Weekend Utopia: Modern Living in the Hamptons

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

The beach house was "the sonnet form of American architecture," writes Alastair Gordon. "This was where the revolution began." In his gracefully written, stunningly illustrated book, he shows how the evolution of summer housing on the once-rural eastern end of Long Island, New York, heralded key developments in architecture.

By the late 1920s, the sprawling Southampton mansions of Stanford White and others were passé. The new style was a modernist box, raised up on supporting columns for protection and a better view, with a sun deck and floor-to-ceiling windows. (See Palm Springs Weekend: The Architecture and Design of a Midcentury Oasis or Palm Springs Modern: Houses in the California Desert for a West Coast version of modernist vacation home design.)

After World War II, the Hamptons became a favorite destination of New York artists, architects, and writers, who ushered in a period of fanciful experimentation. Then came the deluge. Gordon's own family, who bought their prefab beach home in the '50s, was part of a trend celebrated by Life magazine in 1959, the year Nixon and Khrushchev held their Kitchen Debate at a Leisurama house.

Gordon vividly describes the innovations of the '50s and '60s, from the stunningly pure Blake House (two square, ground-hugging sections with a central breezeway framing the ocean view) to the proud verticals of the Gwathmey House, clad in vertical cedar siding approximating the look of carved concrete. In the '70s, as ocean-view lots became scarce, some architects ignored the natural setting, creating imposing sculptural statements craning to isolate an elusive view. Others, including Robert Venturi and Jack Lenore Larsen, gave vernacular styles a postmodern twist.

Rightly decrying the neotraditional behemoths built in the '80s to satisfy the insecurities of the megarich, Gordon takes the long view. Each wave of newcomers remade this flat land in their own image, yet "something about it resists change." --Cathy Curtis

Book Description

The Hamptons, New York's fashionable summer beach resorts, are well known as weekend havens for city-dwellers who relish their idyllic setting on the Atlantic shore. Once quiet agricultural land, Eastern Long Island first became popular among artists, architects, writers, and society patrons in the 1920s, when it served as a breeding ground for modernism. From the avant-garde influence of luminaries like Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, and Willem de Kooning, to the high modernism of Le Corbusier, Philip Johnson, and Richard Meier, new ideas about art, architecture, and modern living transformed the Hamptons and ultimately made it the destination of choice for those seeking respite from the battles of Wall Street and Madison Avenue. In Weekend Utopia Alastair Gordon traces this fascinating and complicated trajectory, both in architectural terms-looking at modest beach houses and modern mansions alike-and in the life stories of the world-famous artists and designers, whose influence is felt on "The Island" even today. Over 175 photographs and illustrations detail the architecture, interiors, and nuances of these beautiful weekend homes, and provide an intimate portrait of the people who inhabit them. This engrossing book combines architectural history with a broad social perspective and paints a comprehensive picture of an area that in many ways shaped modern American culture.

Customer Reviews:

Warmed Me Up on Winter Weekend.......2002-02-24

Finally got the chance to sit and read Gordon's excellent text in Weekend Utopia. The book goes way beyond an illustrated coffee book. Gordon manages to weave together stories about the characters who shaped the place (like developer Carl Fisher who created Montauk to be the "Miami Beach of the North")with stories about the flamboyant architecture, post-war artists like Pollock and Motherwell and his own personal memories as a boy spending summers there. While the book has a large format with hundreds of illustrations it is most readable and explains so much about how a rural American landscape was transformed into a resort for show-offs. I loved it and can't comprehend what reviewers from Hong Kong and the Netherlands were talking about. It is neither trying to be a professional book on architecture nor a cheap gossip book about pseudo-celebrities. It is an intelligent cultural history that also happens to be well designed and illustrated. It warmed my soul on a chilly winter weekend and made me want to go to the beach as soon as possible.

Historical Monograph.......2001-10-11

Wonderfully written and researched. Architecturally lacking photographs, drawings, or any substance for inspiration or idea generation. Cover and size of book suggests more pictorial content, but fails to deliver.

Don't let the cover mislead you.......2001-08-15

When i saw the cover of this book i thought this would be a great book. I wanted to find pictures of beautiful decorated houses,nice gardens and offcourse the habitants of the mansions. Well, that's not quite what's inside this book. For the most only pictures of houses taken in the 50's and 60's and a lot of text!! I want pictures of Aerin Lauder and the Miller sisters!!

Don't shoot the messenger.......2001-07-05

I'm a bit mystified by the comments below that seem to implicate this book and its author in what the Hamptons have become. To the contrary, Weekend Utopia celebrates happier days pre-mega mansions: when culture and architecture and some fascinating characters created some truly exceptional houses, most of them modest in scale. In fact, today's Hamptons home-builders could learn a lesson or two from this book (like small can be very beautiful), and stop the further despoilment of what the Hamptons used to be: something Weekend Utopia shows with great clarity and style. This wonderful book is certainly no apologia for the mess that awaits you at the end of I-495...

