The Man Who Stole the Gods

Name: The Man Who Stole the Gods
Brand: Penguin Books Ltd
Price: 19.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder

A True Story of War, Obsession and a Global Art Conspiracy

By: Matthew Campbell

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eBook | 4 June 2026

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Amidst the chaos of Cambodia's brutal genocide, a new crime wave emerged—one that would sweep across borders and entangle the world's most prestigious art institutions. Priceless treasures of the ancient Khmer Empire, the civilization that produced Angkor Wat, vanished from sacred temples, looted by smugglers and trafficked into the hands of elite collectors. At the centre of it all was Douglas Latchford.

Known later in life as "Dynamite Doug" for the ruthless methods used to extract statues from temple ruins, Latchford orchestrated one of history's most audacious cultural heists. From dusty Cambodian villages to the glittering auction houses of London and New York and institutions like the Met, he played a double game—posing as an expert on Khmer art while secretly flooding the market with stolen antiquities.

With a masterful blend of true crime and investigative journalism, Matthew Campbell unravels the gripping story of Latchford's criminal empire, and a global conspiracy of greed, corruption, and complicity—one that implicates the world's most powerful museums, collectors, and auction houses.

The Man Who Stole the Gods is the definitive account of one man's greed, an industry's complicity, and the fight to expose the truth and restore stolen treasures to their rightful home.