Philistines at the Hedgerow - Passion and Property in the Hamptons (Paperback, 1st Back Bay Books ed)

From its opening moments of Hamptons real estate broker Allan Schneider's choking on a piece of rare steak to its final scene of Lauren Bacall's 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 stories 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 at the Hedgerow is filled with tales of pirate treasure, a witch-hunt, and the many beguiling eccentricities of the Hamptons today.

Masterfully told by bestselling author and Hamptons insider Steven Gaines, Philistines at the Hedgerow is also a story of real estate. Gaines reveals how thirty miles of once inaccessible oceanfront farmland became the playground to the super rich, the nexus of Nouvelle Society, and the obsession of the most creative and powerful personalities in the corporate, entertainment, and media worlds. Investigating the telling relationship between property and personality, 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.

This is an engaging examination of the historical legacy of the East End of Long Island, from the original Indian tribes who hunted and fished the land to the polo players who ride it today. 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.

Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in the Hamptons is the first-ever social history of the most exclusive and unusual enclave in America. Steven Gaines gets inside the world behind the walled estates and rolling dunes, in a mesmerizing story of money, celebrity, property, and eccentric characters.

General

Imprint:	Little, Brown
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	May 1999
First published:	May 1999
Authors:	Steven Gaines
Dimensions:	216 x 140 x 25mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	326
Edition:	1st Back Bay Books ed
ISBN-13:	978-0-316-30907-3
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > American history > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > History > American history > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history
LSN:	0-316-30907-9
Barcode:	9780316309073

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