An interesting if sad look back.......2001-06-28

I agree with the reviewer who said that the Hamptons were ruined long ago -- by the very succession of waves of development that this book touts. I do love looking at some of the quality design of the past that this book shows, but the new reality is overbuilding and, even worse, tasteless building. The feeling of getting away to a charming, easy-going, and low-key place with rural roots is gone forever in the Hamptons. We left because of the continuing intrusion of the nouveau riche who are more interested in showing off than in quietly relaxing-----peoplewho have now made the Hamptons a decidedly UNCOOL place to be.

Alastair Gordon. Weekend Utopia: Modern Living in the Hamptons.(Book Review): An article from: Utopian Studies

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Alastair Gordon. Weekend Utopia: Modern Living in the Hamptons.(Book Review): An article from: Utopian Studies
Annette Lucia Giesecke
Manufacturer: Society for Utopian Studies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Utopian Studies, published by Society for Utopian Studies on January 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1998 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Alastair Gordon. Weekend Utopia: Modern Living in the Hamptons.(Book Review)
Author: Annette Lucia Giesecke
Publication: Utopian Studies (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2003
Publisher: Society for Utopian Studies
Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Page: 195(4)

Article Type: Book Review

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Customer Reviews:

Great detective work.......2000-10-24

Very well written. Clear, concise and well researched. Tries to cut through all the misinformation about Gutenberg from all the contemporary rivalries for the honor of the first European printed book. Points out that most of what is known about Gutenberg is from other sources since Gutenberg never wrote about himself. Great piece of detective work.

Book Description

Remember the free-lovin' days of anything goes sexual escapades, bell-bottom-wearing boys with feathered hair on the verge of manhood, the drug-soaked '60s and '70s? Thanks to the brilliant and beautifully color-saturated images of photographer Mel Roberts, it all becomes crystal clear just how saucy and stylish the boys were back then. In this new book, California Boys: The Wild Ones, Mel Roberts delivers truckloads of groovy, Age of Aquarius boys posing for the camera absolutely naked. Let the sunshine in...

If you've got a thing for yesteryear's studs with raging erections in everything from tight, cock-showcasing pants to mesh tanks, this book's for you. Honoring the 78-year-old photographer's practice of selling photographs exclusively through the post, FotoFactory Press is offering this, his second book via mail order only. Very limited quantities have been printed, so order your copy today. A truly unique hard-to-find gift for yourself or that special friend.

Customer Reviews:

Time Capsule to an earlier time of male nudity.......2004-11-24

Mel Roberts has been photographing young men for decades. This book and its companion book - California Boys - document the state of erotic male photographs from an earlier era...a simpler era.
Not only are the photographs excellent, but their value as a time capsule of erotica from an earlier era is notable. Today, we see nothing but photos on billboards, in magazines, on television and on the big screen of men and women who are the epitome of physical perfection. To achieve such perfection requires hours and hours of unabated gym time as well as a good dose of steroids. Mel Roberts' young men are often natural, though sometimes defined. However, never are they examples of health through deprivation or drug induced excess.
These are young men who Mel Roberts' discovered in his neighborhood and through his travels.
Very erotic, but nothing like you will see today, Wild Ones is a great cocktail book for the discerning man or woman...or it is a great book to have sequestered away for a naughty march down memory lane.

Book Description

Microsoft chairman and CEO, Bill Gates, discusses how technology can help run businesses better today and how it will transform the nature of business in the near future.

ìBusiness is going to change more in the next ten years than it has in the last fifty,î Gates states in the bookís introduction. The convergence of digital technologies ñ PCs, e-mail, the Internet and new personal digital devices ñ is already bringing about fundamental, irreversible change.  New digital tools are being adopted more rapidly than the technologies that reshaped the 20th Century ñ television, telephones or even electricity.  This accelerated pace of change requires businesses to adapt and act now.

ìI wrote the book because technology is changing everything,î Gates said.  ìI wanted to give business people and other organizational leaders a roadmap that shows how they can take advantage of the incredible opportunities of the digital age.î At the heart of the new economy, Gates says, is a new way of doing business, using fast, accurate information to plan the right product, deliver unparalleled customer service, empower workers and react to changes in the market place.

According to Gates, success will come to those who create a world-class digital nervous system that allows information to flow through their companies for maximum and constant learning.  A central theme is the empowerment of people from lower-level employees who can use information to lift the nature and quality of their work, to the CEO, who can use better information to drive the companyís strategic direction.  Gates outlines twelve steps that business should take to make certain theyíre getting the most out of their technology investments to get smarter workers, more effective overall corporate performance, and more satisfied customers.

LOS NEGOCIOS EN LA ERA DIGITAL covers three broad areas of business: commerce, business operations and knowledge management.  Each chapter explores a particular question such as, ìHow can I use the Internet to improve customer satisfaction?î Gates then shows how a digital approach can be used to solve the problem or create new opportunities.  Gates uses examples from companies in more than 20 industries, as well as examples from Microsoft involving product development, customer service, marketing, and human resources.  A checklist of business and technical lessons concludes each chapter.

