Although general dumas died when his namesake, alexandre dumas, was only four years. General thomasalexandre dumas, father of alexandre dumas. Routledge, 1880 this short novel by alexandre dumas was originally published in 1844. This is the premise of the black count, a new book by tom reiss that traces the incredible rise and precipitous fall of thomas alexandre dumas, the father of author alexandre dumas. Alexandre dumas was the son of marielouise and thomas alexandre dumas, a french army general who served in the french revolutionary wars. Alexandre dumas was born in france in 1802, the son of the halfcreole aristocrat, general thomas alexandre dumas. Tom reiss is the pulitzer prizewinning author of the black count and the author of the. General thomasalexandre dumas was a hero of the french revolution. The three musketeers marvel illustrated by roy thomas. The black count by tom reiss the reallife count of monte cristo tom reiss places thomas alexandre dumas, a general in revolutionary france and the father of the count of monte. Father of alexandre dumas pere and grandfather of alexandre dumas fils. He is best known for his novels the three musketeers, the count of monte cristo, the man in the iron mask and many others. His first book was fuhrer ex, cowritten with a young east german, ingo.
Soldier of the french revolution, the transition for dumas must have been a shock. Alexandre dumas career as a playwright began in 1829 with the play henry iii and his courts. Commanderinchief of the army of the west in the vendee edit. Top 10 fun facts about alexandre dumas discover walks blog. When author dumass father was enlisted in the army of napoleon, he took the last name dumas and was also called with the nickname black devil. Without ever attaining indisputable literary merit, dumas succeeded in gaining a great reputation first as a dramatist. Alexandre dumas and his life in paris discover walks blog. Interview tom reiss, author of the black count the. The real count of monte cristo, thomas alexandredumas, was a black man who rose to be a fourstar general the highest rank for a.
General thomas alexandre dumas napoleons black devil. Thomasalexandre was raised on his fathers tobacco and coffee plantation in southwestern saintdomingue now haiti, a french colony on the island of hispaniola. His books have been translated into more than 100 languages. Thomasalexandre dumas was one of the heroes of the french revolution but you wont find a statue of him in paris today. The black count thomas alexandre dumas sincere history. Without ever attaining indisputable literary merit, dumas succeeded in gaining a. Sep 15, 2012 interview tom reiss, author of the black count the reallife count of monte cristo did you know the count of monte cristo was based on a real man. The subtitle the real count of monte cristo is speaking of the writers father thomas alexandre dumas, a mixed race soldier from the former french colonies in. Alexandre dumas, pere 18021870 was a french author of historical fiction and adventure novels, in addition to being a playwright. Full of adventure, tragedy, and romance set in a land of. His father, thomas alexandre, was a celebrated war hero and was the first black man to have earned the rank of general in any european army at the time. His father died of cancer when alexandre was only four years old, and his mother could not afford to. Alexandre alex dumas hence you might forget, while reading, that the black count is a. It recounts the adventures of a young man named dartagnan after he leaves home to become a guard of the musketeers.
Tom reiss places thomasalexandre dumas, a general in revolutionary france and the father of the count of monte cristo author, atop a high pedestal. In many ways, the life of the elder dumas mirrors that of edmond dantes, the hero of the count of monte cristo. Collecting the three musketeers by dumas, alexandre. Surprisingly, alexandre dumas, author of the three musketeers, incorporated some of his fathers famous expeditions when writing his book. He led armies of thousands in triumph through treacherous. Nothing can live up to the exciting, overthetop adventures alexandre dumas concocted, except maybe the real life exploits of his father. The black count, a hero on the field, and the page. Alexandre dumas biography childhood, life achievements. A popular playwright and novelist, alexandre dumas is best remembered today as the author of the count of monte cristo and the three musketeers. Alexandre dumas books list of books by author alexandre. Thomasalexandre dumas, father of the famous author, was a haitianborn war hero who enlisted in the military as a private and rose through the ranks to become not only frances first black general, but also the only black military commander in history to serve as the overall commander of a predominantlywhite armysized force until colin powell took over the american military for iraq episode 2 nearly 250 years. He led armies of thousands in triumph through treacherous territory, from the snows of the alps to the sands of egypt, and his true life stories inspired his son, alexandre dumas, to write the. In the 1840s, dumas founded the theatre historique in paris.
It is a gripping vampire tale about a polish woman who is adored by two very different brothers. Alexandre dumas french general 17621806 britannica. The three musketeers book by alexandre dumas official. Although later writersincluding his son, the novelist alexandre dumasclaimed dumass parents were married, no supporting evidence exists.
Top 10 books by alexandre dumas best book recommendations. Alexandre dumas books biography and list of works author. The life of alexandre dumas, classic adventure writer. His family adopted the last name from dumass enslaved grandmother named mariecasette dumas.
Glory, revolution, betrayal, and the real count of monte cristo by tom reiss is a book of nonfiction. Dartagnan is not one of the musketeers of the title, which refers to athos, porthos, and aramis, three inseparable friends who live by the motto. He settled in france with his father while his mother and two siblings. The three musketeers is a novel written by alexandre dumas. With toussaint louverture and abram petrovich gannibal in imperial russia, thomasalexandre dumas stands as one of the highestranking men of african descent ever to lead a european army. He was the father pere of the dramatist and novelist alexandre dumas, called dumas fils.
