The bartender at the Ritz

A thrilling novel about the grand history of Paris under Nazi occupation

The remarkable historical figure of world-renowned barman Frank Meier so captivated French journalist Philippe Collin that he delved into the complex period of the German occupation of Paris. Collin explored a wide range of sources and, in this historical novel, attempts to convey how this man, who was hiding his own Jewish origins, must have experienced the events of the Second World War.

Meier's story is intertwined with the fates of other fascinating figures—cowards, opportunists, murderers, and courageous resistance fighters, as well as actresses, writers, diplomats, officers, and generals—even Göring himself, who commandeered the Imperial Suite at the Ritz Hotel. We follow their lives in the city from the moment the cloth of malice was drawn over it until its liberation by American soldiers.