Hearst's San Simeon

Book excerpt: A decadeslong collaboration between publisher William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan produced the formal terraces, swimming pools, and plants and sculptures that occupy the 120 acres of gardens and 450 square miles of coastland of San Simeon, now a California State Park. Their extensive correspondence reveals a captivating working relationship with shared concerns over every aspect of the enormous project. Hearst Castle historian Kastner's (Hearst Castle: The Biography of a Country House) biography of a man and of an estate is also a social study of the periodthe famous and infamous Hollywood figures who peopled the house and its grounds, the lavish lifestyle, and the mythical tales about its owner. The superb photos by Garagliano, photographer at San Simeon since 1994, capture some of the elegant views, the vast array of buildings, and the myriad details. This work of visual delight should whet the appetite for a visit to the real thing.Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.