What do you think?
Rate this book
Philistines at the Hedgerow, Passion and Properthy in the Hamptons
The Hamptons, that famous string of beachside hamlets in New York State, are not just a quiet vacation spot for New England blue bloods like the duPonts and Vanderbilts. According to Steven Gaines, the author of a spate of "untold" and "true" biographies of such glitterati as Calvin Klein, they're also--surprise!--a sandbox of scandal. And who exactly has been stirring things up? Gaines centers the book on an eccentric cast of characters in Hamptons semicloseted gay men of fabulous wealth and Ralph Lauren taste, half-cracked Mayflower descendants going to seed, and those "Philistines," the nouveau riche, blemishing the scenery with their terrible taste. "The establishment can hold off the newcomers for only so long," explains the author. "There are always more of Them than Us."Heavily researched, the book is painstakingly detailed and unapologetically voyeuristic, full of "nine-ounce chilled Baccarat crystal stem glasses," "Chippendale sofas upholstered in Scalamandré silks," "Gucci loafers," and "fourteen-karat-gold wallpaper." It's a Champagne sinful, enticing, and pure froth at its center. --Maria Dolan
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
76 people are currently reading
801 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
July 23, 2009
A deliciously voyeuristic look at the ultra rich Hamptons, the summer retreat of wealthy WASPy americans. It is written by an insider so it has all the goss on who lives where, the country clubs, the cliques and the council courtcases. I only wish the author had included a map so I could visualise the place.
January 10, 2012
I've always had a fascination with the Hamptons and every time I'm home on the North Fork, there is always the pull of the South Fork that draws me to the small towns and causes me to buy silly things like a magnet that says "Hamptons Girl" or a very expensive hooked-wool pillow that says "The East End" on it or an on-sale Missoni skirt at the local TJ Maxx.
Reading this book was like reading a historic version of The Enquirer and I loved every dirty little second of it. Allow me to explain that growing up across the bay from the Hamptons was a very different life than living in the Hamptons themselves. The real estate is cheaper, the residents are more decidedly middle class, and the biggest problem facing the area which causes heated debates at Town Hall is the overpopulation of deer. The Hamptons, however, are a different story altogether.
This book is an allegory to the figures who made the place what it is, those millionaires and billionaires who set into motion real estate frenzies, architectural guidelines, art museums, and vicious lawsuits pertaining to things like signage and bushes on property lines. It's like reading about a bunch of squabbling little nasty children who can't learn to play well together and share. And it's so awesome. I can't believe I grew up so close to this area and knew so little about it. I've seen many of the famous names mentioned in this book, but since my Hamptons experience is usually relegated to light shopping, a walk on the ocean beach, and a small expensive lunch at the Golden Pear, I have missed out on the history which formed the fabric of life in this wealthy community. In fact, I was interested to learn that the beach at the end of Ocean Road, one of my favorites, was the very place where the famous architect, Norman Jaffe, disappeared only to have his pelvis bone wash up on shore weeks later. It is still unknown whether he took his life or got caught in a current.
I have never been to West End Road in East Hampton, but I am bound and determined to go there next time I'm in town just so I can gawk at the driveways of the famous peoples' homes. I'd never heard of the Creeks before, but what an incredible legacy Ossorio and Dragon left to the art community in East Hampton. I had no idea that Jackson Pollock's career was basically funded by Ossorio and took place in East Hampton. I had no idea Martha Stewart was such a total b...wait, yes I did. I never knew the story of the Gardiners and Gardiners Island. I had no idea how racist and anti-semitic the Hamptons community was and still to this day is. I had no idea such rigid laws exist in these small towns to keep them looking the way they do in the name of "preserving historical character." Thank goodness for the whiny, obstinate, entitled community figures who stood up for the preservation of the villages. Without those people, the towns might not be as treasured as they are today. Without those people, the towns might also be pleasanter places to live, but it is what it is.
