Sotheby's

In this account of the world's oldest and richest auction house, Lacey brings to life the personalities, ambition, and shrewd business dealings behind the glamour and glitz. From the socially ambitious parson's son Montague Barlow to the endlessly charming, brilliant, and amoral aristocrat Peter Wilson to the present owner, American shopping mall magnate A. Alfred Taubman, and his flamboyant lieutenant Diana D. Brooks, the managers of Sotheby's have learned how to dress their rummage sales for the rich in a glowing patina of scholarship, taste, and social distinction. Robert Lacey reports…