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637 reviews for:
The Black Count: Napoleon's Rival, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo – General Alexandre Dumas
Tom Reiss
4.11 AVERAGE
637 reviews for:
The Black Count: Napoleon's Rival, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo – General Alexandre Dumas
Tom Reiss
4.11 AVERAGE
Unbalanced and uncritical but entertaining
This was an enjoyably written account if the life of General Alex Dumas, father of the famous novelist. Sort of. There are huge gaps and much of the narrative focuses on the French Revolution and Napoleon. While this helps to set a general historical context, it doesn't tell us much about the main subject. Much of what is related seems drawn from his son's account if the General's life, which itself is drawn from third hand accounts related years after General Dumas' death, as his son was only 4 years old when Alex Sr. died. There is no attempt at analysis. Everything the General does is heroic and phenomenal. His son is quoted saying that Alex never did a bad thing, had a bad thought or tested anyone poorly, and this is tested as fact. Napoleon is the villain and all the General's travels are laid at his feet without any reason support. The author randomly inserts himself into the narrative at irregular times, providing a jarring disconnect from the historical account. And fondly, there is entirely too much speculation of the 'we shall never know what was said, but can easily imagine.. ' sorry. Overall, I was very disappointed but the book was an easy read and it did make me want to learn more about it's subject.
This was an enjoyably written account if the life of General Alex Dumas, father of the famous novelist. Sort of. There are huge gaps and much of the narrative focuses on the French Revolution and Napoleon. While this helps to set a general historical context, it doesn't tell us much about the main subject. Much of what is related seems drawn from his son's account if the General's life, which itself is drawn from third hand accounts related years after General Dumas' death, as his son was only 4 years old when Alex Sr. died. There is no attempt at analysis. Everything the General does is heroic and phenomenal. His son is quoted saying that Alex never did a bad thing, had a bad thought or tested anyone poorly, and this is tested as fact. Napoleon is the villain and all the General's travels are laid at his feet without any reason support. The author randomly inserts himself into the narrative at irregular times, providing a jarring disconnect from the historical account. And fondly, there is entirely too much speculation of the 'we shall never know what was said, but can easily imagine.. ' sorry. Overall, I was very disappointed but the book was an easy read and it did make me want to learn more about it's subject.
Fascinating biography of Alexandre Dumas, sr. The novelist's father had a remarkable life that started in the West Indies and ended in France. His life encompassed the unsettled issues of race during the late 18th century in the Americas and in Europe. In France, slavery was an on again off again thing and people of color were variously admired, ignored, celebrated or disparaged depending on the specific year, sometimes it seems by the season.
Dumas was a brilliant general who fought heroically for France but ran afoul of Napolean Bonaparte. Born of a free white man and a black mother, he was sold into slavery by his father and then redeemed--rather like a pawned object. Once a dandy in Paris, he ends his career in poverty.
Despite the rather cheesy book cover, the biography is well written and carefully researched. It definitely provides insights into the characters and events that appear in The Count of Monte Cristo.
Dumas was a brilliant general who fought heroically for France but ran afoul of Napolean Bonaparte. Born of a free white man and a black mother, he was sold into slavery by his father and then redeemed--rather like a pawned object. Once a dandy in Paris, he ends his career in poverty.
Despite the rather cheesy book cover, the biography is well written and carefully researched. It definitely provides insights into the characters and events that appear in The Count of Monte Cristo.
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
Napoleon is about to catch these hands.
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
fascinating, a great contextualization of the history of france directly in a pre-napoleonic era through the life and efforts of the original alexandre dumas. having read much of the novelist dumas' work and only recently discovering his racial history, i was really interested in the story of the general who rose up at a time wherein france was set on enacting abolition, and his rise through the ranks. it was a great triumph, and then subsequently a great tragedy, and it makes so much sense that dumas the novelist would want to memorialize dumas the general in his works.
This book is about the father of Alexander Dumas and the impact of his father's life on the narrative of Dumas' work. It details the life of a person of mixed race in France at a time when the world was just beginning to have meaningful conversations about slavery and race relationship. I highly recommend this book.
The Black Count is a biography of General Alexandre Dumas, a mixed race General of the French Revolution and the father of the French novelist, Alexandre Dumas.