This book is a treasure trove of torrid history and Steven Gaines is a pro at writing these stories and connecting the pieces masterfully. I wish there was a volume like this about the North Fork.
Reading this book was like reading a historic version of The Enquirer and I loved every dirty little second of it. Allow me to explain that growing up across the bay from the Hamptons was a very different life than living in the Hamptons themselves. The real estate is cheaper, the residents are more decidedly middle class, and the biggest problem facing the area which causes heated debates at Town Hall is the overpopulation of deer. The Hamptons, however, are a different story altogether.
This book is an allegory to the figures who made the place what it is, those millionaires and billionaires who set into motion real estate frenzies, architectural guidelines, art museums, and vicious lawsuits pertaining to things like signage and bushes on property lines. It's like reading about a bunch of squabbling little nasty children who can't learn to play well together and share. And it's so awesome. I can't believe I grew up so close to this area and knew so little about it. I've seen many of the famous names mentioned in this book, but since my Hamptons experience is usually relegated to light shopping, a walk on the ocean beach, and a small expensive lunch at the Golden Pear, I have missed out on the history which formed the fabric of life in this wealthy community. In fact, I was interested to learn that the beach at the end of Ocean Road, one of my favorites, was the very place where the famous architect, Norman Jaffe, disappeared only to have his pelvis bone wash up on shore weeks later. It is still unknown whether he took his life or got caught in a current.
I have never been to West End Road in East Hampton, but I am bound and determined to go there next time I'm in town just so I can gawk at the driveways of the famous peoples' homes. I'd never heard of the Creeks before, but what an incredible legacy Ossorio and Dragon left to the art community in East Hampton. I had no idea that Jackson Pollock's career was basically funded by Ossorio and took place in East Hampton. I had no idea Martha Stewart was such a total b...wait, yes I did. I never knew the story of the Gardiners and Gardiners Island. I had no idea how racist and anti-semitic the Hamptons community was and still to this day is. I had no idea such rigid laws exist in these small towns to keep them looking the way they do in the name of "preserving historical character." Thank goodness for the whiny, obstinate, entitled community figures who stood up for the preservation of the villages. Without those people, the towns might not be as treasured as they are today. Without those people, the towns might also be pleasanter places to live, but it is what it is.
This book is a treasure trove of torrid history and Steven Gaines is a pro at writing these stories and connecting the pieces masterfully. I wish there was a volume like this about the North Fork.
April 6, 2023
God tests us...Don't you know this life is a test? Some He tests with riches and good fortune. Many men have failed such a test. And they will be judged. Others He tests with illness or poverty, or with jinn who come in the shape of men-or husbands...Come down here with me and I will tell you how to pass the test...It's easy, you just have to endure.
Its been long since I read such a book. It crawls with very eccentric characters. Steven Gaines has painted an accurate picture of high society life. The subjects are the rich who lived in the Hamptons. However, the book not only depicts their lives as it were, but also their deaths. He shows it all: gay characters, drunk characters, criminal characters, business characters and religious characters. Their misfortunes, isolation, and abandonment are all battle-fields which have their fighters.
Its been long since I read such a book. It crawls with very eccentric characters. Steven Gaines has painted an accurate picture of high society life. The subjects are the rich who lived in the Hamptons. However, the book not only depicts their lives as it were, but also their deaths. He shows it all: gay characters, drunk characters, criminal characters, business characters and religious characters. Their misfortunes, isolation, and abandonment are all battle-fields which have their fighters.
August 20, 2015
A delightful history of the Hamptons, full of stories of the many rich and entitled people who flock there, with a few true eccentrics thrown in. The chapters are sprinkled with some real tidbits of American history, like the stories of Jackson Pollack and the Murphy's efforts to get the surrealists out of Europe and away from the Nazis. I enjoyed every minute...
December 7, 2024
If you can sit through a bit of real estate prices, this is a fun book about the Hamptons.
October 20, 2023
Finally! 3.5 stars.
