Product Description

They are the jewels of the Caribbean, gorgeous prisms through which we see reflected the opulent world of the French Creole aristocracy. The French-speaking islands of Martinique, Guadaloupe, Marie-Galante, and Saint Martin come alive as never before in the pages of French Island Elegance, a lavishly illustrated look at one of the most intriguing and beautiful parts of the world. More than 160 color photographs taken especially for this book give readers a privileged glimpse inside a world rarely seen by most visitors—the palatial, elegantly furnished homes of the islands’ affluent sugar, cotton, and tobacco barons, both historical and contemporary. An authoritative text sheds light on the area’s rich social, architectural, and interior design history—a vital past that still influences French Island taste and cultural life to this day.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107461 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

About the Author
Michael Connors received his Ph.D. in decorative arts from New York University. The author of two previous Abrams books, Caribbean Elegance and Cuban Elegance, he has published widely in magazines including Architectural Digest and Art & Antiques. He lives in New York City, St. Croix, and Deer Isle, ME.

Bruce Buck is a New York City-based photographer. His work has appeared in magazines such as Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and Metropolitan Home.

Customer Reviews

Another Winner
Having read Dr. Connors' previous books, Caribbean Elegance and Cuban Elegance, I looked forward to French Island Elegance. I was not dissapointed.

Once again Dr.Connors has provided us with a well-researched and easily readable narrative accompanied by Bruce Buck's sumptuous photographs. The two of them have developed into a winning team.

French Island Elegance will not only look great on anyone's coffee table, but is a wonderful resource on a subject that heretofore has had none.

Tables Turned
Sure this could be seen as another stylish table topper where we imagine ourselves sipping bellinis while overlooking fishermen--but what's rare in French Island Elegance when compared to the other three inch thick coasters, is that the author and photographer really did their homework. This is not an embellishment. It's not an ambiance bound between covers either. Connors discusses the rare qualities of Martinique, Guadaloupe, Marie-Galante, and Saint Martin in their own histories of sugar plantations and tobacco dynasties. He examines, quite aesthetically, how the cross section of economic and social histories compose a unique archicture and style not yet lost to the modern world--no, it's not just a pretty book for the coffee table after all.

A very pretty book
This is a lovely book - suitable on any coffee table.
I had been looking for a book on Caribbean architecture - historic and contemporary, but had come up short and this book too, did not fit the bill. I found it is mostly about the FURNITURE of the French Caribbean islands. As such, it does an excellent job and in that way, it is fairly similar to the author's other book `Caribbean Elegance'. It certainly has the same look and I think some of the examples may be the same. The pictures are lovely, the furniture is quite unusual and the text proved interesting, though I could have had more.
The closest I have come to finding a book on Caribbean architecture is `Caribbean Style'.