Sotheby's: Bidding for Class

by Robert Lacey

Book Overview

From master storyteller Robert Lacey, author of "Majesty, The Kingdom", and "Ford: The Men and the Machine", comes the glamorous, glitzy, and often scandalous story of Sotheby's auction house--from... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316511390
• ISBN13: 9780316511391
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company
• Length: 354 Pages
• Weight: 1.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.5"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

Real treat

Excellent book. Piles of facts, sharp analysis. One can learn more about art market from the book than from years of studies. Apart from it - pleasant reading.

Spectacular Read!!

Well written, well researched, well told, great pictures, phenomenal vocabulary! This book came to me at a time when I was searching for a read that was a bit more academic, and this was it! It was difficult to put down, which is not what I was expecting, considering that it is the history of a family owned company turned corporation. I picked it up on a whim, and I consider myself lucky! If only for vocabulary acquisition, I recomend that you read it! I cannot say enough wonderful things about it!

a beautifully written elegant history

Lacey's book is a beautifully written, elegant history of Sotheby's, its competition w Christies, the faddish and often silly and overpriced art and collectibles markets. The warts are there, and so is a great cast of characters, some of whom are so well portrayed as to be almost alive. A great book, on a fascinating firm.

Never has there been more description in auctioning

I am a person that has a first hand view of how Sotheby's works as a company and this book gives all of the inside stories that show how coruption and greed have corrupted a company that is listed as being over 250 years old. Read Bidding for Class and learn about the true dates of Sotheby's and their #1 rival, Christies. Who has had the better years? Who has come out on top? Once you pick this up, you won't put it down, it keeps you engaged from page one. Take it from someone who knows, Sotheby's isn't all it's cracked up to be.

A fascinating view of a different world.

Most readers will not have prior knowledge of the auction world. This book does a superb job of disclosing the multifaceted aspects of the great, and respected dealer in valuable collectibles. Like other venues, such as the movie industry, the commercial goals are in conflict with the artistry. And like Hollywood, Sotheby's had its share of charismatic leaders.I feel that Lacey created an accessible universe for the uninitiated. I disagree with those critics who focus on details, and cavil over minutiae. This represents a fascinating and valuable introduction to the world of high level auctioneering.