THE WOMAN WHO STOLE VERMEER
Anthony M. Amore
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Pegasus
11/20/20
True Crime / Nonfiction
Hardcover, 272 pages
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"Amore illustrates with an irresistible blend of wryness and affection [the] engaging pleasures [of] The Woman Who Stole Vermeer. Rose is terrific company: clever, forthright, and flamboyant. She is still alive today and is now praised by the former Irish republicans."
-The New York Times Book Review
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The extraordinary life and crimes of heiress-turned-revolutionary Rose Dugdale, who in 1974 became the only woman in history to pull off a major art heist.
In the world of crime, there exists an unusual commonality between those who steal art and those who repeatedly kill: they are almost exclusively male. But, as with all things, there is always an outlier—someone who bucks the trend, defying the reliable profiles and leaving investigators and researchers scratching their heads. In the history of major art heists, that outlier is Rose Dugdale.
Dugdale’s life is singularly notorious. Born into extreme wealth, she abandoned her life as an Oxford-trained Ph.D. and heiress to join the cause of Irish Republicanism. While on the surface she appears to be the British version of Patricia Hearst, she is anything but.
Dugdale ran head-first towards the action, spearheading the first aerial terrorist attack in British history and pulling off the biggest art theft of her time. In 1974, she led a gang into the opulent Russborough House in Ireland and made off with millions in prized paintings, including works by Goya, Gainsborough, and Rubens, as well as Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid by the mysterious master Johannes Vermeer. Dugdale thus became—to this day—the only woman to pull off a major art heist. And as Anthony Amore explores in The Woman Who Stole Vermeer, it’s likely that this was not her only such heist.
The Woman Who Stole Vermeer is Rose Dugdale’s story, from her idyllic upbringing in Devonshire and her presentation to Elizabeth II as a debutante to her university years and her eventual radical lifestyle. Her life of crime and activism is at turns unbelievable and awe-inspiring.
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Dear Reader:
I have spent the last fifteen years of my life searching for stolen masterpieces by the likes of Vermeer, Rembrandt, Manet, and Degas taken in the biggest heist in history at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. Prior to this mission, I had spent the first half of my career in homeland security, so I had to brush up on art theft rather quickly.
I had a strategy: I'd research every art theft I could find to form the M.O. of an art thief. That way I could best understand what motivates them. Along the way, I found that in every case of major heists of masterworks, the culprit was a man. Except one. As with all crimes, there was an outlier, and her name was Rose Dugdale.
Over the years, I continued to come across her name and each time I'd find conflicting information. Sometimes it was the result of lazy writing on an author's part, others it was just poor analysis. So, finally, I set about researching her story myself.
As I learned more about Rose, I became enthralled with her life story. It is so layered and rich. No matter what one thinks of her actions and beliefs, her determination and sacrifice cannot be questioned. That she was a woman who took remarkably bold action nearly 50 years ago is astounding. Moreover, the fact that columnists of her day attributed her revolution to the result of the influence of men fascinates me endlessly because, as I found, it was exactly the reverse: Rose held sway over the men in her life who were ready to take enormous risks at her command.
Rose Dugdale's journey from debutante to Oxford to an Irish prison is intertwined with that of another uniquely strong woman, an IRA soldier named Dolours Price. Dolours was the woman I believed Rose longed to be, and the way their lives intersect is stunning and, in its own way, moving.
I hope you enjoy The Woman Who Stole Vermeer. It's a tale of high crime and a singular woman, and along the way, you'll learn something new about one of the world's greatest painters, Johannes Vermeer.
Yours,
Anthony Amore
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THE WOMAN WHO STOLE VERMEER
Book Club Menu
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The most important part of any menu to serve with The Woman Who Stole Vermeer is, unquestionably, a pint of Guinness.
This is true not just because it's an Irish beer, but because the founder of Guinness owned the Kenwood House, where one of the Vermeers was stolen, and because Rose Dugdale and Wally Heaton were always at the pub tossing back the brew (be careful not to have too many as they often did. Fights inevitably arise!). If Guinness isn't to your liking, a nice glass of Irish whiskey will do you just fine, or, of course, some Irish tea.
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For food, my friends in Dublin agree that corned beef and cabbage is far too cliche for a story as authentic as Rose's. So, they provided not just two entrees, but the recipes as well. Here goes. I hope you enjoy the authentic Dublin-style directions as much as I did!
Shepherd's Pie/Cottage Pie: With minced (ground) beef—no cabbage or Guinness needed! Add cooked peas, carrots, finely chopped onion, and beef gravy. Top with potatoes mashed with plenty of Kerrygold butter. Bake until the mashed potato topping turns a crispy brown color. Serve with a silver spoon and salt— absolutely gorgeous!
(Proper!) Irish Stew: (no tomatoes, no sausages, no rashers!) Made with the same ingredients as Shepherd's Pie. Add celery, parsnip, and use sliced potatoes instead of mashed. Simmer over low heat, and add Oxtail Soup. If taste and texture are to your liking, it's ready to be served. Separate shakers of salt and pepper for each guest, and a buttered slice of white bread to 'mop-up' with!
-Anthony Amore
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©Copyright 2021 The Book Club Cookbook
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