First published 2015
The legendary Hôtel Ritz on Place Vendôme held a unique position during World War II as the sole luxury hotel permitted in occupied Paris by Hitler's direct order. Tilar J. Mazzeo chronicles how this cultural landmark became a extraordinary wartime crossroads where German high command established headquarters while exclusive French patrons continued their residence. The author traces the hotel's story from its fin de siècle origins through the occupation years, when figures like Reichsmarshal Hermann Göring and Coco Chanel inhabited the same grand palace. Mazzeo guides readers through the Ritz's opulent suites, dining rooms, bars, and wine cellars, uncovering a world of clandestine affairs, espionage networks, and acts of both collaboration and resistance. This detailed historical account reveals how the hotel became a crucible where the fate of postwar France and Europe took shape amid glamour, danger, and betrayal.
Genres: history, 20th-century, world-war-ii, non-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: betrayal, collaboration, resistance
Setting: France, Hôtel Ritz, Paris, Place Vendôme
Period: Fin de Siècle, Occupation Years, World War II
320 pages · Paperback · Harper Perennial