Edith Wharton s Italian Villas and Their Gardens, a seminal work on garden design, is a testament to the passionate connoisseurship of one of America s greatest writers. A comprehensive look at the history and character of Italian garden architecture and ornamentation, the book explores more than seventy-five villas, capturing what Wharton calls their "garden-magic" and illuminating the intimate relationship between the house, its formal gardens, and the surrounding countryside. A very nice copy.