A captivating history of Paris's famous Hotel Ritz, set against the backdrop of the Nazi occupation of WWII, from the New York Times -bestselling author.
When France fell to the Germans in June 1940, the legendary Hotel Ritz on the Place Vendome—an icon of Paris frequented by film stars and celebrity writers, American heiresses and risque flappers, playboys, and princes—was the only luxury hotel of its kind allowed in the occupied city by order of Adolf Hitler.
Tilar J. Mazzeo traces the history of this cultural landmark from its opening in fin de siecle Paris. At its center, The Hotel on Place Vendome is an extraordinary chronicle of life at the Ritz during wartime, when the Hotel was simultaneously headquarters to the highest-ranking German officers, such as Reichsmarshal Hermann Goring, and home to exclusive patrons, including Coco Chanel. Mazzeo takes us into the grand palace's suites, bars, dining rooms, and wine cellars, revealing a hotbed of illicit affairs and deadly intrigue, as well as stunning acts of defiance and treachery.
Rich in detail, illustrated with black-and-white photos, The Hotel on Place Vendome is a remarkable look at this extraordinary crucible where the future of post-war France—and all of post-war Europe—was transformed.
"Must read . . . a work of history that reads as enticingly as a novel." — Harper's Bazaar
"This gorgeously written book is a feast for readers wanting to be swept away . . . A breathtaking tale of glamour, opulence, and celebrity." —Brad Thor, The Today Show Summer Reads
