Books

ASSOULINE

Hamptons Private Hardcover

Assouline Hamptons Private hardcover book showcases "The Hamptons", synonymous with luxury. The mere mention of the name conjures up images of poolside soirées, grand seaside estates and endless days spent socializing with high-flyers on the beach. But before this famous peninsula became a summer retreat for the upper class, its 40 miles of rolling sand dunes provided the perfect landscape for British settlers. Once New York's upper class got a whiff of charming hamlets and salty air, its members– from the Fords to the Vanderbilts– quickly transformed the Hamptons into a summer oasis. Next came John Steinbeck in Sag Harbor for creatives seeking solitude, a place to write and sketch away from the hustle and bustle of the city; now, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Calvin Klein, Madonna, Alec Baldwin and Martha Stewart all enjoy the Hamptons home. They may come from different walks of life, but what's one thing all Hamptonites, honorary and official, can agree on? The area has a unique charm and can constantly change to meet the needs of the next seasonal guest or lifelong resident.

Hamptons Private invites readers to peek behind the manicured hedges of Amagansett, charter a yacht off the coast of the Springs, experience the surfer's paradise of Ditch Plains, and attend a polo match in Bridgehampton. Each page envisions the quintessential leisure of the Hamptons and showcases a unique quality of light that artist Willem de Kooning called a "miracle." One can almost hear the sound of tennis rackets at The Meadow Club, the whispers of exclusive parties, the rhythm of seaside music at The Surf Lodge– and even the first bite of a lobster roll at lunch. Both a back-to-nature destination and an A-list hotspot, the Hamptons exudes a boho spirit reflected in its beautiful people and sublime surroundings.