
Sent from my iPad Thank you NetGallery,author,Dean Jobb and publisher Algonquin Books for the opportunity to read the ebook,A Gentleman and a Thief.It was wonderfully written,all backed up from ethical sources and was like a fictional novel,not “cut and dry” like so many biographies tend to be with only facts.I had never heard of Arthur Barry nor his amazing second story jewel heists,using a ladder to steal millions,in today’s money,of jewelry in the Jazz Age,from the ultra-rich and famous in NY and NJ.During hard times and the stock market crash,Barry wanted the good life which for him was gambling and drinking during the days of probition.It describes the terrible conditions of a few prisons in New York State at that time.This book deserves to make it on the Times top 10 books. If you like Erik Larson’s books,you will like this one,too.
April 14, 2024
Great book! Very classy.
May 9, 2024
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Algonquin Books for an advance copy of this biography about a criminal in the Jazz Age who both titilated and caused fear among the moneyed class across the tri-state, and the price that he had to pay for his crimes.
America loves the bad guy. For all the talk about backing the blue, and being all for law and order, put a charismatic thief in front of people, and there will be swoons, calls for marriage, and cheers at that person eludes the hopefully Keystone-like cops. Jesse James, Billy the Kid, John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde. People root for them, follow their events through the news, even today entire podcasts are devoted to their actions. Arthur Barry might be one of the few to deserve his sobriquet of the Gentlemen Thief. During a long stretch while the booze was banned, and the music was jazz hot, Barry stole, as he said from people who never had to worry about where there next lunch was coming from, all over Long Island, Yonkers, and Northern New Jersey. Barry's crimes were as contactless as shopping in a grocery store today, could be. Barry came in at night, when found would run, usually with a wide array of jewelry, watches and more. A gentlemen in name only, except for the love of his life, one treasure he prized over all others. A Gentleman and a Thief: The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue by Dean Jobb is a biography about Barry, and a look at a time of Prohibition when a one-man crime wave could cause so much chaos, and fascinate so many people.
Arthur Barry was even as a child a cool character, though to his family he was more than a handful. At the age of thirteen, for a princely sum of $5, Barry began to ferry nitroglycerin from an older thief, to a young safe crackers all over the New England area. Nitro on a train. The calamity that could have been. Barry slowly moved up, breaking into buildings at night, and taking what he needed. A wrongful arrest led to jail time, and upon getting out, Barry joined the army in Wold War I, becoming a medic who served with distinction in Europe. Returning home, Barry found the same problem that many found, lots of men, little in the way of jobs. So Barry created an occupation, traveling to Yonkers and becoming a second story man, robbing rich people of their jewelry, fencing his goods and gambling the proceeds away. Barry's new life, along with his research into finding out more about the wealthy gentry introduced him to some of the most popular people of the ear, Harry Houdini, the future King of England. And the love o his life, Anna Blake. However a thief is only lucky for so long, and betrayal was only a phone call away.
I had never heard of Arthur Barry, but have to hand it to him. What a man and what a life. Carrying Nitro as a kid, second story thief, a war hero. And a man who regretted all that he did as he got older. There are very few criminals who honestly seem regretful, Barry I think really did. This is a story that has everything, music, gambling, royalty, crime, redemption, and love. Honest love, which again seems so rare. Which as one reads adds to the sadness of Barry. Jobb has done a fantastic job of researching, capturing the era, the sounds smells, and even what it is like to sneak into a house, or to awaken from a deep sleep to find someone unexpected next to one. I was not sure what I expected, but I did not expect such an expertly written story filled with the famous, the infamous, even a tie in to the Lindbergh baby.
I really can't recommend this book enough. Arthur Barry was like a character from a Horatio Alger story. Barry started with nothing, climbed the ladder to success, seized the prize and made his way. One can't ask for more in America. For lovers of true crime, the jazz age, history, or for people who love stories about complicated people, and books about people who have a real redemption arc. I'm going to have to read a lot more by Dean Jobb.
