The Barman of the Ritz

Philippe Collin is a compellingly brilliant story-teller * Philippe Sands, author of East West Street and winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize *
Quite simply brilliant. Philippe Collin’s The Barman of the Ritz 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. This 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. * Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Train to London *
A 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. Philippe Collin is one of the essential moral historians of our time, and this is an unmissable book. * Chris Cleave, #1 bestselling author of The Other Hand *
The Barman of the Ritz 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 *
At 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 *
A riveting 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 *
Atmospheric and unsettling * Bookseller *
A great novel. * Le Parisien *
A fascinating character… * Augustin Trapenard, La Grande Librairie *
Mixing together his knowledge of the period with psychological insights (…) Collin has created a heady cocktail. * L’Express *

Philippe Collin

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

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 Enard won the 2024 French-American Prize. He was the first translator to chair the jury for the International Booker Prize.

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