Assouline Hamptons Private

"The Hamptons" is synonymous with luxury. Simply mentioning the name conjures up images of evenings by the pool, grandiose waterfront estates and endless days on the beach socialising with the higher-ups. But before this famous peninsula became the summer retreat of the glitterati, its 40 miles of rolling sand dunes provided the perfect landscape for English settlers. Once New York high society got wind of the charming hamlets and salty air, its members - from the Fords to the Vanderbilts - soon turned The Hamptons into a summer oasis. Then came the creatives who sought solitude, a place to write and sketch, away from the urban cacophony. John Steinbeck in Sag Harbor. Jackson Pollock in the springs. And Andy Warhol in Montauk. Now Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Calvin Klein, Madonna, Alec Baldwin and Martha Stewart all enjoy Hamptons homes. They may come from different realms, but what can all Hamptonites, honorary or official, agree on? The setting has a unique allure - one that changes to meet the needs of the next seasonal guest or lifelong resident.

Hamptons Private invites readers to look behind the manicured hedges in Amagansett, charter a yacht off the Springs coast, experience the Ditch Plains surf harbour and attend a polo match in Bridgehampton. Each page represents the typical leisure activities of The Hamptons and showcases the unique quality of light that artist Willem de Kooning called a 'miracle'. You can almost hear the sound of tennis balls at The Meadow Club, the whispers of exclusive parties, the rhythm of music by the sea at The Surf Lodge - even the first bite of a lobster roll at lunch. At once a haven in nature and a hotspot for A-listers, The Hamptons exudes a boho-chic spirit reflected in its beautiful people and sublime surroundings.

The book has 316 pages, is written in English and measures W 25.4 x L 33 x D 3.81 cm.