September 23, 2011
Legendary Costume Balls of the Twentieth Century
Robert Doyle READ TIME: 2 MIN.
NEW YORK, NY - From the twilight of the Romanov dynasty through les ann�es folles of Art Deco Paris to the jet-set seventies, Assouline's latest tome, Bals, explores the nine most exceptional private costume parties of the twentieth century, in the most beautiful special edition tome ever produced on the subject.
"In describing these balls, I've felt almost like an historian reviving a vanished world," writes Baron Guy de Rothschild in his memoir "The Whims of Fortune." "With perhaps even greater nostalgia, since it concerns not only myself. An entire era fades away as new ones appear, and a certain art of living disappears at the same time.... Never has there been so much talk of fetes as since there are no more of them."
In addition to social commentary both by and about colorful characters like Paul Poiret, Truman Capote, and Cecil Beaton who immortalized these extraordinary balls, the book also includes anecdotes and comments from Jacqueline de Ribes, H�l�ne David-Weill, and Marisa Berenson, all of whom share their vivid souvenirs in first-person narrative. This is the ultimate book on such a unique and captivating theme.
Nicholas Foulkes is a British historian, author, and journalist who has written books on subjects as diverse as James Bond, porcelain, and the trench coat. He is best known for his critically acclaimed trilogy of nineteenth century histories: Scandalous Society, Last of the Dandies, Dancing Into Battle, and most recently Gentlemen and Blackguards.
As well as Bals and High Society, he has written four other books for Assouline. Foulkes is luxury editor of British GQ, cofounder and editor in chief of Finch's Quarterly Review, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, and he writes for various other publications.
Bals is available for purchase at ASSOULINE Boutiques worldwide and through www.assouline.com
Direct link to product page: http://www.assouline.com/9781614280002.html
11 x 14" / 28 x 35 cm - 308 pages - over 250 illustrations - hardcover in a slipcase
ISBN: 978-1-61428-000-2 - $175 - �130 - �110
Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.
