"If ever there were a product of Hollywood, it was architect Craig Ellwood (1922-1992). A fiction of his own making - even his name was an invention - Ellwood fashioned a career through charm, ambition, and the unerring eye of a connoisseur. Employing a team of talented assistants, Ellwood developed a thriving practice that infused the Germanic rationalism of Mies van der Rohe with an informal breeziness that was all Southern California.

In the 1950s, a series of dramatic, open, and elegant homes made him a media star, and interest in the work of his atelier has only increased over time.".

"California Modern: The Architecture of Craig Ellwood is the first comprehensive monograph on this prolific, influential, and complex character. Illustrated with both archival material and newly commissioned photography, it traces Ellwood's fascinating personal history, provides a critical evaluation of his work, and establishes his position as one of the principal shapers of California modernism."--BOOK JACKET.