Martine Assouline Of Eponymous Publishing House Shares Her Favorite 5 Books

Martine Assouline is the CEO of Assouline, the seriously sophisticated, ultra- cultured, and fabulously stylish publishing house.

Beauty aside, it’s also where the very best of craftsmanship meets intelligence, with a whole host of titles on offer, from art, design and architecture to fashion, jewelry, and travel. Whatever the title though, there is a commonality in the form of alluring imagery teamed with insight.

A sure fire way to inject some elegance and intellect into the home, Martine shares her favorite five books. Happy reading.

Formula 1: The Impossible Collection, Brad Spurgeon

This book was thoughtfully created with the help of the best experts from the exclusive and special world of motorsports – so it was a huge undertaking for us.

We immersed ourselves in great images that could perfectly capture the visual beauty of motors, from their look to their sound. Prosper carefully sought out how to create a special case for this volume, while also incorporating a lightly scented rubber-infused essence exclusively made for the book.

New York By New York, Jay McInerney

This is a timeless volume. It had been a dream of mine for years to create a book that would help readers understand the evolution of this incredible city through major moments in history.

This includes key people and places that have impactfully contributed to New York City’s spirit. It was a great project which turned into a fabulous, memorable piece of work. Just like my favorite songs and films, I continue to reach for it with pleasure.

Art Deco Style, Jared Goss

Written by one of the best experts in the world on this particular style, my overall mission was to create an extremely vivid book that conveys all the best of the best moments during this rich, artistic period in time.

I wanted to capture the interest of not only those who are specialized in this topic, but also appeal to those who may not know too much about it. It may not have been an easy task, but the result is something that everyone can love and cherish for years to come.

Dubai Wonder, Myrna Ayad

Normally for our Travel Series books, I choose the destination myself. It’s a question of feeling, and the privilege I give to myself for being the one who allows herself to be immersed in one place for a few months. For this book, it is my son, Alexandre, who came to me with the idea of having a book surrounding Dubai as part of the collection

Influenced by my French roots, I always need to find charm and wonder in a subject for it to appeal to me. But in starting to better understand and know Dubai (I had spent a great time while there), something prompted me to continue on this project. What became so intriguing about Dubai is its beautiful diversity of genders, race, religion and cultures and more. It is also such a beautiful place and that encourages leisure. So many people seem to gravitate there for this very same reason – that anything possible there. A certain kind of freedom unlike any other.

The French Riviera in the 1920s, Xavier Girard 

A book can very much educate, but what about allows the reader dreaming? This is so essential, and it is always my goal when making a book.

I lived it a lot while creating this title! Each of the location featured in the book includes amazing people; Jean Cocteau in Villefranche-sur-Mer, Scott Fitzgerald and the Murphy couple in Juan les Pins, Coco Chanel in Monaco, and many others.

Readers are transported on this legendary coast along with iconic personalities and can discover their lifestyle and dream with them!

See the full collection on assouline.com.