Description

A 2024 Summer Read in the Economist, Telegraph, Guardian, the i, and the Evening Standard

An Independent Book of the Year 2024

‘An art world Great Gatsby, deliciously withering and dishy.’ Patrick Radden Keefe

‘Explosive … the inside story of the biggest art fraud in American history’ Guardian

‘Liar’s Poker, but for art’ Economist

‘A brilliant, devastating expose’ William Boyd

DECEPTION IS A FINE ART.

When Orlando Whitfield first meets Inigo Philbrick, they are students dreaming of dealing art for a living. Their friendship lasts for fifteen years until one day, Inigo – by then the most successful dealer of his generation – disappears, accused of a fraud so gigantic and audacious it rocks the art world to its core.

A sparklingly sharp memoir of greed, ambition and madness, All That Glitters will take you to the heart of the contemporary art world, a place wilder and wealthier than you could ever imagine.

Publisher Review

The culture of discretion that enshrouds the art market obscures a multitude of sins, so it is bracing (and great fun) to watch Orlando Whitfield flout the code of silence to name names, cite prices, and reveal scams. All That Glitters is an art world GREAT GATSBY, deliciously withering and dishy, a parable about the price of beauty, the power of charisma, and the limits of friendship. — Patrick Radden Keefe, author of * Empire of Pain * Exhilarating… Orlando Whitfield tells the story of his former friend’s downfall in thrilling detail… Compulsively readable — Kathryn Hughes * Guardian * A highly readable and perceptive account of how contemporary art is bought and sold — Philip Hook * Sunday Telegraph * Explosive … the inside story of the biggest art fraud in American history * Guardian * Ultra-vivid… it reads like a true crime documentary * i Paper * The art world revealed in this delicious, sharp and often breathtaking memoir is one of excess and illusion those of us outside it can barely imagine, and Whitfield unveils it nimbly and wisely. Funny, juicy, wistful and sad, it’s destined to be one of the books of 2024 — Megan Nolan, author * Ordinary Human Failings * A wry, sparkling memoir … All That Glitters is a veritable masterpiece * Spears Magazine * A diabolically delicious snapshot of the Art world’s luminous facade — Foyles ‘Top Ten Reads for May’ Incredible and disturbing — Waterstones Blog One of the hottest memoirs of 2024 * Sunday Times Style * A tremendous book. A fantastically entertaining and brutally honest account of the scurrility of the contemporary art world. A brilliant, devastating expose — William Boyd, author * The Romantic * When high-flying art-dealer Inigo Philbrick was convicted of a multimillion-dollar fraud, it rocked the industry … Whitfield details the web of deceit that led to his downfall — ‘Books to look out for in 2024’ * Guardian * Packed with page-turning incident and colourful characters, Whitfield’s eye-opening window into the glamorous, deceitful world of fine art is a thrilling story of greed, fraud and betrayal — ‘The Non-Fiction You Need to Read in 2024’, Waterstones In Orlando Whitfield’s gripping memoir, All That Glitters, the murky underbelly of the art world is laid bare with startling clarity…What sets All That Glitters apart is Whitfield’s fearless disregard for the art world’s code of silence. With sharp wit and unflinching honesty, he names, cites prices, and reveals scams, painting a vivid picture of an industry intoxicated by wealth and power * Artlyst * A rip-roaring artworld expose, All That Glitters is a true story of corruption and crime in the international art market from the perspective of the young men made greedy and duplicitous by it. Call it-The Wolf of Mayfair. In a world of counterfeits, phonies, and frauds, Orlando Whitfield is the real deal — Diarmuid Hester, author * Nothing Ever Just Disappears * Juicier than a bottle of Gamay at lunchtime and even more intoxicating, All That Glitters is an amazing takedown of a world that desperately needed taking down. — Gary Shteyngart All That Glitters is a shocking, funny, and brilliantly written tour of the morally depraved art market. Whitfield writes blisteringly about the infantile excesses of wealth, and beautifully about art. — Charlie Gilmour, author * Featherhood * A gripping look at a high-octane collision of glamour, art and money — ‘Best non-fiction books for 2024’ * Stylist * Fascinating — ‘Culture Editor’s Picks’ * Evening Standard * Sharp-eyed, knowing, witty, this one of a kind memoir is a treat. Whitfield may have burned his bridges to the glittery art world he skewers here, but his book shines with solid gold. — Joseph Kanon Thrillingly written — Caroline Sanderson ‘Editor’s Choice’ in May fiction previews * The Bookseller *