Passion and Property in the Hamptons.
From the opening moments of Hamptons' real estate broker Allan Schneider's choking on a piece of rare steak, to its final scene of Lauren Bacall singing "God Bless America" while watching the fireworks over East Hampton's Main Beach, 'Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in the Hamptons' is a spellbinding chronicle of one of the most unusual communities in the world.
Steven Gaines skillfully weaves together the stores of the Hamptons' mansions and millionaires, as told through the extraordinary lives of the people who have lived there, into a rich, gossipy tapestry. Both a contemporary portrait of the Hamptons and a historical narrative, 'Philistines in the Hedgerow' is filled with tales of pirate treasure, a witch-hunt, and the many beguiling eccentricities of the super-rich Hamptons today.
Masterfully told by bestselling author and Hamptons insider Steven Gaines, 'Philistines at the Hedgerow' is also a story of real estate. Gaines shows how land in the Hamptons has become the showcase of self-worth - be it castles, indoor lagoons, or mere acreage - the greater the ego, the more fantastic the manor.
Ultimately 'Philistines at the Hedgerow' is an insider's depiction of a unique cultural phenomenon: the rapturous embodiment of the American dream in a magical place.
Contains black and white photographs.
