Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #153133 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.01" h x 9.44" w x 12.10" l, 3.38 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From Library Journal
Hearst Castle in San Simeon, now a California state park, offers a glimpse of the high life lead by William Randolph Hearst. Though originally planned as a small bungalow at the family's favorite campsite, Hearst's building project grew and grew. Julia Morgan, the renowned San Francisco architect, gracefully coped with the continuous revisions to the project. Hearst had a love of art and style and the money to follow his fancy. Kastner, a member of the Hearst Castle staff and a student of its art, combines the history of the castle with details about its inhabitants and its builders in this splendid book. The pages are peppered with historic photos, architectural drawings, correspondences, and details of the castle's features and its art. You can practically smell the opulence of the place. Strongly recommended for regional collections and large public libraries across the country. (Final photos and index not seen.)DKaren Ellis, Nicholson Memorial Lib. Syst., Garland, TX
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Hearst Castle, as the California home of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst was unofficially called, is one of the top tourist draws in the country, a fact that is easy for readers to appreciate as they luxuriate in the pages of this exceptionally vibrant text-and-photo history of the house. The Hearst estate, formally called La Cuesta Encantada ("the enchanted hill"), overlooks the gorgeous California coast, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. In this unforgettable setting, Hearst, with architect Julia Morgan at his side, built and added onto and reconfigured his estate over a period of nearly three decades, from 1919 to 1947, and in the process collected artwork here in the U.S. and in Europe not only for display purposes but also as integral parts of the design structure. Kastner allows Hearst more credit as a sensitive collector than most critics have usually given him. Two major points are made here; that the relationship between Hearst and Morgan, his architect, was an especially productive and mutually satisfying one, and that Hearst Castle is not a "freak" of a dwelling but very much a "representative example of the American country-house tradition." Kastner proffers a delicious taste of the social life that guests enjoyed under the roof at Hearst Castle in Hearst's heyday, particularly after the advent of Hearst's beloved mistress, actress Marian Davies, who was a loving and lovable hostess. This book's brilliant match of words and illustrations results in a marvelous tour of the premises and an engrossing history. Brad Hooper
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