Mistress of the Ritz

Download Mistress of the Ritz PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Dell
ISBN 13 : 039918225X
Total Pages : 384 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (991 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Mistress of the Ritz by : Melanie Benjamin

Download or read book Mistress of the Ritz written by Melanie Benjamin and published by Dell. This book was released on 2019-05-21 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A captivating novel based on the story of the extraordinary real-life American woman who secretly worked for the French Resistance during World War II—while playing hostess to the invading Germans at the iconic Hôtel Ritz in Paris—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator's Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue. “A compelling portrait of a marriage and a nation at war from within.”—Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network Nothing bad can happen at the Ritz; inside its gilded walls every woman looks beautiful, every man appears witty. Favored guests like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Coco Chanel, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor walk through its famous doors to be welcomed and pampered by Blanche Auzello and her husband, Claude, the hotel’s director. The Auzellos are the mistress and master of the Ritz, allowing the glamour and glitz to take their minds off their troubled marriage, and off the secrets that they keep from their guests—and each other. Until June 1940, when the German army sweeps into Paris, setting up headquarters at the Ritz. Suddenly, with the likes of Hermann Goëring moving into suites once occupied by royalty, Blanche and Claude must navigate a terrifying new reality. One that entails even more secrets and lies. One that may destroy the tempestuous marriage between this beautiful, reckless American and her very proper Frenchman. For in order to survive—and strike a blow against their Nazi “guests”—Blanche and Claude must spin a web of deceit that ensnares everything and everyone they cherish. But one secret is shared between Blanche and Claude alone—the secret that, in the end, threatens to imperil both of their lives, and to bring down the legendary Ritz itself. Based on true events, Mistress of the Ritz is a taut tale of suspense wrapped up in a love story for the ages, the inspiring story of a woman and a man who discover the best in each other amid the turbulence of war. Praise for Mistress of the Ritz “No one writes of the complexities of women’s lives and loves like Melanie Benjamin. In Mistress of the Ritz, Benjamin brings wartime Paris brilliantly to life. . . . Intense, illuminating, and ultimately inspiring!”—Elizabeth Letts, New York Times bestselling author of Finding Dorothy

Troubled Blood

Download Troubled Blood PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Mulholland Books
ISBN 13 : 0316498963
Total Pages : 969 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (164 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Troubled Blood by : Robert Galbraith

Download or read book Troubled Blood written by Robert Galbraith and published by Mulholland Books. This book was released on 2020-09-15 with total page 969 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the epic fifth installment in this “compulsively readable” (People) series, Galbraith’s “irresistible hero and heroine” (USA Today) take on the decades-old cold case of a missing doctor, one which may be their grisliest yet. Private Detective Cormoran Strike is visiting his family in Cornwall when he is approached by a woman asking for help finding her mother, Margot Bamborough—who went missing in mysterious circumstances in 1974. Strike has never tackled a cold case before, let alone one forty years old. But despite the slim chance of success, he is intrigued and takes it on; adding to the long list of cases that he and his partner in the agency, Robin Ellacott, are currently working on. And Robin herself is also juggling a messy divorce and unwanted male attention, as well as battling her own feelings about Strike. As Strike and Robin investigate Margot’s disappearance, they come up against a fiendishly complex case with leads that include tarot cards, a psychopathic serial killer and witnesses who cannot all be trusted. And they learn that even cases decades old can prove to be deadly . . .

Let Love Rule

Download Let Love Rule PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Henry Holt and Company
ISBN 13 : 1250113091
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (51 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Let Love Rule by : Lenny Kravitz

Download or read book Let Love Rule written by Lenny Kravitz and published by Henry Holt and Company. This book was released on 2020-10-06 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “I see my story as a suite of songs that have a magical connection.” Let Love Rule is a work of deep reflection. Lenny Kravitz looks back at his life with candor, self-scrutiny, and humor. “My life is all about opposites,” he writes. “Black and white. Jewish and Christian. The Jackson 5 and Led Zeppelin. I accepted my Gemini soul. I owned it. I adored it. Yins and yangs mingled in various parts of my heart and mind, giving me balance and fueling my curiosity and comfort.” Let Love Rule covers a vast canvas stretching from Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant, Los Angeles’s Baldwin Hills and Beverly Hills, and finally to France, England, and Germany. It’s the story of a wildly creative kid who, despite tough struggles at school and extreme tension at home, finds salvation in music. We see him grow as a musician and ultimately become a master songwriter, producer, and performer. We also see Lenny’s spiritual growth—and the powerful way in which spirit informs his music. The cast of characters surrounding Lenny is extraordinary: his father, Sy, a high-powered news executive; his mother, Roxie Roker, a television star; and Lisa Bonet, the young actress who becomes his muse. The central character, of course, is Lenny, who, despite his great aspirational energy, turns down record deal after record deal until he finds his true voice. The creation of that voice, the same voice that is able to declare “Let Love Rule” to an international audience, is the very heart of this story. “Whether recording, performing, or writing a book,” says Lenny, “my art is about listening to the inspiration inside and then sharing it with people. Art must bring the world closer together.”

Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz

Download Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1982138424
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (821 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz by : Gail Crowther

Download or read book Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz written by Gail Crowther and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-01-11 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A dual biography of poets, friends, and rivals Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton"--

Coco at the Ritz

Download Coco at the Ritz PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1643138421
Total Pages : 287 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (431 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Coco at the Ritz by : Gioia Diliberto

Download or read book Coco at the Ritz written by Gioia Diliberto and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-12-07 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A riveting and prismatic novel of the eternally enigmatic Coco Chanel in the aftermath of World War II. Though her name is synonymous with elegance and chic, the iconic Coco Chanel had a complicated dark side, and in late August 1944, as World War II drew to a close, she was arrested and interrogated on charges of treason to France. Many of the facts are lost to history, partly through Chanel's own obfuscation, but this much is known: the charges grew out of her war-time romance with a German spy, and one morning two soldiers from the French Forces of the Interior—the loose band of Resistance fighters, soldiers and private citizens who took up arms in the wake of the Liberation of Paris—led Chanel from her suite at the Ritz Hotel in Paris to an undisclosed location for questioning. What transpired during her interrogation, who was present, and why she was set free when so many other women who’d been involved with German men (willingly or otherwise) had their heads shaved or were imprisoned, remains a mystery. In this brilliantly insightful and compulsively readable novel from the author of I am Madame X, Gioia Diliberto explores the motivations of this complex woman and portrays the gripping battle of wits that could have been her interrogation. Was Chanel truly a collaborator? Though the Occupation of France offered a stark contrast between good and evil, few people are wholly heroes or villains in wartime. Most citizens, as the writer André Gide noted, were like old shoes floating in murky waters: battered and torn, riding the turbulent flow, just trying to survive. By turns raw and vulnerable, steely and flawed, Chanel emerges from these pages as a woman who owns her decisions, no matter the consequences. Rich with history and filled with emotional truths, Coco at the Ritz is a story about the choices one woman made when the stakes were the highest. In today’s world, it is a cautionary tale about the necessity of standing against evil when it stares you in the face.

Murder at the Ritz

Download Murder at the Ritz PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Allison & Busby Ltd
ISBN 13 : 0749025182
Total Pages : 351 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (49 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Murder at the Ritz by : Jim Eldridge

Download or read book Murder at the Ritz written by Jim Eldridge and published by Allison & Busby Ltd. This book was released on 2021-01-21 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: August 1940. On the streets of London, locals watch with growing concern as German fighter planes plague the city's skyline. But inside the famous Ritz Hotel, the cream of society continues to enjoy all the glamour and comfort that money can buy during wartime - until an anonymous man is discovered with his throat slashed open. Detective Chief Inspector Coburg is called in to investigate, no stranger himself to the haunts of the upper echelons of society, ably assisted by his trusty colleague, Sergeant Lampson. Yet they soon face a number of obstacles. With the crime committed in rooms in use by an exiled king and his retinue, there are those who fear diplomatic repercussions and would rather the case be forgotten. With mounting pressure from various Intelligence agencies, rival political factions and gang warfare brewing either side of the Thames, Coburg and Lampson must untangle a web of deception if they are to solve the case - and survive.

Drama Is Her Middle Name

Download Drama Is Her Middle Name PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Crown
ISBN 13 : 0307418944
Total Pages : 226 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (74 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Drama Is Her Middle Name by : Wendy Williams

Download or read book Drama Is Her Middle Name written by Wendy Williams and published by Crown. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shock jock extraordinaire Wendy Williams lets loose with the first in a series of novels based on her alter ego, the divalicious radio DJ Ritz Harper. Ritz puts the s in shock and the g in gossip, and Drama is her middle name. Ritz is a suburban girl on the outside, but inside she’s a hustler’s hustler who’s masterfully maneuvered her way into the spotlight after ruining the career of a well-respected newswoman (and former college friend). Ritz’s “exclusive” rockets her to the top of the ratings, and she’s rewarded with her very own show. Like a talking Venus flytrap, she verbally seduces her on-air guests, only to have them for lunch as she spews gossip about their lives. Ritz becomes the darling of the station’s afternoon slot. But when Ritz goes from drive-time diva to drive-by victim, all she can think as she struggles to maintain consciousness is “Who did this to me?" Has Ritz bad-mouthed the wrong person? Has her signature cat-and-mouse “bomb drop” been dropped on her instead? Readers will salivate as they try to figure out where the fictional Ritz ends and the real-life Wendy begins.