America loves the bad guy. For all the talk about backing the blue, and being all for law and order, put a charismatic thief in front of people, and there will be swoons, calls for marriage, and cheers at that person eludes the hopefully Keystone-like cops. Jesse James, Billy the Kid, John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde. People root for them, follow their events through the news, even today entire podcasts are devoted to their actions. Arthur Barry might be one of the few to deserve his sobriquet of the Gentlemen Thief. During a long stretch while the booze was banned, and the music was jazz hot, Barry stole, as he said from people who never had to worry about where there next lunch was coming from, all over Long Island, Yonkers, and Northern New Jersey. Barry's crimes were as contactless as shopping in a grocery store today, could be. Barry came in at night, when found would run, usually with a wide array of jewelry, watches and more. A gentlemen in name only, except for the love of his life, one treasure he prized over all others. A Gentleman and a Thief: The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue by Dean Jobb is a biography about Barry, and a look at a time of Prohibition when a one-man crime wave could cause so much chaos, and fascinate so many people.
Arthur Barry was even as a child a cool character, though to his family he was more than a handful. At the age of thirteen, for a princely sum of $5, Barry began to ferry nitroglycerin from an older thief, to a young safe crackers all over the New England area. Nitro on a train. The calamity that could have been. Barry slowly moved up, breaking into buildings at night, and taking what he needed. A wrongful arrest led to jail time, and upon getting out, Barry joined the army in Wold War I, becoming a medic who served with distinction in Europe. Returning home, Barry found the same problem that many found, lots of men, little in the way of jobs. So Barry created an occupation, traveling to Yonkers and becoming a second story man, robbing rich people of their jewelry, fencing his goods and gambling the proceeds away. Barry's new life, along with his research into finding out more about the wealthy gentry introduced him to some of the most popular people of the ear, Harry Houdini, the future King of England. And the love o his life, Anna Blake. However a thief is only lucky for so long, and betrayal was only a phone call away.
I had never heard of Arthur Barry, but have to hand it to him. What a man and what a life. Carrying Nitro as a kid, second story thief, a war hero. And a man who regretted all that he did as he got older. There are very few criminals who honestly seem regretful, Barry I think really did. This is a story that has everything, music, gambling, royalty, crime, redemption, and love. Honest love, which again seems so rare. Which as one reads adds to the sadness of Barry. Jobb has done a fantastic job of researching, capturing the era, the sounds smells, and even what it is like to sneak into a house, or to awaken from a deep sleep to find someone unexpected next to one. I was not sure what I expected, but I did not expect such an expertly written story filled with the famous, the infamous, even a tie in to the Lindbergh baby.
I really can't recommend this book enough. Arthur Barry was like a character from a Horatio Alger story. Barry started with nothing, climbed the ladder to success, seized the prize and made his way. One can't ask for more in America. For lovers of true crime, the jazz age, history, or for people who love stories about complicated people, and books about people who have a real redemption arc. I'm going to have to read a lot more by Dean Jobb.
May 23, 2024
Book: A Gentleman and a Thief: The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue
Author: Dean Jobb
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to than the publisher, Algonquin Books, for sending me an ARC. This is a case where it’s the book’s fault. I just wasn’t into it. I thought I would be, but it just ended up not being the book for me.
In this one, we follow real life jewel thief, Athur Berry, as he lays siege to some of the wealthiest people of the Jazz Age. He is daring and ends up stealing millions of dollars in jewels. He can slip in and out before anyone can caught him. He does so even with the people he is stealing from watching him. He ends up getting caught and sent to prison. He ends up confessing to his crimes in order to protect his wife, who is very ill.
This age is not one that I have studied in detail. I love learning about new time periods and new characters. I have not heard of Arthur Berry before. I learn about him was very interesting. He is a thief, but the more you learn about his character, the more you come to realize that he is complex. You see the brilliance of his mind while seeing the human side. I think this is something that so many people forget whenever you are reading nonfiction. These people and events are real. Dean does a great job at giving him a human side. We see him at the height of his thief, but we also see him regretting all that he had done. We don’t see this side very often when it comes to someone like him. Again, I liked that Dean brought this side of him in. It, once again, brings out the human side of people.
I found the book to be easy to be very easy to get into. I found the narrative to be compelling and the amount of research put into this is amazing. However, I just found myself unable to really get into the story. I was just so disconnected from it that it stopped me from actually becoming fully invested in what was going on. I could see that this was a good book with solid research, but it just wasn’t for me.
Overall, I am glad that I read this book, but it just wasn’t the book for me.
This book comes out on June 25, 2024.
Author: Dean Jobb
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to than the publisher, Algonquin Books, for sending me an ARC. This is a case where it’s the book’s fault. I just wasn’t into it. I thought I would be, but it just ended up not being the book for me.
