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    Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History
    Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History
    Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History
    Audiobook10 hours

    Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History

    Written by Greg Campbell and Scott Andrew Selby

    Narrated by Don Hagen

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    On February 15, 2003, a group of thieves broke into an allegedly airtight vault in the international diamond capital of Antwerp, Belgium and made off with over $108 million dollars worth of diamonds and other valuables. They did so without tripping an alarm or injuring a single guard in the process.

    Although the crime was perfect, the getaway was not. The police zeroed in on a band of professional thieves fronted by Leonardo Notarbartolo, a dapper Italian who had rented an office in the Diamond Center and clandestinely cased its vault for over two years. The “who” of the crime had been answered, but the “how” remained largely a mystery.

    Enter Scott Andrew Selby, a Harvard Law grad and diamond expert, and Greg Campbell, author of Blood Diamonds, who undertook a global goose chase to uncover the true story behind the daring heist. Tracking the threads of the story throughout Europe-from Belgium to Italy, in seedy cafes and sleek diamond offices-the authors sorted through an array of conflicting details, divergent opinions and incongruous theories to put together the puzzle of what actually happened that Valentine's Day weekend.

    This real-life Ocean's Eleven-a combination of diamond history, journalistic reportage, and riveting true-crime story-provides a thrilling in-depth study detailing the better-than-fiction heist of the century.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAscent Audio
    Release dateMar 23, 2010
    ISBN9781596595613
    Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History
    Author

    Greg Campbell

    Greg Campbell is the 74-year-old author of the ground-breaking work, Total Reset (also available with an author-signed option on its website, totalreset.com.au). If you ask him who is responsible for this inspiring tome, more than three decades in the making, he will tell you he is not an expert on anything, merely a translator of received knowledge. His youthful pursuits included football, reading, surfing, chess, law studies and driving 100-tonne trucks, an unextraordinary life forever changed when the Rainbow Serpent arrived and initiated the 23-year-old into the other-dimensional reality, revealing the hidden fabric of our material world. Thereafter, life unfolded under that influence, initially in the company of Indian sages, followed by public service and subsequent business success. The corporate cultural change consultancy he founded was lauded for its broad innovative approach and highly ethical principles but was merely preparation for what was to come for the Rainbow Serpent's plan for Greg was simple: live with traditional Aboriginal keepers of wisdom and work with them to share with all peoples the original knowledge of the timeless principles for living that enable balanced, enduring societies in which all are respected. Though business was booming, the 38-year-old chose to exit corporate life and in 1991 went to live in the remote Kimberley region of Australia with Lulu, a traditional Aboriginal elder and powerful maban (shaman), and his people. Concerned about the world's well-being and threats to the continuity of all life, Lulu asked Greg to work with him and the Goolarabooloo people on one book. During a 31-year process, Total Reset slowly emerged with knowledge carried unbroken for thousands of generations. It reveals the First Peoples as the holders of holistic principles integral to our species' design and ever capable of application; humanity's original blueprint for living. Total Reset honours Lulu's wish for people to be able to look at our world through different lenses and in that light join together to reset how we are living on Earth, abandoning humanity's 5,000-year trajectory of division and destruction in favour of holistic ways of being and doing. In Greg's words, "At this critical moment in the human saga, what is needed is not a rebranding of globalist rule under the guise of The Great Reset, it is a Total Reset in which we let go of the constructs of domination and division and re-embrace holistic constructs that long enabled the wellbeing of all peoples and our Earth." Greg resides near the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park in southwestern Australia, surrounded by trees, birds and kangaroos, simply being.