Many of his historical novels of high adventure were originally published as serials, including the count of monte cristo, the three musketeers, twenty years. The book retells the events leading up to the storming of the bastile through the pov of ange pitou a young orphan and his comrade in arms the farmer billot. In 1789 his regiment was sent to villerscotterets, where he met. General alexandre dumas was a mixedrace haitian slave and swordsman who had been nearly erased from history by his jealous rival, napoleon bonaparte. Mar 25, 2019 on march 25, 1762, thomas alexandre dumas was born. His last name, dumas, was adopted from his grandmother. Reisss subject is the first alexandre dumas, who proves to have had a. What the legacy of frances first black general tells us. Alexandre dumas he prolifically wrote under multitude of genres but his forte remained novels and plays. Before pere and fils, there was the first alexandre dumas, a mixedrace. Dumas was the father of the famous french author alexandre dumas and the first black general in the french army. The count of monte cristo by alexandre dumas, the three musketeers by alexandre dumas, the man in the iron mask by alex.
His family adopted the last name from dumas s enslaved grandmother named mariecasette dumas. Glory, revolution, betrayal, and the real count of monte cristo is a 2012 biography of general thomas alexandre dumas written by tom reiss. His father, thomasalexandre dumas, was the first french colored brigadier general in napoleon army but after his death the family suffered severe poverty. Thomas alexandre dumas was one of the heroes of the french revolution but you wont find a statue of him in paris today. His works have been translated into nearly 100 languages, and he is one of the most widely read french authors. Trained as a military officer, thomas alexandre lacked funds to purchase a commission and so enlisted in the ranks, simplifying his name for this purpose to alex dumas. Gallaher writes in his book, general alexandre dumas. This vintage book contains alexandre dumass enchanting gothic novella, the pale lady. On march 25, 1762, thomas alexandre dumas was born.
Dumass mother, mariecessette dumas, was a black slave. Thomasalexandre dumas 17621806 find a grave memorial. In france, antoine made sure his son was well educated. He was the first person of color in the french military to become brigadier general, the first to become divisional general, and the first to become generalinchief of a french army. The book presents the life and career of dumas as a soldier and officer during the. So with marvel comics adaptation of alexander dumass signature novel the three musketeers. Alexandre dumas, pere, born july 24, 1802, villerscotterets, aisne, francedied december 5, 1870, puys, near dieppe, one of the most prolific and most popular french authors of the 19th century. Alejandro dumas vida y obras first spanish website about alexandre dumas and his works.
Interview tom reiss, author of the black count the reallife. At the outset of his book, reiss announces his ambition. His son, also named alexandre dumas, wrote the tragic love story camille. Nov 18, 2016 for the ninth episode of assassins creed. Tom reiss wrings plenty of drama and swashbuckling action out of dumas strange and. Alexandre dumas is a celebrated french author best known for his historical adventure novels, including the three musketeers and the count of monte cristo. Author roy thomas and illustrator hugo petrus translate the story of dartagnan and his musketeer comrades athos, portos, and aramis into a thrilling graphic novel that captures the best of the first of the musketeer books. Alexandre dumas books list of books by author alexandre dumas.
The story of his life should become the blueprint for his sons most famous novels the count of monte christo and the three musketeers. Alexandre dumas 18021870 was the author of more than a hundred plays and novels including the famous three musketeers trilogy 184447, the count of monte cristo 184445, and the man in the iron mask 184850. When author dumas s father was enlisted in the army of napoleon, he took the last name dumas and was also called with the nickname black devil. In early adulthood, he took work as a clerk, met the renowned actor talma, and began to write short pieces for the theatre. General dumas was born in 1762 to a slave mother and a white father in haiti. One of the most widely read french authors famed for his historical fiction of high adventure, alexandre dumas 18021870 wrote more than a hundred plays and novels, including the famous three musketeers trilogy, the count of monte cristo, and the man in the iron mask. The author, alexandre dumas, expresses a genuine, tender love and admiration for his father, general dumas. Alexandre dumas, who lived a life as dramatic as any depicted in his more than three hundred volumes of plays, novels, travel books, and memoirs, was born on july 24, 1802, in the town of villerscotterets, some fifty miles from paris. Tom reiss places thomasalexandre dumas, a general in revolutionary france and the father of the count of monte cristo author, atop a high. Was the author of the three musketeers a black man. This is when dumas really started to show an interest in writing, and he soon began to absorb himself in the world of literature. Good condition hardback blue boards showing title of book clearly on spine in gilt lettering, no dj.
Alexandre dumas books, ebooks, audiobooks, biography barnes. A row over the legacy of frances first black general the father of alexandre dumas shines new light on a roiling debate over national identity. Interview tom reiss, author of the black count the reallife count of monte cristo did you know the count of monte cristo was based on a real man. The book presents the life and career of dumas as a soldier and officer during the french revolution, as well as his military service in italy during the french revolutionary wars and later in egypt under napoleon. Alexandre dumas books, ebooks, audiobooks, biography. Apr 12, 2019 alexandre dumas is a celebrated french author best known for his historical adventure novels, including the three musketeers and the count of monte cristo. The book looks at the life of thomasalexandre dumas, the father of the famed author who wrote the classics the three musketeers and the count of monte cristo.
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