The Reading Warehouse

Set against the backdrop of the Nazi occupation of World War II, The H tel on Place Vend me is the captivating history of Paris's world-famous H tel Ritz--a breathtaking tale of glamour, opulence, and celebrity; dangerous liaisons, espionage, and resistance--from Tilar J. Mazzeo, the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow Clicquot and The Secret of Chanel No. 5

When France fell to the Germans in June 1940, the legendary H tel Ritz on the Place Vend me--an icon of Paris frequented by film stars and celebrity writers, American heiresses and risqu 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 si cle Paris. At its center, The Hotel on Place Vend me is an extraordinary chronicle of life at the Ritz during wartime, when the H tel was simultaneously headquarters to the highest-ranking German officers, such as Reichsmarshal Hermann G ring, 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 Vend me is a remarkable look at this extraordinary crucible where the future of post-war France--and all of post-war Europe--was transformed.

Tilar J. Mazzeo is the author of numerous works of cultural history and biography, including the New York Times bestselling The Widow Clicquot, The Secret of Chanel No. 5, and nearly two dozen other books, articles, essays, and reviews on wine, travel, and the history of luxury. The Clara C. Piper Associate Professor of English at Colby College, she divides her time between coastal Maine, New York City, and Vancouver Island, British Columbia.