Customer Reviews:

Excelent!!.......2002-01-18

Just before one month, I bought this one as a second hand, but it's excelent not only in the contents but also in the quality(almost new book). There are a lot of golosary of the telecomunication in this Book "los negocios en la era digital". I recomend it strongly to you.

good job.........2000-04-25

it is a very helpfull tool for people who needs translators badly, like me. I can use it when I need a trusworthy translator.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from E Semanal, published by Thomson Gale on October 2, 2006. The length of the article is 1838 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Alianzas demuestran lo serio de la seguridad: hubo un tiempo en que el tema de seguridad sonaba como a un elemento que era deseable tener en el departamento de TIC de las empresas. Luego se habló de que el tema se iba a poner de moda. Lo cierto es que es una necesidad absoluta y, por tanto, buen nicho de negocio.
Author: Joel Hernández
Publication: E Semanal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 2, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 29 Issue: 719 Page: 19(3)

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Dinamicas metropolitanas en la era de la globalizacion: la promocion inmobiliaria para empresas en la ciudad de Sao Paulo, Brasil.(Tema central): An article ... de Estudios Urbanos Regionales

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Dinamicas metropolitanas en la era de la globalizacion: la promocion inmobiliaria para empresas en la ciudad de Sao Paulo, Brasil.(Tema central): An article ... de Estudios Urbanos Regionales
Adriana Bernardes da Silva , and Ricardo Castillo
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from EURE-Revista Latinoamericana de Estudios Urbanos Regionales, published by Thomson Gale on April 1, 2007. The length of the article is 8093 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Dinamicas metropolitanas en la era de la globalizacion: la promocion inmobiliaria para empresas en la ciudad de Sao Paulo, Brasil.(Tema central)
Author: Adriana Bernardes da Silva
Publication: EURE-Revista Latinoamericana de Estudios Urbanos Regionales (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 33 Issue: 98 Page: 45(12)

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El milagro de Altamira: hace 17 anos era un somnoliento pueblo bicicletero en cuyo progreso nadie creia; hoy es uno de los polos de desarrollo industrial ... de Tamaulipas): An article from: Contenido

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El milagro de Altamira: hace 17 anos era un somnoliento pueblo bicicletero en cuyo progreso nadie creia; hoy es uno de los polos de desarrollo industrial ... de Tamaulipas): An article from: Contenido
Adrian Cerda
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Mexico | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008EDW26
Release Date: 2006-05-24

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Contenido, published by Thomson Gale on November 1, 2003. The length of the article is 2259 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: El milagro de Altamira: hace 17 anos era un somnoliento pueblo bicicletero en cuyo progreso nadie creia; hoy es uno de los polos de desarrollo industrial mas pujantes del pais, donde sobran trabajo y ganas de prosperar.(desarrollo industrial de ciudad de Tamaulipas)
Author: Adrian Cerda
Publication: Contenido (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2003
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Issue: 485 Page: 62(9)

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El pleito por Houston: Six Flags Astroworld: ¿Por qué cerrar un parque de diversiones que todavía tenía ganancias, que era una de las principales atracciones ... de altos vuelos.: An article from: Semana

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El pleito por Houston: Six Flags Astroworld: ¿Por qué cerrar un parque de diversiones que todavía tenía ganancias, que era una de las principales atracciones ... de altos vuelos.: An article from: Semana
Juan Ignacio Rosales
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Thomson Gale on November 13, 2005. The length of the article is 1024 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: El pleito por Houston: Six Flags Astroworld: ¿Por qué cerrar un parque de diversiones que todavía tenía ganancias, que era una de las principales atracciones turísticas de Texas? Entérese de la lucha por el dinero entre accionistas e inversionistas. Negocios de altos vuelos.
Author: Juan Ignacio Rosales
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 13, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 11 Issue: 663 Page: 4(1)

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Forcejeo por mantener el agua limpia y el sustento diario: la minería canadiense en Costa Rica en la era del desarrollo sustentable/globalizacion *.: An article from: Revista de Ciencias Sociales

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Forcejeo por mantener el agua limpia y el sustento diario: la minería canadiense en Costa Rica en la era del desarrollo sustentable/globalizacion *.: An article from: Revista de Ciencias Sociales
Ana Isla
Manufacturer: Universidad de Costa Rica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00082VKCM
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Revista de Ciencias Sociales, published by Universidad de Costa Rica on June 1, 2002. The length of the article is 6596 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Forcejeo por mantener el agua limpia y el sustento diario: la minería canadiense en Costa Rica en la era del desarrollo sustentable/globalizacion *.
Author: Ana Isla
Publication: Revista de Ciencias Sociales (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2002
Publisher: Universidad de Costa Rica
Issue: 97 Page: 137(11)

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Customer Reviews:

The Children's Guide To Buying & Selling a Home.......2004-06-25

I won this book at a continuing education class. I am a real estate agent in Las Vegas. The only people who may value this book are those who have never owned a home. The information is horribly basic. There are hundreds of better books available. Buy this one used or borrow it from a friend. It is not worth paying retail.

What a money saver this book was!.......1999-04-03

As a first time homebuyer, Julie's book helped me understand the complex issues in shopping for the best loan as well as negotiating with the lender. Especially helpful was her overview of financing via the web. I'm looking forward to using her equity management ideas to save a bundle on my home, and am ordering her mortgage book as well.

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