In this one, we follow real life jewel thief, Athur Berry, as he lays siege to some of the wealthiest people of the Jazz Age. He is daring and ends up stealing millions of dollars in jewels. He can slip in and out before anyone can caught him. He does so even with the people he is stealing from watching him. He ends up getting caught and sent to prison. He ends up confessing to his crimes in order to protect his wife, who is very ill.
This age is not one that I have studied in detail. I love learning about new time periods and new characters. I have not heard of Arthur Berry before. I learn about him was very interesting. He is a thief, but the more you learn about his character, the more you come to realize that he is complex. You see the brilliance of his mind while seeing the human side. I think this is something that so many people forget whenever you are reading nonfiction. These people and events are real. Dean does a great job at giving him a human side. We see him at the height of his thief, but we also see him regretting all that he had done. We don’t see this side very often when it comes to someone like him. Again, I liked that Dean brought this side of him in. It, once again, brings out the human side of people.
I found the book to be easy to be very easy to get into. I found the narrative to be compelling and the amount of research put into this is amazing. However, I just found myself unable to really get into the story. I was just so disconnected from it that it stopped me from actually becoming fully invested in what was going on. I could see that this was a good book with solid research, but it just wasn’t for me.
Overall, I am glad that I read this book, but it just wasn’t the book for me.
This book comes out on June 25, 2024.
May 27, 2024
The life story of a legendary jewel thief provides an interesting peek into the growing wealth of Roaring 20's America - and the lengths people will go to get their slice of the pie.
Arthur Barry was a thief with a conscience. He never hurt anyone and never stole from someone who couldn't afford it. As a polished gentleman thief, he could blend in at fancy parties, even once going clubbing with the Prince of Wales. He got a reputation as the dinner time thief, slipping into fancy houses and stealing jewelry from upstairs bedrooms while the occupants were downstairs eating dinner. But as his exploits got more and more daring, so did his chances of getting caught.
This book takes the reader on a journey through a remarkable life, as Arthur goes from teenage hoodlum to war hero and back again. Despite his bravery as a medic in the war, Arthur slips back into old habits when he returns to New York City afterwards. This meticulously researched book details his marriage to a woman he fought to protect above all else, his prison sentence and escape, and the time he briefly got caught up in the Lindbergh baby kidnapping scandal. He ended up a reformed convict, saying he regretted ever doing his crimes.
A fascinating peek at a larger-than-life figure who captured the attention and imagination of New York's wealthy elite.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Arthur Barry was a thief with a conscience. He never hurt anyone and never stole from someone who couldn't afford it. As a polished gentleman thief, he could blend in at fancy parties, even once going clubbing with the Prince of Wales. He got a reputation as the dinner time thief, slipping into fancy houses and stealing jewelry from upstairs bedrooms while the occupants were downstairs eating dinner. But as his exploits got more and more daring, so did his chances of getting caught.
This book takes the reader on a journey through a remarkable life, as Arthur goes from teenage hoodlum to war hero and back again. Despite his bravery as a medic in the war, Arthur slips back into old habits when he returns to New York City afterwards. This meticulously researched book details his marriage to a woman he fought to protect above all else, his prison sentence and escape, and the time he briefly got caught up in the Lindbergh baby kidnapping scandal. He ended up a reformed convict, saying he regretted ever doing his crimes.
A fascinating peek at a larger-than-life figure who captured the attention and imagination of New York's wealthy elite.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2024
Princess Fuzzypants here: While there is no doubt Arthur Barry committed some outlandish crimes, he was an artist at what he did. Moreover, he did it with panache and charm that set him apart from the common or garden criminal. Chameleon-like, he could insert himself into Society where he could “case” his future victims. He was so good at what he did, he convinced the Prince of Wales to go nightclubbing with him in Manhattan. In spite of a lack of education or lineage, he fit in.
His were not acts of violence or terror. Until he took a part time partner, he did not carry a weapon. He was even known to return jewellery that held sentimental value. Who else would have done something like that. As a reader, it is impossible not to like this guy and root for him. You know he is going to pay for his sins and he does. But I find it interesting that after he shunned rehabilitation until his freedom for three years after a prison break out, he did regret his life of crime. His greatest loss was not being able to spend his life with Anna, his wife. When asked late in life to sum up his career, he said he robbed the rich but he also robbed himself of a normal existence. As I said, it is hard not to like the guy- or the book.
Five purrs and two paws up.
