{"product_id":"the-barman-of-the-ritz-9781529956405","title":"The Barman of the Ritz","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBased on the true story of a Jewish barman-cum-spy who served the Nazis in the Ritz Paris during occupation - for fans of Anthony Doerr and Amor Towles.  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 favourite 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.\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9781529956405\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 368\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 25 Aug 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: London, United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 23.4(H)x15.4(L)x2.8(W)434\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 434\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003ePhilippe Collin (Author)   A producer at France Inter for over twenty years, Philippe Collin studied history and has always maintained a strong interest in the field. In 2021, he created a series of historical podcasts that have been downloaded 40 million times.  He is also a graphic-novel writer and co-author of Le Voyage de Marcel Grob (2018), inspired by the story of his great-uncle during the Second World War. The Barman of the Ritz , his first novel, has been translated into 30 languages and was a runaway bestseller in his native France, selling 350,000 copies to date.  Frank Wynne (Translator)   Frank Wynne is an Irish literary translator, writer and editor. He has translated more than a hundred French and Hispanic novels by authors including Michel Houellebecq, Patrick Modiano, Javier Cercas and Virginie Despentes. Over a career spanning more than twenty-five years, his work has twice earned him the Dublin Literary Award, he has been awarded the Scott Moncrieff Prize on three occasions and the Premio Valle Inclan twice. Most recently, his translation of The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers Guild by Mathias  nard won the 2024 French-American Prize. He was the first translator to chair the jury for the International Booker Prize.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003ePhilippe Collin is \u003cb\u003ea compellingly brilliant story-teller\u003c\/b\u003e * Philippe Sands, author of East West Street and winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eQuite simply brilliant\u003c\/b\u003e. Philippe Collin’s \u003ci\u003eThe Barman of the Ritz\u003c\/i\u003e is so beautifully written that we imagine ourselves in the real Frank Meier’s position, shaking creative cocktails for the new inhabitants of his beloved Petit Bar at the Ritz: Paris’s Nazi conquerors. \u003cb\u003eThis novel, based on the real heroics of this charming, creative, and emotionally complex man with a secret love and a hidden past, is a must-read not just for fans of WWII fiction, but for anyone who cares about freedom in today’s complicated world\u003c\/b\u003e. * Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Train to London *\u003cbr\u003eA spellbinding novel of extraordinary elegance and moral depth. Philippe Collin reveals how humanity survives in dark times: not through heroics, but in the quiet, daily work of remaining oneself. In a world distorted by power and fear, this novel reminds us that our humanity is not something we possess, but something we practice, moment by moment, relationship by relationship. \u003cb\u003ePhilippe Collin is one of the essential moral historians of our time, and this is an unmissable book.\u003c\/b\u003e * Chris Cleave, #1 bestselling author of The Other Hand *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Barman of the Ritz\u003c\/i\u003e brilliantly captures the tense, morally murky atmosphere of Nazi-occupied France. Richly researched and utterly absorbing, this World War II novel pulls readers inside Paris’s legendary Ritz Hotel – where every cocktail, every conversation, and every choice could change a life forever. * Anne Berest, internationally bestselling author of The Postcard *\u003cbr\u003eAt its core, this book is a reminder that grand hotels like the Ritz are not simply built from glittering chandeliers and beautiful décor. Their true spirit comes from the people who work there and the enduring power of human connection. * Bloomberg *\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003eriveting\u003c\/b\u003e account of the moral dilemmas of surviving, body and soul, within the luxurious isolation of the German High Command's hotel of choice during the Nazi occupation of Paris. . . An eloquent storyteller, Collin captures the weight of unthinkably difficult choices and in immersive historical detail, conjures the escalating tension, perils, and absurdities of the world at war from inside the Ritz Hotel. * Booklist, starred review *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAtmospheric \u003c\/b\u003eand unsettling * Bookseller *\u003cbr\u003eA compelling story of entrapment and survival. * Kirkus, starred review *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA vivid debut.\u003c\/b\u003e..[Collin] does an excellent job of recreating daily life under the German occupation...This satisfying novel honors the memory of Meier and other brave Parisians who opposed Nazi rule. * Publishers Weekly *\u003cbr\u003eAs complex as one of Frank's signature cocktails, \u003ci\u003eThe Barman of the Ritz\u003c\/i\u003e presents a multifaceted account of life under Nazi rule and a sensitive portrait of a man forced to make impossible choices. * Shelf Awareness *","brand":"Philippe Collin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49180369486041,"sku":"9781529956405","price":34.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9781529956405.jpg?v=1788354508","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/the-barman-of-the-ritz-9781529956405","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}