A look at what it's like to run a major urban museum: helpful, even now, for understanding stories about the returned artifacts, art auction prices, debates about whether paintings are authentic, and scandals about just how old and valuable things end up on the antiquities market (and in museums.) An entertaining read and a good companion piece to his _King of the Confessors_ -- or any of his other books.

-Kushana ( )

Thomas Hoving was Director of the Met during the 60s and 70s. He's known for creating the museum blockbuster, helping the Met acquire the Temple of Dendur, and being the first to hang the infamous (and now defunct because they blocked the windows) multi-story banners that graced the Fifth Avenue facade.

The book is an interesting behind the scenes look at the museum, quite a few names are dropped (iirc... it's been more than 10 years since I read the thing).

Coupled with "Merchants and Masterpieces", this gives a peek at the first hundred years of the US's largest art museum. ( )