When I read The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, The Black Tulip, The Man in the Iron Mask and other popular books by the author many years ago, it never occurred to me that the quintessential 19th century French novelist was a direct descendant of a Black slave. The novelist’s grandfather was a French aristocrat and a playboy, who had several children with a Black slave in Saint-Dominique, the modern day Haiti. He later sold his older mixed-race children and their mother but brought his youngest son back to France and gave him education. When his father’s money ran out, the young half-black, half-white Thomas-Alexandre joined the French army as a low rank soldier. It was on the eve of the French Revolution, excellent timing for a military minded, mixed-race gentleman of his era. Dumas rose to the rank of general. He led the French army and won many important battles, most famously the Siege of Mantua. He was the Commander of Cavalry in the French Campaign in Egypt, fought side by side with Napoleon Bonaparte. On the way back from Egypt, he was put to jail in the Kingdom of Naples. His son later would model Edmond Dantès’ imprisonment based on his father.
The book is also a history of the French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte up until General Dumas’ death in 1806.
What strikes me most is how revolutionary the late 18th century French Revolution was. It was the most radical implementation of European Enlightenment ideas and the beginning of the trinity of democracy–Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. French First Republic was the first country on earth to abolish slavery and grant men of all colors, including those in French colonies (but sorry, women not included), equal rights, which was unthinkable outside France at the time. On the other hand, the French Revolution also brought the Reign of Terror. What the Committee of Public Safety did was a harbinger of the 20th century political cleansing. Napoleon Bonaparte was indeed a man of many contradicting legacies.
When I read The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, The Black Tulip, The Man in the Iron Mask and other popular books by the author many years ago, it never occurred to me that the quintessential 19th century French novelist was a direct descendant of a Black slave. The novelist’s grandfather was a French aristocrat and a playboy, who had several children with a Black slave in Saint-Dominique, the modern day Haiti. He later sold his older mixed-race children and their mother but brought his youngest son back to France and gave him education. When his father’s money ran out, the young half-black, half-white Thomas-Alexandre joined the French army as a low rank soldier. It was on the eve of the French Revolution, excellent timing for a military minded, mixed-race gentleman of his era. Dumas rose to the rank of general. He led the French army and won many important battles, most famously the Siege of Mantua. He was the Commander of Cavalry in the French Campaign in Egypt, fought side by side with Napoleon Bonaparte. On the way back from Egypt, he was put to jail in the Kingdom of Naples. His son later would model Edmond Dantès’ imprisonment based on his father.
The book is also a history of the French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte up until General Dumas’ death in 1806.
What strikes me most is how revolutionary the late 18th century French Revolution was. It was the most radical implementation of European Enlightenment ideas and the beginning of the trinity of democracy–Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. French First Republic was the first country on earth to abolish slavery and grant men of all colors, including those in French colonies (but sorry, women not included), equal rights, which was unthinkable outside France at the time. On the other hand, the French Revolution also brought the Reign of Terror. What the Committee of Public Safety did was a harbinger of the 20th century political cleansing. Napoleon Bonaparte was indeed a man of many contradicting legacies.
The book that describes attempts to historical background behind the history behind the life and characters of Alexnder Dumas. While the history of this book, especially the portions on black and mixed race people in revolutionary France and their increasingly precarious position under Napoleon is extremely interesting, the parts relating to specifically to Dumas are confusing at times and would benefit from increased coverage.
Tom Reiss does an amazing job of introducing us to General Alex Dumas. His research is in-depth, he even describes some difficulties he encountered while doing his research. He compares Alexandre Dumas’s memoir to historical record to get the true story of elder Dumas’s life. Some of the stories would almost seem unbelievable if they were not backed up by historical record. General Dumas seems almost larger than life, it’s easy to see why is son split up his accomplishments between his characters. It’s crazy that his exploits during French Revolution are not taught in school, they are the kind of stories students love to hear. It makes me especially sad that Dumas is not mentioned when the French Revolution is taught, because he really seemed to believed in and to strive to emulate the ideals of the revolution. Along with telling Dumas’s story, Reiss also sets the time frame by discussing what is going on during around him. He gives background on the French Revolution and Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt, both of which Dumas participated in, that help to set the stage on Dumas’s life.
We learn all we need to know about Alex Dumas in the prologues (there are two). The rest of the book is a history of the French Revolution.