Here is the remarkable true story of the real Count of Monte Cristo — a stunning feat of historical sleuthing that brings to life the forgotten hero who inspired such classics as The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.
The real-life protagonist of The Black Count, General Alex Dumas, is a man almost unknown today yet with a story that is strikingly familiar, because his son, the … strikingly familiar, because his son, the novelist Alexandre Dumas, used it to create some of the best loved heroes of literature.
Yet, hidden behind these swashbuckling adventures was an even more incredible secret: the real hero was the son of a black slave — who rose higher in the white world than any man of his race would before our own time.
Born in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), Alex Dumas was briefly sold into bondage but made his way to Paris where he was schooled as a sword-fighting member of the French aristocracy. Enlisting as a private, he rose to command armies at the height of the Revolution, in an audacious campaign across Europe and the Middle East – until he met an implacable enemy he could not defeat.
The Black Count is simultaneously a riveting adventure story, a lushly textured evocation of 18th-century France, and a window into the modern world’s first multi-racial society. But it is also a heartbreaking story of the enduring bonds of love between a father and son.
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I’m on a Napoleon kick lately and read this when it came up as a Kindle deal. So glad that I did. It tells the story of a real person, the man who inspired Alexandre Dumas’ fiction–his own father, a General during the French Revolution. Fascinating tale, excellent research, and so neat to learn the history behind some of the books I love.
Well crafted and informative. Creative non-fiction history at its best. I learned a lot too!
The Black Count is a well written and researched biography of a fascinating hero of the French Revolution – who happens to have been a black man born in the Caribbean. The author provides a rich historical context to help the reader appreciate Dumas extraordinary life: both his rise to military fame and glory and the betrayals that darkened the …
Ever wonder where Dumas got his inspiration for the Three Musketeers or The Count of Monte Cristo? Read this book and wonder no more.
The biography of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie or Dumas Senior. From his being sold by his father to pay his father’s passage to France (later his father redeems him) to his exploits during the …
This is the story of General Alex Dumas, the father of famed author Alexandre Dumas, père. General Dumas was the son of a black slave woman and a French nobleman who grew up during the slave days of 18th century France. He later proved himself in the military during the French Revolution, but was ultimately betrayed by Napoleon Bonaparte due to …
Excellent biography weaving in historical characters that make you want to just keep reading about the French Revolution and Napolean History.
The father of the famous author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo was the inspiration for both books — and what a fascinating person he was! If you’ve read either book (preferably both) and/or have seen one of the many films that have derived from those books, you owe it to yourself to read this book. One of the most amazing …
An amazing look at a period of history that I did not understand. Really expanded my view of the world, the slave trade, and the Revolutionary period.
The real Count of Monte was written by Alexander Dumas. and is one the best books ever written. History can not be rewritten.
It was very interesting to read about what an incredible physical specimen the main character was and how he helped Napoleon win many battles. I was saddened to learn of the perfidy of the French leader and how he deserted one of the men who helped him the most in the war. I appreciated the author’s thorough research on Mr. Dumas and his …
Ever wonder if the Count of Monte Cristo was real? Well, he was and he was a black nobleman, rising through the ranks to dominate French Society. You may have heard of his son… Alexandre Dumas!
If you’re looking for a new view on Dumas and the French Revolution, check this out – a great historical read and it’ll change the way you look at the …
A very interesting read. It took me a while to get through it but it was well worth the time.
I was so excited to read this since I love the Count of Monte Christo. So I was disappointed only because I felt I had to force myself to read it. The book was informative but I couldn’t connect. Sorry.
This is such a good and important book! It gives a whole new look at the French Revolution, from the perspective of the most outstanding figure you never heard of, the original “Count of Monte Cristo.” It’s one of those cases where real life is more exciting than fiction. I heartily recommend this book.
A history worth learning
I can’t even describe how fascinating the subject of this biography is: Alex Dumas, son of a renegade French aristocrat and a slave, general extraordinaire of the French army, and father of the famous Alexandre Dumas, of Three Musketeers fame. It turns out the novelist got many of his characters’ most incredible feats and characteristics from his …
Very important read in light of the current state of world affairs and leaders with self-serving egos.
This is absolutely one of my favorite books ever. An incredible biography of the man who fathered one of the world’s most famous fictional authors: Alexandre Dumas. I have probably gifted this book over six times now. I can’t recommend it enough.
This book was so interesting! It’s the story of Alexander Dumas’s father, who was the inspiration for many of his characters. In reading this book, I also got a lot of information about the French Revolution. So I both learned a lot and learned of a new-to-me person in history.
Continuation from the “Count of Monte Cristo!” Excellent. Must read!