Set against the backdrop of the Nazi occupation of World War II, The Htel on Place Vendme is the captivating history of Pariss world-famous Htel Ritza breathtaking tale of glamour, opulence, and celebrity; dangerous liaisons, espionage, and resistancefrom Tilar J. Mazzeo, the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow Clicquot and The Secret of Chanel No. 5When France fell to the Germans in June 1940, the legendary Htel Ritz on the Place Vendmean icon of Paris frequented by film stars and celebrity writers, American heiresses and risqu flappers, playboys, and princeswas 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 sicle Paris. At its center, The Hotel on Place Vendme is an extraordinary chronicle of life at the Ritz during wartime, when the Htel was simultaneously headquarters to the highest-ranking German officers, such as Reichsmarshal Hermann Gring, and home to exclusive patrons, including Coco Chanel. Mazzeo takes us into the grand palaces 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 Vendme is a remarkable look at this extraordinary crucible where the future of post-war Franceand all of post-war Europewas transformed.