March 3, 2013
I bought this book ages ago (another discount table find) and finally got around to reading it. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the storytelling in this book, the vividness of the cast of real-life characters on this crazy little island.
I'm one of those people who resents the rich and famous who didn't have to work to get that way, so there's more than a little schaedenfreude involved in these stories of legal land battles and secret gay passions and mental health battles and free spirits. It's one of those fast-paced, stranger than fiction type reads that's great for a car trip.
I feel like it might need an update though, since I'm sure there are dozens more stories to add to this collection given the way the housing market exploded and then collapsed yet again--which I'm sure is a whole book unto itself at this point.
I'm one of those people who resents the rich and famous who didn't have to work to get that way, so there's more than a little schaedenfreude involved in these stories of legal land battles and secret gay passions and mental health battles and free spirits. It's one of those fast-paced, stranger than fiction type reads that's great for a car trip.
I feel like it might need an update though, since I'm sure there are dozens more stories to add to this collection given the way the housing market exploded and then collapsed yet again--which I'm sure is a whole book unto itself at this point.
July 6, 2023
For my dear followers, this is a niche but locally well-known sensationalist history of my hometown and some of its biggest scandals. I starting reading it as a jumping off point for my thesis but ending up racing through it because I enjoyed it so much. I don’t know how much of this would be understood by someone who didn’t grow up out here, nor if you can get it anywhere other than my local library, but it’s a great read! Also, also every chapter seemed to end with a great revealing that the eccentric, flamboyant, art-collecting millionaire was secretly in a loving gay relationship - who could’ve seen that coming? Discovered a lot of new local divas from this book.
October 20, 2017
An entertaining history of the quirky, exclusive villages of the Hamptons. Reads like a cross between "The Official Preppy Handbook" and a gossip rag. My favorite parts were the bits about Jackson Pollock, the saga of Ted Dragon, and the accounts of which rich person bought which house and remodeled it hideously while scandalizing the old-timers.
January 15, 2016
Fun, dishy read about one of my favorite spots. At this point a little dated, but would love to see a refresh. Anyone who has spent time in the Hamptons will love this book. I especially enjoyed the early American history that Gaines wove into the narrative.
September 2, 2017
Fun and juicy history of the Hamptons--especially if you are the type of person, as I am, who gets interested in the characters important in local histories, whether in my own town or elsewhere.
Interesting how, similar to Sprinkle Glitter on My Grave and the Odd Mom Out tv show, in this book some rich people appear to be in a lot of pain. There seems to be a constant need to be better than others and a real inability to accept things that don't go one's way.
Had thought the Hamptons a glorious, almost idyllic place that only rich people could really enjoy. I now question if my own quiet town might not be much more attractive. In the Hamptons there is a beautiful shoreline, pristine beaches and fabulous ocean views out your windows (if you can afford it.) But there is also horrendous traffic, frequent cloudy days, desolate weather in winter--and tics!
Felt a great deal of sympathy for the struggles before the design review and zoning boards over stupid requirements, as well as the frustration with owners who build without any permission. Have had some experience with that sort of thing in my town and it can get so intense--though our worst days were far more mild than what is described in this book. No one was ever handcuffed for a violation, for example.
Fascinating the way an owner would come in and build a stunning dream house but then be followed by a new owner who would tear it all down or remodel it completely to create another--but different--dream house, showing that no matter how expensive one person's dream, everyone has their own dream. Keep thinking about the museum quality early American style home of the du Pont heir--all ripped away and replaced by the next owner.
The author's final message to us is insightful as well as sobering: the usurpers will always win, eventually, because there will always be more of them and they will keep coming, just like the Indians had to finally give way to the Europeans. And the old guard will be destroyed by the new, eventually, as the Indians were killed off by the smallpox brought by the "new" Europeans.
It sort of helps to accept change when one understands its inevitability. Still it can be so painful to lose what one has known, the way it is more painful to lose one person one cares about, than to hear of the loss of thousands who are unknown.