Vacation People

Download Vacation People PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bella Books
ISBN 13 : 164247178X
Total Pages : 243 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (424 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Vacation People by : Cheri Ritz

Download or read book Vacation People written by Cheri Ritz and published by Bella Books. This book was released on 2020-01-01 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Successful Chicago-based artist Lauren Hansen is on a layover in Las Vegas before heading to what was supposed to be the vacation of a lifetime with her partner. Until, that is, that partner became an ex. Recovering from a nasty break-up herself, workaholic Penny Rothmoor agrees to meet Lauren for dinner, but only out of a sense of obligation to her mother. One thing leads to another, and soon Penny finds herself on a plane, jetting off to meet Lauren for a week on the beautiful island of Hawaii—but strictly as friends, of course. As the bikini-clad duo relaxes and gets to know each other better, they begin to realize that there’s more to enjoy in Hawaii than just sun and sand—and that king-size bed is looking awfully inviting. What is it about the words “no strings attached” that are sure to create a tangled mess of desire, mind-blowing pleasure, and the pain of separation?

A Selfie as Big as the Ritz

Download A Selfie as Big as the Ritz PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 1250126622
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (51 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis A Selfie as Big as the Ritz by : Lara Williams

Download or read book A Selfie as Big as the Ritz written by Lara Williams and published by . This book was released on 2017-10-31 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Lara Williams makes a bold debut with this razor-sharp, magnificently humane story collection.” —Entertainment Weekly She finds herself single, twenty-nine, partially-employed, and about a half a stone overweight. Roller dexter of eligible friends rattling thin. Thirties breathing down her neck like an inappropriate uncle. She jogs. Looks good in turquoise. Finds herself punctuating gas “better out than in!” patting her stomach like a department store Santa. This is who I am, she thinks. The women in Lara Williams’ debut story collection, A Selfie as Big as the Ritz, navigate the tumultuous interval between early twenties and middle age. In the title story, a relationship implodes against the romantic backdrop of Paris. In “One of Those Life Things,” a young woman struggles to say the right thing at her best friend’s abortion. In “Penguins,” a girlfriend tries to accept her boyfriend’s bizarre sexual fantasy. In “Treats,” a single woman comes to terms with her loneliness. As Williams’ characters attempt to lean in, fall in love, hold together a family, fend off loneliness, and build a meaningful life, we see them alternating between expectation and resignation, giddiness and melancholy, the rollercoaster we all find ourselves on.

The Heart of the Ritz

Download The Heart of the Ritz PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1925750221
Total Pages : 443 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (257 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Heart of the Ritz by : Luke Devenish

Download or read book The Heart of the Ritz written by Luke Devenish and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-08-19 with total page 443 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Four women join forces, with conviction, courage ... and style France, April 1940. Orphan Polly Hartford has been sent across oceans to her Aunt Marjorie, known only from letters. When Marjorie dies in suspicious circumstances, Polly is left with her aunt’s loaded pistol in a beautiful Hermès handbag . . . and to the care of Marjorie’s three closest friends: an elegant Comtesse, a gutter-born film star and a big-hearted American heiress. Polly is taken to live at the Hôtel Ritz, where guests and staff believe wealth and prestige protect them from war. But when the Nazis invade, the illusion is shattered. As Paris deteriorates, Polly and her guardians face the horrors of the Occupation with daring, humour, style – even romance – and despite their dangerous secrets, they discover just what they are capable of. As the Liberation approaches, those who survive at the Ritz must face a day of reckoning, but one truth stands tall: at the heart of the Ritz is the soul of resistance. 'Marvellously colourful characters in a tale with so many twists and turns make The Heart of the Ritz a page-turner' J.R. Lonie, bestselling author of The Woman From Saint Germain ‘Luke Devenish is a master of the dramatic cliffhanger’ Daily Telegraph

The Ritz London

Download The Ritz London PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Mitchell Beazley
ISBN 13 : 1784725692
Total Pages : 552 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (847 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Ritz London by : John Williams

