ARCA's Founding President will be touring a handful of cities on the East coast to discuss his new book, "Stealing the Mystic Lamb: The True Story of the World's Most Coveted Masterpiece"(Amazon)(Barnes & Noble).

As I wrote in my review yesterday, the reader learns the story of one massive 2-ton altar piece, the single most stolen work of art of all time. Charney spends great care telling the story of the altarpiece during both World Wars, noting the debt we art theft enthusiasts owe to Karl Meyer; Robert Edsel and Brett Witter's fine work telling the story of the Monuments Men; and Lynn Nicholas among many others. Yet what really comes through in Charney's book is a breathless story which merges history, towering figures like Napoleon or Hitler and their associates, art, artists, and imagery that revalidates why so many are interested in the study of art theft: these are really good stories. And it ends with an epilogue, yet another of the work's enduring mysteries.

Here are the details for the book tour:

October 10, 2010

Lecture / Booksigning

Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute

225 South Street

Williamstown, MA 01267

3:00 p.m.

October 12, 2010

Talk / Q&A / Booksigning

Atticus Bookstore

1082 Chapel Street

New Haven, CT 06510

7:00 p.m.

October 13, 2010

Talk / Q&A / Booksigning

Corcoran Gallery of Art

500 Seventeenth Street NW

Washington DC 20006

7:00 p.m.

October 14, 2010

Talk / Q&A / Booksigning

Borders

Park Ave. and 57th St

New York, New York

7:00pm