At all times and cultural epochs, thieves, robbers and machinists have always paid close attention to works of art. This book tells about the fate of some works from Italy, America, England, Germany, France and Russia, which have been hunted for centuries. The intricate events associated with incredible thefts and fakes, mysterious loss of paintings and sculptures, create an exciting detective story that dates back to ancient times, and especially brightly flourished events these days. Even the greats of this world, such as Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin, could not resist the temptation of collecting, which resulted in the now well-known (and secret) collections. The book is written in a lively, vivid language and will undoubtedly be of interest to the widest range of readers.