If you visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, you might be surprised to see frames without any paintings in them. This isn’t a mistake—museum officials hope to someday return the artwork that was stolen from the museum to these frames. In the early morning hours after St. Patrick’s Day in 1990, a guard at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Art Museum was tricked into allowing a pair of thieves disguised as police officers to enter the building. The thieves used duct tape to secure the two guards on duty in the basement while they stole 13 pieces of art. The art, and the thieves, have never been recovered. The famous tale of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist, the first of five stories in Daring Heists: Real Tales of Sensational Robberies and Robbers, introduces readers to the mystery and suspense of interesting crimes. Other topics discussed in the book include the stories of famous robbers D.B. Cooper and Marm Mandelbaum, the Great Train Robbery of 1963, and the Christmas Eve art theft at the Mexico City Museum in 1985. Daring Heists is the third book in a new series called Mystery & Mayhem, which features true tales that whet kids’ appetites for history by engaging them in genres with proven track records—mystery and adventure. History is made of near misses, unexplained disappearances, unsolved mysteries, and bizarre events that are almost too weird to be true—almost! The Mystery & Mayhem series delves into these tidbits of history to provide kids with a jumping off point into a lifelong habit of appreciating history. Each of the five true tales told within Daring Heists is paired with a map, as well as fun facts about the setting, industry, and time period. A glossary and resources page provide the opportunity to practice using essential academic tools. These nonfiction narratives use clear, concise language with compelling plots that both avid and reluctant readers will be drawn to.

The Great Train Robbery is a captivating account of the infamous heist that took place in Victorian England. This gripping true story delves into the audacious plan, meticulous execution, and shocking aftermath of one of the most daring crimes of the era. Set in the 19th century, the book explores the events leading up to the robbery, involving secret meetings, meticulous planning, and the assembly of a skilled crew. It then details the night of the heist itself, with the robbery in motion and the daring getaway that followed. As the police investigation unfolds, false leads and dead-ends complicate the pursuit of the culprits. The ensuing media frenzy and intense public interest add further complexity to the case. Mysterious identities, possible suspects, and underground connections create an air of intrigue and suspense. The book also examines the impact of the robbery on public opinion, the consequences for the railway company, and the enduring cultural legacy and folklore that emerged from the event. The unsolved mysteries surrounding the missing loot, the fate of the gang members, and conspiracy theories are explored, leading to the dramatic trial and verdict. With the revelation of new evidence and the unmasking of the mastermind, the line between myth and reality is blurred. The book concludes by examining the lasting impact of the heist on crime history, its influence on literature, music, and art, and the enduring fascination that persists to this day. Throughout the retrospective investigation, persistent unanswered questions and puzzling enigmas keep readers engaged, highlighting the enduring mysteries that continue to captivate our imagination.

If you visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, you might be surprised to see frames without any paintings in them. This isn’t a mistake—museum officials hope to someday return the artwork that was stolen from the museum to these frames. In the early morning hours after St. Patrick’s Day in 1990, a guard at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Art Museum was tricked into allowing a pair of thieves disguised as police officers to enter the building. The thieves used duct tape to secure the two guards on duty in the basement while they stole 13 pieces of art. The art, and the thieves, have never been recovered. The famous tale of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist, the first of five stories in Daring Heists: Real Tales of Sensational Robberies and Robbers, introduces readers to the mystery and suspense of interesting crimes. Other topics discussed in the book include the stories of famous robbers D.B. Cooper and Marm Mandelbaum, the Great Train Robbery of 1963, and the Christmas Eve art theft at the Mexico City Museum in 1985. Daring Heists is the third book in a new series called Mystery & Mayhem, which features true tales that whet kids’ appetites for history by engaging them in genres with proven track records—mystery and adventure. History is made of near misses, unexplained disappearances, unsolved mysteries, and bizarre events that are almost too weird to be true—almost! The Mystery & Mayhem series delves into these tidbits of history to provide kids with a jumping off point into a lifelong habit of appreciating history. Each of the five true tales told within Daring Heists is paired with a map, as well as fun facts about the setting, industry, and time period. A glossary and resources page provide the opportunity to practice using essential academic tools. These nonfiction narratives use clear, concise language with compelling plots that both avid and reluctant readers will be drawn to.

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.

THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY: The Most Daring Heist The World Has Ever Seen The Great Train Robbery was one of the most daring, ingenious and infamous heists of the Twentieth Century. Since August 1963, when the actual event took place, the robbery has passed into both criminal folklore and popular culture, inspiring numerous films and tall tales along the way. However, the historical facts about the Great Train Robbery are even more exciting than these stories. They involve varied and dynamic individuals, cunning plots and even daring escapes from prison and across the world. This book will uncover the contexts and features of the famous heist, to explore in detail the fascinating escapade that was the real Great Train Robbery.

Willie Sutton was casing a bank when he noticed that the manager looked a lot like Sutton himself, so he walked into the vault, loaded up with banknotes, and calmly walked out. D.B. Cooper hijacked a plane, demanded $200,000 in payment, and parachuted from the aircraft. He was never captured. Other criminals in this book were no less brazen: - Arthur Barry, the greatest jewel thief in American criminal history - Vincente Perugia, who boldly stole one of the world’s greatest art treasures - Amil Dinsio, one of the most accomplished bank vault robbers in the U.S. - Victor Desmarais and Leo Martial, a hapless duo who bungled their getaway - James Landis, who stole two bricks of freshly printed banknotes from his employer—the U.S. Treasury - Adam Worth, the Napoleon of Crime - the Great Train Robbers, who planned one of the largest heists of all time - the five heisters of the Great Purolator Caper, whose ineptitude ensured capture Be prepared for some high-stakes action in THIEVES! While many ended their careers broke and disillusioned, these impresarios of crime make for great reading.

No crime is as synonymous with America as bank robbery. Though the number of bank robberies nationwide has declined, bank robbery continues to captivate the public and jeopardize the safety of banks and their employees. In A History of Heists, Jerry Clark and Ed Palattella explore how bank robbers have influenced American culture as much as they have reflected it. Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, Willie Sutton, and Patty Hearst are among the most famous figures in the history of crime in the United States. Jesse James used his training as a Confederate guerrilla to make bank robbery a political act. John Dillinger capitalized on the public’s scorn of banks during the Great Depression and became America’s first Public Enemy Number One. When she held up a bank with the leftist Symbionese Liberation Army, Patty Hearst fueled the country’s social unrest. Jerry Clark and Ed Palattella delve into the backgrounds and motivations of the robbers, and explore how they are as complex as the nation whose banks they have plundered. But as much as the story of bank robbery in America focuses on the thieves, it is also a story of those who investigate the heists. As bank robbers became more sophisticated, so did the police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other law enforcement agencies. This captivating history showshow bank robbery shaped the modern FBI, and how it continues to cultivate America’s fascination with the noble outlaw: bandits seen, rightly or wrongly, as battling unjust authority.