Ransom of Paris — Thom Nicholson

Alan Kline, son of a sausage maker from Chicago, has been wounded in France on D-Day, 1944. He is approached in the hospital to undertake a hazardous mission in Paris prior to the allies liberation of the French capitol. Nazi general Von Choltitz has earned Hitler's admiration for his absolute destruction of Sebastopol, in the Crimea during the German retreat from the area. Alan is tasked with approaching von Choltitz and offering him sanctuary and a hefty bribe not to destroy Paris in the same way. Alan has allies. Von Choltitz's mistress, Ann-Marie is actually working with the French underground and a German officer on von Choltitz's staff is his best friend from Oxford University prior to the war. Alan infiltrates into occupied France and begins his mission. To his dismay, not only is he pitted against the Germans, but also French Communists, who want Paris destroyed so they can rebuild it in the socialist manner. Alan struggles to accomplish his job, while unintentionally falling in love with the beautiful Ann-Marie, whose relationship with the fat, German general turns his stomach. He races to meet von Choltitz's ransom demands as the allies close in on Paris and Hitler screams, “Why isn't Paris Burning?”