His were not acts of violence or terror. Until he took a part time partner, he did not carry a weapon. He was even known to return jewellery that held sentimental value. Who else would have done something like that. As a reader, it is impossible not to like this guy and root for him. You know he is going to pay for his sins and he does. But I find it interesting that after he shunned rehabilitation until his freedom for three years after a prison break out, he did regret his life of crime. His greatest loss was not being able to spend his life with Anna, his wife. When asked late in life to sum up his career, he said he robbed the rich but he also robbed himself of a normal existence. As I said, it is hard not to like the guy- or the book.
Five purrs and two paws up.
July 10, 2024
3.8, Rounded up to 4 stars. I was about to ditch this book at just over 100 pgs in as it was reading more like a bunch of newspaper crime articles rather than a book, however I picked it back up after a few days because I wanted to get to the part where he escapes to be with his love, Anna Blake. That’s when the book turned around for me. I could finally connect with Arthur Barry and the rest of the reading came easy. I am completely shocked that I had never heard of this famous jewel thief and even more surprised that Hollywood has not made his story into a blockbuster film. I could easily picture the gentlemanly nature of Paul Newman playing the part of Barry and, given the audacity of some of his heists and the high-society people with whom he associated, it would have made for a very successful movie.
July 11, 2024
This is a review of an ARC from Edelweiss.
The story of Arthur Barry, a kid from the wrong side of Worcester, MA who grew into one of the biggest jewel thieves of the Jazz Age. Jobb traces Barry's rise as he moves to New York and begins casing the well-to-do, hobnobbing with princes of industry (and in one case the Prince of England) to scope out marks, then scaling porches and scooping up diamonds and pearls. Jobb also chronicles Barry's fall, after he's arrested, escapes from jail during a prison riot and hides out, only to be returned to jail to live out his middle years.
This should be a thrilling ride, and it starts out well, but then just sort of totters along. The heists are all very similar, and the chapters at the end detailing his life in prison seem to just be marking time and dutifully recording what happened. Interesting, but falls short.
The story of Arthur Barry, a kid from the wrong side of Worcester, MA who grew into one of the biggest jewel thieves of the Jazz Age. Jobb traces Barry's rise as he moves to New York and begins casing the well-to-do, hobnobbing with princes of industry (and in one case the Prince of England) to scope out marks, then scaling porches and scooping up diamonds and pearls. Jobb also chronicles Barry's fall, after he's arrested, escapes from jail during a prison riot and hides out, only to be returned to jail to live out his middle years.
This should be a thrilling ride, and it starts out well, but then just sort of totters along. The heists are all very similar, and the chapters at the end detailing his life in prison seem to just be marking time and dutifully recording what happened. Interesting, but falls short.
May 15, 2024
My thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for an advance reader copy of this book.
What a rollicking tale! This is two books in one.
In book one, Arthur Barry was a real-life counterpart to the jewel thief in It Takes a Thief, except that he was the real thing. Slipping in and out of bedrooms while his victims slept only a few feet and sometimes only inches away, Barry stole precious gems from an array of 1920s personalities, including a Rockefeller and Wall Street titans.
Then comes book two. After he was finally arrested and convicted, It Takes a Thief becomes a 1930s prison movie, with Barry leading a dramatic prison break.
A fabulous book, well-written and engrossing.
What a rollicking tale! This is two books in one.
In book one, Arthur Barry was a real-life counterpart to the jewel thief in It Takes a Thief, except that he was the real thing. Slipping in and out of bedrooms while his victims slept only a few feet and sometimes only inches away, Barry stole precious gems from an array of 1920s personalities, including a Rockefeller and Wall Street titans.
Then comes book two. After he was finally arrested and convicted, It Takes a Thief becomes a 1930s prison movie, with Barry leading a dramatic prison break.
A fabulous book, well-written and engrossing.
Want to read
May 31, 2024It's GIVING... Public Enemies, but make it manual ✨b o o k✨ edition.
I'm so down bad for this. 😝
I'm so down bad for this. 😝
June 26, 2024
Not as good as The Art Thief
July 6, 2024
I respectfully beg to differ with the glowing reviews given to this book. I found it repetitive and cram full of irrelevant descriptions and background information.
July 9, 2024
Arthur Barry's story spans the first half of the twentieth century with cameos by the famous and the criminal. I am surprised that this has not been picked up as a series for a streaming service.
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