Download or read book The Ritz London written by John Williams and published by Mitchell Beazley. This book was released on 2018-09-06 with total page 552 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: h3AS SEEN ON TVh3 h3As featured on ITV's 'Inside the Ritz' seriesh3 hr 'When you look at the dishes in this book, the photographs - it's beyond beautiful. You wouldn't need to cook a thing. You could just flick through these pages - it is a proper feast for the eyes.' - Graham Norton 'As sumptuous as Williams's exquisite cooking, this is a magnificent volume. And a fitting tribute to one of the world's great restaurants. The recipes aren't simple but this is one of those books to immerse yourself in. Five-star brilliance.' - Tom Parker Bowles, Mail on Sunday 'Less a classic cookbook than a contemporary guide to gracious living... Subdividing its contents into four seasons, each is introed with a classic cocktail, and there are contributions from The Ritz's stellar staff. But really this is Williams's show, a masterclass in munificence...' - British GQ 'A real tour de force ... Definitely the stand-out recipe book of the year for me.' - The Caterer 'John Williams's food at the Piccadilly institution is revered. Now it has brought out the cookbook so you can recreate the magic at home.' - ES Magazine 'Part technical recipe book, part memoir. There are Williams's memories of growing up in South Shields, the son of a trawlerman, who accompanied his mother on shopping trips to the butcher and developed a precocious taste for tripe and Jersey Royals. As for the recipes, certain classics are within the range of the dinner-party cook (salt-baked celeriac, for instance, or venison Wellington).' - Telegraph 'A work of art, full of recipes exactly as they are made in the Ritz kitchen, beautifully photographed by John Carey. Marvel at the sheer amount of work and skill that goes into each dish, the processes and the perfectionism - and maybe start with the recipe for scones on page 112.' - hot-dinners.com '... As an exemplar of classic and timeless dishes, it is an invaluable book that lets the reader peer behind the screen of one of the capital's most enduring institutions. For Williams' anecdote on the eating habits of the late Margaret Thatcher, it is worth the cover price alone.' - Big Hospitality 'Distinctive cookbook... This upscale offering is wholly in keeping with its subject: elegant, carefully studied, and more aspirational than practical.' - Publishers Weekly The Ritz: The Quintessential Cookbook is the first book to celebrate recipes of the dishes served today, at lunch and at dinner. The book features 100 delicious recipes, such as Roast scallops bergamot & avocado, Saddle of lamb belle époque and Grand Marnier Soufflé, and is divided into the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The recipes reflect the glorious opulence and celebratory ambience of The Ritz; seasonal dishes of fish, shellfish, meat, poultry and game. Desserts include pastries, mousses, ice creams and spectacular, perfectly-risen soufflés. There are recipes that are simple and others for the more ambitious cook, plus helpful tips to guide you at home. Along the way, John Williams shares his culinary philosophy and expertise. For any cook who has wondered how they do it at The Ritz, this book will provide the answers. There will be plenty of entertaining tales about the hotel and unique glimpses of London's finest kitchen beneath ground.

The Hatmaker's Heart

Download The Hatmaker's Heart PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : FaithWords
ISBN 13 : 1455549967
Total Pages : 281 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (555 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Hatmaker's Heart by : Carla Stewart

Download or read book The Hatmaker's Heart written by Carla Stewart and published by FaithWords. This book was released on 2014-06-03 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For Nell Marchwold, bliss is seeing the transformation when someone gets a glimpse in the mirror while wearing one of her creations and feels beautiful. Nell has always strived to create hats that bring out a woman's best qualities. She knows she's fortunate to have landed a job as an apprentice designer at the prominent Oscar Fields Millinery in New York City. Yet when Nell's fresh designs begin to catch on, her boss holds her back from the limelight, claiming the stutter she's had since childhood reflects poorly on her and his salon. But it seems Nell's gift won't be hidden by Oscar's efforts. Soon an up-and-coming fashion designer is seeking her out as a partner of his 1922 collection. The publicity leads to an opportunity for Nell to make hats in London for a royal wedding. There, she sees her childhood friend, Quentin, and an unexpected spark kindles between them. But thanks to her success, Oscar is determined to keep her. As her heart tugs in two directions, Nell must decide what she is willing to sacrifice for her dream, and what her dream truly is.

The Cocktails of the Ritz Paris

Download The Cocktails of the Ritz Paris PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 0743247523
Total Pages : 152 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (432 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Cocktails of the Ritz Paris by : Colin Peter Field

Download or read book The Cocktails of the Ritz Paris written by Colin Peter Field and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2003-06-02 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The former bartender at the Ritz Paris's legendary Bar Hemingway reveals the intoxicating secrets for concocting the world's greatest cocktails--with more than 50 drink recipes and full-color illustrations throughout."

