“Simon’s boundless energy is unparalleled. He transforms the auction house from a marketplace to a rock arena.”
—Sarah Jessica Parker

“Simon de Pury is an aristocrat in the best sense of the word. His mission is to bring beauty to the people. This book is a wild ride that will get you hooked on art.”
—Russell Simmons

“In The Auctioneer, Simon de Pury, former chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, provides a comedy-rich account of his exploits in the treacherous art world, along with pen portraits of some of his closest allies and enemies.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Let’s cheer for the auctioneer Simon de Pury, the classy international star of the art world. For more than 40 years, de Pury has observed the vital signs of what he calls the ‘beautiful illness’ that infects the super-rich to buy art. [The Auctioneer is] brimming with history and intrigue.” —The Washington Post

“In this eye-opening memoir, de Pury, a distinguished auctioneer and art dealer, provides a lively account of his flashy career and today’s soaring art market…[and] the book provides an interesting glimpse into a world of artists, collectors, and dealers in which ‘the call of the gavel was the call of the wild.’” —Publishers Weekly

“Renowned auctioneer de Pury presents a memoir full of gossip, anecdotes, and tales of the very, very rich…[and he] delivers plenty of juicy tidbits about some of the world's 1 percent. However, this is also the story of a man wholly dedicated to his profession, a jet-setter before the jet age…an enjoyable book that lets us live vicariously in the haut monde.” —Kirkus