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    Reviews for Flawless

    4/5

    79 ratings10 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This book was very fascinating read for the largest diamond heist in history. It begins in 2003 where a group of men robbed one of the most ultra-secure vaults in the diamond district in Antwerp, but was it really? You know from the very beginning of the book that at least one thief was apprehended, but you don't find out the fate of the others till closer to the end. Along the way you learn a great deal about diamonds and the diamond trade, along with safes, locks, vaults, security measures, Antwerp, and some history, there was a lot of time spent on the plot to rob the diamond district in Antwerp. It's very well written. It's seemed to be divided into two halves: the first half on how the deed was planned and pulled off, the second half is how it was solved and the actual thieves that were caught. Neither half could have occurred were it not for human error. I would highly recommend this book for it’s very interesting plot.Soon after I read the book I rented the movie called Flawless with Demi Moore and Michael Caine Where on the eve of his retirement, a disgruntled British janitor (Michael Caine), angry over his company's refusal to pay an insurance claim for his ailing wife, persuades an unhappy American executive (Demi Moore) to join him in a jewel heist. The two subsequently hatch a daring plan to steal the gems from their employer, the London Diamond Corp. Michael Radford directs this crime drama set in 1960s London and loosely based on actual events. While I thought this movie was going to be the same as the book Flawless and it didn’t turn out to be that way, it was still a good movie.
    • 5/5
      From my blog...Flawless is a fast-paced, insightful look into the world's largest diamond heist in history. Through extensive research and interviews, the authors put together the story of how the Diamond District, know as the Diamond Square Mile, as heavily fortified as Fort Knox and known worldwide as one of the most secured miles in the world, could not only be robbed, but done without tripping one alarm or injuring a single person. The authors weave together the history of The Diamond District as well as the history of buying and selling diamonds. Through the authors we learn of the 27 months of surveillance by Notarbartolo and the likely members of the heist, coined by a journalist as The School of Turin, long before the Antwerp Diamond District heist. Prior to this heist, Turin, Italy was facing a series of jewelry store robberies, where no alarms were tripped, nothing was broken, and cameras remained operational. It was as though the jewelry had vanished. Where some crimes use force and bravado, The School of Turin crew used their minds.Flawless takes the reader inside the world's largest diamond heist and exposes what is known to have occurred and what went well for the thieves and what lead to their downfall. The authors show the flaws in the otherwise impressive security measures and lead the reader on a thrilling face-paced adventure from beginning to end. While I am not one who usually enjoys true-crime novels, I was unable to put Flawless down. The history as well as the genius needed to not only pull off such a heist but also the brilliance and dedication the investigators would need to solve such a crime, made Flawless and excellent novel to read.
    • 4/5
      This book details the story of the 2003 Antwerp diamond heist, the largest jewel heist in history. A team of thieves, most notably Leonardo Notarbartolo, broke into a supposedly impenetrable vault in Antwerp's secure diamond district and stole more than $100 million of diamonds, jewels, and cash. The book aims to, as authoritatively as possible, trace what occurred before, during, and in the aftermath of the crime. (Incidentally, it strongly argues that most of the details of the heist given in the Wikipedia page are very incorrect, based on a less-than-factual interview that Notarbartolo later gave.)This book is definitely impressively thorough--it's clear that the authors know what they are talking about and have a real interest in the heist. The beginning of the book definitely drags, as the authors go on a lot of long tangents about the Turin organized crime scene and people's personal histories when I sort of was expecting a tense buildup to the crime, but I found the later portion of the book really interesting.
    • 5/5
      Entertaining but doesn't sensationalize overmuch - a solid true crime heist book.
    • 2/5
      The first half of the book, describing the diamond theft, is fun and engaging, if padded. The story of the police investigation is much less interesting, and unfortunately Selby really draws it out: > The judges sat on bright orange kindergarten-style plastic chairs that were a few shades more intense than the orange carpeting on their dais. These clashed mightily with fluorescent green desk pads and the electric blue curtains. To complete the palate, one wall was painted mustard yellow and the main door bright red. Fluorescent tubes hummed overhead. Overall, the room looked more likely to host Alcoholics Anonymous meetings than criminal trials.
    • 4/5
      THIS REVIEW IS ABOUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONBOOK DESCRIPTIONThe subtitle for the book pretty much sums up the topic: “Inside the Largest Diamond Heist In History.” The description from Amazon does a pretty good job of giving you an overview of the details so I don’t have to:On February 15, 2003, a group of thieves broke into an allegedly airtight vault in the international diamond capital of Antwerp, Belgium and made off with over $108 million dollars worth of diamonds and other valuables. They did so without tripping an alarm or injuring a single guard in the process. Although the crime was perfect, the getaway was not. The police zeroed in on a band of professional thieves fronted by Leonardo Notarbartolo, a dapper Italian who had rented an office in the Diamond Center and clandestinely cased its vault for over two years. The who of the crime had been answered, but the how remained largely a mystery. Enter Scott Andrew Selby, a Harvard Law grad and diamond expert, and Greg Campbell, author of Blood Diamonds, who undertook a global goose chase to uncover the true story behind the daring heist. Tracking the threads of the story throughout Europe from Belgium to Italy, in seedy cafes and sleek diamond offices, the authors sorted through an array of conflicting details, divergent opinions and incongruous theories to put together the puzzle of what actually happened that Valentines Day weekend. This real-life Ocean’s Eleven, a combination of diamond history, journalistic reportage, and riveting true-crime story, provides a thrilling in-depth study detailing the better-than-fiction heist of the century.MY THOUGHTSFor the most part, I think the