The Man Who Stole the Gods

byMatthew Campbell

War, Obsession and the World’s Biggest Art Heist

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Brought to you by Penguin.

From Cambodian temples to Christie’s auction house, this is an unbelievable tale of greed, looted treasures and stolen history in the world’s biggest art heist.


In the shattered aftermath of Cambodia’s civil war, temples that had stood for centuries were found ransacked, sacred sculptures hacked from pedestals, towering statues of Hindu gods and priceless relics of the Khmer Empire vanished. At the center of this vast plunder, British expat Douglas Latchford, whose decades-long obsession fueled one of the most audacious cultural thefts of modern times. From the Killing Fields to the marble galleries of New York and London and the private collections of the rich and famous, The Man Who Stole the Gods unravels a breathtaking story of power, greed and corruption, and questions what you take from a nation when you steal its past.

Drawing on years of investigation and exclusive access to the stories’ key players – from temple looters and traffickers to the investigators and archaeologists fighting to bring the gods home – award-winning writer Matthew Campbell reveals how the treasures of one of the world’s greatest civilizations were stolen, sold, and finally found.

From the author of Dead in the Water, called 'a masterpiece' by the New York Times


'An adventure to rival David Grann’s Lost City of Z, and a riveting exposé of the plunder that still fills the world’s top art museums' Zeke Faux, author or Number Go Up

'Immaculately researched and beautifully written, a gripping real-life exposé of the ugly deals that underpin the trade in beautiful objects' Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland

© Matthew Campbell 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

An adventure to rival David Grann’s Lost City of Z, and a riveting exposé of the plunder that still fills the world’s top art museums

Zeke Faux, author or Number Go Up

About Matthew Campbell

Matthew Campbell is an award-winning reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek. His first book, Dead in the Water, written with Kit Chellel, was called a 'masterpiece' by the New York Times and selected as a Book of the Year by The Economist, The Financial Times, and The Times. A 2025 Jonathan Logan Family Foundation Fellow at New America, he has reported from more than twenty-five countries on crime, corruption, terrorism, economics, and the environment. His work has earned some of journalism’s highest honours, including awards from the Gerald Loeb Foundation, the Overseas Press Club, the National Press Club, SOPA, and SABEW for both feature and investigative reporting. He lives in Singapore with his family.
Details
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • ISBN: 9781405989183
  • Price: £14.00
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