The Icon Hunter: A Refugee’s Quest to Reclaim Her Nation’s Stolen Heritage

A fascinating account of a Greek Cypriot woman's journey to return pillaged, priceless objects.

The Glamour of Strangeness: Artists and the Last Age of the Exotic

Recalling a time when creative types could lose themselves — and find inspiration — in the utterly foreign.

The Smithsonian Castle and the Seneca Quarry

A unique look at one of the National Mall's iconic structures.

Marguerite Holloway

The Measure of Manhattan

The Measure of Manhattan is the biography of John Randel, Jr., the man who plotted Manhattan’s city grid.

Will Gompertz

What Are You Looking At?: The Surprising, Shocking and Sometimes Strange Story of 150 Years of Moder

This tour of art from the early 19th century to the present identifies the social, economic and technological trends affecting the visual artist.

Jonathan J. Cavallero

Hollywood’s Italian American  Filmmakers: Capra, Scorsese, Savoca, Coppola and Tarantino

Looking at a cinematic range that goes beyond the stereotypes to show distinctive ethnic contributions.

By Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino

Chasing Aphrodite: The Hunt for Looted Antiquities at the World’s Richest Museum

A riveting investigation of the Getty’s acquisition practices sheds light on illegal activities in the world of high culture.

Meryle Secrest

Modigliani: A Life

Amadeo Modigliani lived the myth of the modern artist as counter-bourgeois hero.