The Man Who Stole the Gods: A True Story of War, Obsession, and a Global Art Conspiracy.

As the Cambodian civil war raged in the 1960s and 1970s, ancient statues were being looted from remote, thousand-year-old Khmer temples. These artifacts ended up way in the homes of wealthy art collectors and renowned museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Douglas Latchford, born in India to British parents, was at the forefront of selling these pieces. After moving to Bangkok, Latchford hired a band of impoverished locals to extract Khmer antiquities, including Buddhist and Hindu gods, which they often severed above the statues' bases, leaving their feet behind. 

Journalist Matthew Campbell tells this remarkable story in The Man Who Stole the Gods. When the U.S. government began investigating possible "blood antiquities" from Cambodia, it marked the beginning of Latchford's unraveling, who had long been lauded for his role in preserving Khmer Empire art. Toek Tik, a former Khmer Rouge child soldier and one of the looters, played a crucial role in revealing the truth about Latchford, particularly when he identified the precise locations where he had taken some of the invaluable art before it was illegally exported, including the original pedestals with the feet still intact. These feet would soon be matched with some of Latchford's most renowned pieces. Another significant figure is American attorney Bradley Gordon, based in Phnom Penh, who represents Cambodia's restitution efforts. It's a captivating story that will leave you wanted to learn more. You will never look at museum antiquities the same way again.

Many thanks to Portfolio | Random House for providing a copy of this book.

Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Nonfiction | Art | History.

Publication Date: June 2, 2026.

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