Interesting how, similar to Sprinkle Glitter on My Grave and the Odd Mom Out tv show, in this book some rich people appear to be in a lot of pain. There seems to be a constant need to be better than others and a real inability to accept things that don't go one's way.
Had thought the Hamptons a glorious, almost idyllic place that only rich people could really enjoy. I now question if my own quiet town might not be much more attractive. In the Hamptons there is a beautiful shoreline, pristine beaches and fabulous ocean views out your windows (if you can afford it.) But there is also horrendous traffic, frequent cloudy days, desolate weather in winter--and tics!
Felt a great deal of sympathy for the struggles before the design review and zoning boards over stupid requirements, as well as the frustration with owners who build without any permission. Have had some experience with that sort of thing in my town and it can get so intense--though our worst days were far more mild than what is described in this book. No one was ever handcuffed for a violation, for example.
Fascinating the way an owner would come in and build a stunning dream house but then be followed by a new owner who would tear it all down or remodel it completely to create another--but different--dream house, showing that no matter how expensive one person's dream, everyone has their own dream. Keep thinking about the museum quality early American style home of the du Pont heir--all ripped away and replaced by the next owner.
The author's final message to us is insightful as well as sobering: the usurpers will always win, eventually, because there will always be more of them and they will keep coming, just like the Indians had to finally give way to the Europeans. And the old guard will be destroyed by the new, eventually, as the Indians were killed off by the smallpox brought by the "new" Europeans.
It sort of helps to accept change when one understands its inevitability. Still it can be so painful to lose what one has known, the way it is more painful to lose one person one cares about, than to hear of the loss of thousands who are unknown.
July 22, 2023
This is a gossipy history of the Hamptons. It helpfully provides a definition of “The Hamptons” (“the string of villages and hamlets that collectively compose “the Hamptons” - Southampton, Water Mill, Bridgehampton, Sagaponack, Wainscott, and East Hampton”), gives some history dating back to the 1600s, but mostly focuses on the tabloid battles between celebrities, financiers, and Old Money families to shape and reshape the landscape and institutions of these communities on Long Island. Steven Spielberg and Calvin Klein keep popping up, so does Martha Stewart, but the most colourful Hamptonites tend to be overnight-success businessmen who lust after land, privacy, and tacky domestic architecture. The passages involving people building or tearing down without permits are entertaining and seemingly endless, as the region appears to be a magnet for a particular type of home-owner and home-remodeler. In addition to the tabloid fare there are also some other histories such as the Jackie Kennedy relatives who lived in Grey Gardens, the whole Jackson Pollack epic, and a really interesting artistic family that lived in The Creeks before Ron Perelman bought it and vigorously reinforced its defenses. The author Steven Gaines never goes too deep into what all this says about human nature or the American Dream or New Yorkers, but he is a well-informed and entertaining tour guide to this region.
February 20, 2023
The Hamptons — money – old and new, privilidge, notoriety, fame — the history of the iconic Hamptons from its early rural beginnings to it’s becoming home to extravagant home and eccentric residents.
The author profiles fifteen different figures who have resided in the Hamptons –
Robert David Lion Gardiner, descended from the first family to settle in the Hamptons. Also the owner of a 3,500 acre island off the coast, named Gardiner Island. Visiting there is like a step back in time.
Alfonso Ossorio, heir to Domino Sugar, well-educated and well-known as an artist and collector, and his partner Ted Dragon. Dragon had been a dancer with the New York City Ballet. They purchased a property named The Creeks and restored it to grandeur. It was a gathering place for artists and other creative types.
Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, artists of international fame. He a man of mood swings. She keeping it all together.
This is a look into a world and people I’ve heard of over time. People with extravagant life styles good and bad.
Very interesting!
The author profiles fifteen different figures who have resided in the Hamptons –
Robert David Lion Gardiner, descended from the first family to settle in the Hamptons. Also the owner of a 3,500 acre island off the coast, named Gardiner Island. Visiting there is like a step back in time.
