The Art of the Gold Chaser in Eighteenth-century London
The Art of the Gold Chaser in Eighteenth-century London

Author: Richard Edgcumbe

Publisher:

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13:

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This book is the first major study of the virtuoso chasers who decorated London gold boxes and watchcases in the eighteenth century. Offering a biographical dictionary of the chasers, this volume is a major contribution to the study of English goldsmiths' work and of horology, and is likely to become a standard work in the field.

The Diamond Smugglers
The Diamond Smugglers

Author: Ian Fleming

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2024-08-06

Total Pages: 121

ISBN-13: 0063299119

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THE TRUE STORY OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRIME RING AND ITS DOWNFALL In 1957, as the Cold War raged, Ian Fleming took a respite from writing James Bond to craft a work of nonfiction every bit as tense as a Bond adventure. Aided by an ex-MI5 agent and International Diamond Security Organization operative going by the alias “John Blaize,” Fleming chronicled the IDSO’s infiltration of the “million-carat network”―the world’s most notorious diamond smuggling ring. Every year, a shadowy band of racketeers pirated a fortune in diamonds out of Africa, and the majority of the stolen gems wound up in the hands of Communist nations. In response, the IDSO commissioned a private army, led by legendary British spymaster Sir Percy Sillitoe, to penetrate and topple the ring. When the operation was complete, the Sunday Times gave the story to Fleming, who had impressed Sillitoe with his earlier Bond adventure Diamonds Are Forever. A remarkable feat of investigative journalism, The Diamond Smugglers is the thrilling true story behind one of the greatest spy operations in history.