Philippe Collin

In the dead of night, eighty-three-year-old Marcel Grob is sequestered by an investigating judge who questions him about his past. Particularly beginning on June 28, 1944, the day when "Marzell," like ten thousand of his German-speaking peers from the French borderland province of Alsace, became a member of the Nazis' infamous Waffen SS. But did the teenager volunteer, or was he conscripted by the Nazis? Was he a "Malgré-nous," one of those forced to comply, or was he a war criminal? To establish the truth of his troubled past, Marcel Grob will have to revisit painful memories as an adolescent forced to fight in Italy with the sinister Reichsführer division. Determined to prove his innocence, Marcel begins the story of a long journey into night.

An Immediate Bestseller | A Bloomberg Best Book of 2025 'Philippe Collin is a magnificent storyteller. This novel fascinates at every turn.' Elle When the Ritz becomes the Nazis’ favourite spot, its Jewish bartender has no choice but to keep working. Paris, 1940. Despite the Occupation, the prestigious Ritz Hotel has managed to remain open. Its bar becomes a favorite spot for Nazis eager for a taste of French refinement. Its celebrated barman, Frank Meier, is forced to adapt to this new clientele. But he is hiding a secret that no one can find out: he is Jewish. With every word and smile, the atmosphere becomes more and more suffocating. Yet Frank refuses to flee. With the unwitting help of the Nazis, Frank eventually uncovers secrets that help keep him and his loved ones alive—especially Luciano, his young apprentice, and Blanche, wife of the director of the Ritz and Frank’s impossible love—both of whom are Jewish too. Betrayal, lies, and backstabbing raise the stakes for the bartender—with Frank always just one step ahead of fate. Based on a true story, The Barman of the Ritz is as chilling as it is fascinating.

Juni 1940. Paris har fallit, människor flyr och ockupationen lamslår stan. Men på anrika hotellet Ritz minglar prominenta nazister med de fransmän som av olika skäl valt att stanna kvar och måste hålla sig väl med tyskarna. Mitt i detta korsdrag av militärer, kollaboratörer och motståndsmän befinner sig den legendariske bartendern Frank Meier, som måste dölja sin judiska identitet för att överleva. Romanen Bartendern på Ritz, som är baserad på verkliga händelser och personer, har blivit en fenomenal succé i Frankrike och hyllats av både kritiker och läsare för sin initierade och dramatiska skildring av Paris under de 1544 dagar och nätter som ockupationen varade.

Kesäkuussa 1940 saksalaiset valtaavat Pariisin. Ulkonaliikkumiskielto astuu voimaan kaikkialla - paitsi loistohotelli Ritzissä. Saksalaisupseerit janoavat pariisilaista joie de vivreä, seurapiirejä, kuplivaa samppanjaa ja baarimestari Frank Meierin maailmankuuluja cocktaileja. Frank Meier palvelee miehittäjiä vaieten neljä vuotta ja ansaitsee näiden luottamuksen. Gestapon miehet kilistelevät baarissa Coco Chanelin, leskirouva Ritzin, näyttelijä Sacha Guitryn ja muun pariisilaisen sosieteen seurassa. Hermann Göring valtaa hotellista kokonaisen kerroksen ja juhlii baarissa syntymäpäiviään. Vastarintamiehet ja -naiset, kollaboraattorit, sankarit ja petturit juonivat, juoruavat, rakastavat ja pettävät baarin ylellisissä kulisseissa. Kukaan ei tiedä, että baarimestari Frank Meier on juutalainen. Philippe Collinin romaani perustuu tositapahtumiin. Se on eläväinen, jännittävä ja historiallisesti tarkka ajankuva miehitetystä Pariisista sekä sen ikonisesta hotellibaarista.

This charming volume is a reissue of the legendary mixology guide by Frank Meier, the iconic Jazz Age barman at the Ritz Hotel in Paris. Originally self-published in 1936 and offered only to a select group of friends and favorite guests, this edition is enhanced by stylish, specially created vintage-style illustrations. With over 300 drinks, this is Meier's personal mixology Bible. While all the classics are here, it includes several of Meier's own creations such as the Bees Knees (a gin sour where honey replaces the simple syrup) and the Seapea Fizz (which is actually named for Cole Porter, the cocktail name spelling out his first two initials). In addition to cocktails, it includes all manner of libations sours, toddies, flips, egg nogs, slings, fizzes, coolers, rickeys, juleps, punches, some nonalcoholic drinks as well as extensive coverage of wines, eaux de vies, and even stylish sandwiches. Typical for its era, it also includes Meier's wit and wisdom, life lessons, etiquette tips, and invaluable advice on a range of topics from the correct way to partake of a snakebite to how to succeed at betting on horses. Frank Meier built his reputation as a barman in New York but left for France due to Prohibition. He became a celebrated fixture in the Paris nightlife scene and was especially popular with US visitors including Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Cole Porter. He even served martini aficionado Franklin Roosevelt.