Alfonso Ossorio, heir to Domino Sugar, well-educated and well-known as an artist and collector, and his partner Ted Dragon. Dragon had been a dancer with the New York City Ballet. They purchased a property named The Creeks and restored it to grandeur. It was a gathering place for artists and other creative types.
Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, artists of international fame. He a man of mood swings. She keeping it all together.
This is a look into a world and people I’ve heard of over time. People with extravagant life styles good and bad.
Very interesting!
December 12, 2019
I'm not sure when I bought this book or what compelled me to do so. I probably liked the title? Or was at a more aspirational point in my life? In any case, while it was occasionally fun and tawdry to read about the lives of the rich and moneyed, I found myself getting bored and rolling my eyes more often than not at all of the petty lifestyle preferences and choices evinced by the cast of characters who make up this book. Gaines deserves credit for writing a pretty fair-minded account all things considered. But his strengths as a writer and reporter don't really compensate for the fact that this story probably wasn't worth telling (at least at such length).
August 20, 2022
Bitchy, nasty and gossipy...and those are its good points! FUN book, all about the ME ME ME vibe in the Hamptons. Full disclosure - I live on the North Fork of Long Island and only go to the South Fork in the WINTER...when I absolutely must. The folks in this book are self-centered, narcissistic and brutally awful...the Faye Dunaway section is a hoot...and the book is a delicious read. Looking for a sequel (updated version) of this book...Gaines has nailed the Hamptons in all its glorious selfishness.
November 13, 2017
This was not a book I expected to like. Who cares about a bunch of rich assholes and their houses? But by the time I made it to the section with Ted Dragon and Alphonso Ossorio and Jackson Pollock I was pretty well hooked. Gaines does a great job of building his characters, who include not only rich and famous humans but also their estates, and finds a way to make you interested in petty squabbling that most other times would only invoke schadenfreude.
April 21, 2024
I am helpless. Packed away boxes of books in preparation for a cross country move and I am still piling up more. It's an addiction. Found this for fifty cents and it reads like a million bucks. The writing is snappy and knowledgeable and there's so much to learn about how foolish wealthy people spend their money. History of the Hamptons with all the houses and characters and parties and feuds. What fun! A truly delicious gossipy read.
August 18, 2020
This book is a hoot and a half! If you have any interest in the history of the Hamptons through a real estate and 'lives of the rich & famous' lens, you'll enjoy this gossipy book full of connivers and eccentrics. The perfect beach read. So much fun!
May 30, 2021
Slightly interesting book about the old days in the Hamptons. The old timers there didn’t want things to change. But they did. Things always change no matter what. This is something you realize when you get older. And that is the way it has always been. Strange people in a strange place.
June 22, 2017
Fun read as an intro to East Hampton. Captures the dynamics in full color. But, at this point it's dated. A lot has changed in 20 years - maybe he should write a part II?
June 15, 2018
Enjoyable book about a city that became to famous.
Rich or not in modern time why bother going there?
Rich or not in modern time why bother going there?
October 4, 2018
Loved it... so interesting!
January 18, 2021
Gossipy and fun
February 12, 2021
I loved this - like the best Vanity Fair article
February 24, 2021
A really fun gossipy read. Loved the vignette about Martha Stewart
March 26, 2022
A campy, gossipy, fun look at the history of the Hamptons circa 1988. The new-money baby boomers were ruining everything!
July 8, 2022
Started and finished today. Engaging read. Knew nothing about the Hamptons- now I know some things.
June 13, 2023
Fun book about the wealthy and often kooky people who have lived in the Hamptons over the past 200+ years. It's filled with fabulous anecdotes!
January 9, 2024
Not a book I would have chosen for myself but it was a gift. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The history, the personalities, the social commentary. So GOOD.
April 23, 2024
Awesome book. Gaines has great nose for gossip and isn’t too proud to sling it. Loved it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews