Dean Martin, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas and Elvis Presley made it their stomping grounds. Wildly free in the post-war years, Palm Springs was all about luxury, parties, sex and sun. It was inspired by the designs of European architects like Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and Walter Gropius; and for such American tycoons as Raymond Loewy, Bob Hope, and Howard Hughes, they created slick residences that blended perfectly into the huge Mojave desert.

This book takes a look at Neutra s Kaufmann House, Lautner s Elrod House (where Diamonds Are Forever was shot), the Frey House II (which is home to the Palm Springs Desert Museum today), Frey s Loewy Residence, and all the essential places in Palm Springs. As a bonus, there is the sharp address book everybody s fighting over (vintage furniture, hotels, resorts, perfect motels from the 40s to the 60s). If you are looking for a Palm Springs revival, you ll find it here.