The Hotel Lutetia on the Left Bank in Paris is, possibly, the grandest hotel in the city and has an extraordinary history. Throughout the 20th century, it was the place in Paris to be ‘seen’ for intellectuals, artists, movie stars and politicians but, from 1940 to 1945, it was the home of the Abwehr, the counter intelligence hub of the Nazi occupation. At the end of the war, its role changed again as it welcomed survivors from the concentration camps and stateless refugees, while today it has become one of the most prestigious destinations for visitors and tourists.

There have been other books written about the hotel but this one is meticulously researched and sourced and tells an extraordinary human story. The first section is about the 1930s and the arrival of Jews, communists and intellectuals fleeing the repression of Nazi Germany. There are some extraordinary characters described here, including James Joyce who lived in the hotel for some time. Jane Rogoyska emphasises the conviction, shared by almost all of these people, that Hitler would fall and sanity would return, while the communists and others bickered among themselves about how this might be achieved.

The gradual surrender of the city into the hands of Nazis and the disbelief of the remaining people is oddly evoked including the flight of many people to the South and the subsequent quietness of the streets. Then, throughout the occupation, the availability of food, champagne and culture for the invaders provided by the hotel makes an odd contrast with the near starvation and deprivations faced by the remaining citizens.

Later, there is the gradual realisation among the occupying officers at the hotel that the war cannot be won and a slow progress towards the return of the victorious resistance leader, General De Gaulle. Throughout all of these events, people are on the move in their millions. In 1945, the hotel changes role again and becomes a transit centre for those returning from the Nazi concentration camps as well as from prisoner of war camps. The numbers are huge and the shock – as the truth about the camps emerges – is devastating but their stories are well researched and starkly told. The triumph of the book is to recount these globe shattering events through the lived experience of individuals as well as the deaths of the many who never returned.

The book is, at its heart, a human story. Because of this, it is a readable story, even if at times an unbearable one. It is a story which, by and large, the official English histories overlook and it is also particularly important today when Fascism is on the rise across the World and its opponents dither, disagree and compromise over how to oppose it. It is an excellent read and highly recommended.