description above is pretty accurate … with the possible exception of the phrase “a thrilling in-depth study detailing the better-than-fiction heist of the century.” This particular story probably isn’t better than fiction, for, as the authors point out multiple times throughout the book, real-life isn’t as glamorous or as fast-moving as fictional heists, like the ones depicted in the Ocean’s Eleven series of films. The thieves spent almost two years planning and plotting, and the heist itself didn’t rely on high-tech devices, disguises or split-second timing. In fact, the amazing thing about this story is that it was the lax security provided by the HUMANS at the Diamond Center that enabled the thieves to pull off the crime … plus a bit of duct tape, hair spray, styrofoam and a long broom handle!The book provides a balanced mix of the particulars of the heist (both before, during and after, including the subsequent detective work) and the history of diamonds, the diamond district in Antwerp and past diamond heists. What bogs the book down is that no one (except for the actual thieves) know all the details of the heist. Selby and Campbell do a good job of creating a plausible scenario but there are still key details that have not been nailed down … and the thieves aren’t yet willing to spill the beans. (Although Notarbartolo sold his “inside” story to Wired magazine, the authors conclude that his account was an elaborate bit of fiction designed to minimize his own involvement and disguise the actual size of the heist.)Although the heist itself was allegedly a “perfect” crime, one small mistake (and a bit of bad luck) led to their almost instantaneous capture, which was almost disappointing to me as a reader. Part of me yearned for the neat conclusion of the Ocean’s Eleven movies … where the gang walks away scot-free and leaves everyone scratching their heads. The other thing that was weird to me was how little punishment the thieves ended up facing—based in no small part on the Belgian justice system.Overall, the book was interesting and kept my attention, but I’d still rather watch Ocean’s Eleven.About the Narration: Don Hagen has a deep voice that was well-suited to this particular book. He effortlessly pronounced the Italian and Belgian surnames and the rather complicated sounding Antwerp street names.Recommended for: Readers who enjoy true crime books that aren’t violent or involve murder
    • 4/5
      An interesting book about a heist I had never heard about. The authors dragged themselves down at the end spending too much time as to why the Wired magazine version could not be true. But none-the-less an easy and enlightening read
    • 5/5
      ’m hesitant to discuss the details of this book for two reasons: first, because it is fascinating, and you should read it for yourself; and second, because much of the fun of it is reading about the obstacles Notarbartolo and his fellow thieves encountered and being amazed at how elegantly simple their solutions were. As Selby and Campbell put it, the School of Turin “had taken the crime of theft and turned it into an academic pursuit. They were masters of their craft” because “at the heart of every successful heist was a near-religious devotion to research.”Whereas many true crime books become just as much (if not more) about the author’s research process as about the actual crime, with Flawless, Selby and Campbell keep themselves almost completely out of the narrative, allowing readers to be sucked into the story—which reads like the book version of The Italian Job but with more intellect and less melodrama—and swept away by the thieves’ compelling, surprising, and creative work. I was so impressed by their research and ingenuity that I found myself pulling for them on more than a few occasions!Because there was enough information available to make the writing of this book possible, it should come as no surprise that Notarbartolo got caught. But what does come as a surprise is how he was caught (and what a salami sandwich had to do with it), how much of the story can be pieced together despite his refusal to give away any of the details, and how close he and the School of Turin came to pulling it off.I thoroughly enjoyed Flawless and think its fun, accessible, informative narrative style will make it appealing to readers of all types. As a fine example of the ways in which nonfiction can be fun, readable, and just as entertaining as fiction, Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell’s Flawless gets an enthusiastic 4.5 out of 5.Read my full review at The Book Lady's Blog.
    • 4/5
      This book was very fascinating read for the largest diamond heist in history. It begins in 2003 where a group of men robbed one of the most ultra-secure vaults in the diamond district in Antwerp, but was it really? You know from the very beginning of the book that at least one thief was apprehended, but you don't find out the fate of the others till closer to the end. Along the way you learn a great deal about diamonds and the diamond trade, along with safes, locks, vaults, security measures, Antwerp, and some history, there was a lot of time spent on the plot to rob the diamond district in Antwerp. It's very well written. It's seemed to be divided into two halves: the first half on how the deed was planned and pulled off, the second half is how it was solved and the actual thieves that were caught. Neither half could have occurred were it not for human error. I would highly recommend this book for it’s very interesting plot.Soon after I read the book I rented the movie called Flawless with Demi Moore and Michael Caine Where on the eve of his retirement, a disgruntled British janitor (Michael Caine), angry over his company's refusal to pay an insurance claim for his ailing wife, persuades an unhappy American executive (Demi Moore) to join him in a jewel heist. The two subsequently hatch a daring plan to steal the gems from their employer, the London Diamond Corp. Michael Radford directs this crime drama set in 1960s London and loosely based on actual events. While I thought this movie was going to be the same as the book Flawless and it didn’t turn out to be that way, it was still a good movie.
    • 5/5
      This is a fascinating book that reads almost like one of Gerald Browne's old heist thrillers. In 2003 a group of men robbed one of the ultra-secure vaults in the diamond district in Antwerp. You know from the beginning of the book that at least one was apprehended, but you don't find out the fate of the others till closer to the end. Along the way you learn a great deal about diamonds and the diamond trade, along with safes, locks, vaults, security measures, Antwerp, and some history. It's very well written. It's roughly divided into two halves: the first half on how the deed was planned and pulled off, the second half is how it was solved. Neither half could have occurred were it not for human error. Very interesting, highly recommend it.