Preview

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Auctioneer

By: Simon de Pury, William Stadiem
Narrated by: Ralph Lister
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.49

Buy for $21.49

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Just as William Goldman, the ultimate screenwriter, took us inside Hollywood, Simon de Pury, the ultimate art player, will take us inside an even more secretive business, whose staggering prices, famous collectors, and high crimes are front-page news almost every day.

The former chairman of Sotheby's Europe, the former owner of Sotheby's rival Phillips de Pury, and currently a London-based dealer and advisor to great collectors around the world, Simon has one of the highest profiles of any nonartist in the art world. Even though he has an ancient title and the aura of an elegant Swiss banker, Simon is famous as an iconoclast and is known as "The Mick Jagger of Auctions" for his showmanship and exuberance. His whole life in art has been devoted to bringing art to the public and to the juxtaposition of high and low.

Movie stars, musicians, and athletes compete with hedge funders and billionaires for the great art, and Simon is their pied piper; he wants to turn the world to art, and this book will be his message.

©2016 Simon de Pury (P)2016 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Auctioneer

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    18
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    14
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Secrets of High End Art Revealed

I have little experience with the art world. If I see a painting I'll like it, dislike it, or be indifferent.
When listening to this book, I knew in the first few minutes I was delving into a foreign world. What did I have in common with the wealthy, well connected, politically powerful, famous, and art royalty of this story? Only an appreciation of beauty and the way art communicates to the experiencer.
I learned so much about art and the business of art, it was time well spent with this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Informative about the current top of the artworld.

Provided interesting insight into the artworld of the recent past and today. Also insight into the lifestyles and motivation of some of the the wealthiest art collectors. Some history of art dealers as well as a look into the history and workings of the art auction business.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

well..ok

Name dropping yep...a peek at how the other half , I mean 1%, live? Yep
But I wanted to know the inner workings of the actual art market, not his love life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

This book is a waste of time. I want my credit back

Author is an egotist. Reader read at a speed and inflections were such that it became difficult to comprehend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!