"Sharon Waxman has written a compelling page turner about the world of antiquities and art-world skulduggery. She manages to combine rigorous, scholarly reporting with a flair for intrigue and personality that gives "Loot" the fast pace of a novel. I enjoyed it immensely."--Tina Brown""Loot" is a riveting foray into the biggest question facing museums today: who should own the great works of ancient art? Sharon Waxman is a first-rate reporter, a veritable Euphronios of words, who not only explores the legal and moral ambiguities of the conflict but brings to life the colorful -- even outrageous -- personalities facing off for a high noon showdown over some of the world's iconic works of art. Vivid, witty, and delightful, this book will beguile any reader with an interest in art and museums."--Douglas Preston, author of "The Monster of Florence""Sharon Waxman's "Loot" is the most instructive as well as the most intelligent (and the most entertaining) guide through the labyrinth of antiquity and the ways in which the claims of the departed intersect with the rights of the living."--Christopher Hitchens author of "God Is Not Great" and "The Elgin Marbles: Should They Be Returned to Greece?""Sharon Waxman approaches her subject with the passion of a great journalist and the rigor of a scholar. It may never again be possible for some of us to walk down the halls of the Louvre or the British Museum or the Metropolitan without a vague sense of disquietude, a frisson of wonder about the provenance of some of their showcase works of ancient art."--Lucette Lagnado, author of "The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit"Sharon Waxman's "Loot" is indispensable for everyone concerned with the illicit trade in smuggled antiquities. She exposes the self-serving humbug that too often afflicts both affluent possessors and righteous nationalists and shows that we all have a stake in getting an honest account of how great objects came to rest in our grandest museums."--Karl E.

Sharon Waxman is a former culture correspondent for "The New York Times "and holds a master's degree in Middle East studies from Oxford University. She covered Middle Eastern and European politics and culture for ten years before joining "The Washington Post "and then "The New York Times "to report on Hollywood and other cultural news. She is the author of "Rebels on the Backlot: Six Maverick Directors and How They Conquered the Hollywood Studio System." She lives in Southern California.