Putting on the Ritz

Download Putting on the Ritz PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Arrow
ISBN 13 : 9781784757083
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (57 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Putting on the Ritz by : Joe Keenan

Download or read book Putting on the Ritz written by Joe Keenan and published by Arrow. This book was released on 2017-02-13 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the hilarious debacle of Blue Heaven, librettist Philip Cavanaugh has again allowed himself to be drawn into a fiendish money-making plan by his friend and ex-lover Gilbert Selwyn. Gilbert has fallen in with Tommy Parker, a veritable Adonis and a magazine editor employed by media magnate Boyd Larkin. Philip's brief is to spy on Larkin's greatest adversary Peter Champion. To this end Philip enters the Champion entourage - a clan so poisonous they make the Borgias look Amish - with his songwriting partner Claire. Together they are to turn Champion's talentless wife Ilsa (a woman so rich she 'ovulates Fabergé eggs') into a chanteuse. As Philip and Gilbert out-spy each other in vying for Tommy's admiration, plot follows counter-plot in a novel whose comic complications, devastating repartee and cast of high-hat lowlifes is nothing short of dazzling and unforgettable.

Ooh-la-la (Max in Love)

Download Ooh-la-la (Max in Love) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : New York Review of Books
ISBN 13 : 1681372460
Total Pages : 20 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (813 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Ooh-la-la (Max in Love) by : Maira Kalman

Download or read book Ooh-la-la (Max in Love) written by Maira Kalman and published by New York Review of Books. This book was released on 2018-01-13 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Max the dog-poet is back, this time in Paris and falling in love, in Maira Kalman's delightful picture book. It's happened. Before you can say "Pepe le Pew," Max the millionaire poet dog has landed in Paris, the city of lights. The city of dreams. Everyone is in a froufrou of delight over Max. There's Fritz from the Ritz, Madame Camembert, Charlotte Russe, and Pierre Potpurri, who wants Max to perform in his Crazy Wolf Nightclub. Amidst the enchantment and beauty that is Paris in the spring, something is missing for Max. Max has made his millions; when will he find romance?

Messengers

Download Messengers PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Doubleday Books
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (321 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Messengers by : David Ritz

Download or read book Messengers written by David Ritz and published by Doubleday Books. This book was released on 2006 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beautifully designed and featuring stunning photographs, this moving book will appeal to Christians of all denominations and colors who seek a deeper understanding of the meaning and the glories of their faith. This is a tribute to the people who awakened the author's personal faith.

Ritz and Escoffier

Download Ritz and Escoffier PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Clarkson Potter
ISBN 13 : 0804186316
Total Pages : 322 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (41 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Ritz and Escoffier by : Luke Barr

Download or read book Ritz and Escoffier written by Luke Barr and published by Clarkson Potter. This book was released on 2019-04-02 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now in paperback, the critically acclaimed Ritz and Escoffier. In a tale replete with scandal and opulence, Luke Barr, author of the New York Times bestselling Provence, 1970, transports readers to turn-of-the-century London and Paris to discover how celebrated hotelier César Ritz and famed chef Auguste Escoffier joined forces at the Savoy Hotel to spawn a scandalously modern luxury hotel and restaurant, signaling a new social order and the rise of the middle class. In early August 1889, César Ritz, a Swiss hotelier highly regarded for his exquisite taste, found himself at the Savoy Hotel in London. He had come at the request of Richard D'Oyly Carte, the financier of Gilbert & Sullivan's comic operas, who had modernized theater and was now looking to create the world's best hotel. D'Oyly Carte soon seduced Ritz to move to London with his team, along with Auguste Escoffier, the chef de cuisine known for his elevated, original dishes. The two created a hotel and restaurant like no one had ever experienced, in often mysterious and always extravagant ways, where British high society mingled with American Jews and women. Barr deftly re-creates the thrilling Belle Epoque era just before World War I, when British aristocracy was at its peak, women began dining out unaccompanied by men, and American nouveaux riche and gauche industrialists convened in London to show off their wealth. In their collaboration at the still celebrated Savoy Hotel, the pair welcomed loyal and sometimes salacious clients, such as Oscar Wilde and Sarah Bernhardt; Escoffier created the modern kitchen brigade and codified French cuisine in his seminal Le Guide culinaire, which remains in print today; and Ritz, whose name continues to grace the finest hotels, created the world's first luxury hotel. The pair also ruffled more than a few feathers. Fine dining and luxury travel would never be the same--or more intriguing.