Having just finished The Count of Monte Cristo, I really wanted to like this book. But I just couldn't. The author has some very thin material as sources for his main subject, so fills out the rest of the book with information about the time in which Alex Dumas lived. Unfortunately, I can't trust the author due to a combination of inaccuracies, unsupported opinions expressed as facts, and incomplete readings of contemporary authors.

One example: he states without any supporting evidence that, "France had long been known as the first Christian country in Europe." I can only ask, by whom? By people who don't consider Armenia, the first officially Christian country in the world in 301CE, a European country? (Geographically, this is an arguable point.) Or maybe by people who don't consider the Roman Empire, which converted to Christianity shortly after Constantine converted in 312 CE, a European country? If he's referring to the Merovingians in Gaul, they didn't appear as a major factor until the 5th century CE, and weren't Christian until after the conversion of Clovis I in 496 CE, over 150 years after the Roman Empire was officially Christian.

He also tries to support his thesis that post-Revolutionary France was widely anti-slavery by quoting the first line from Rousseau's The Social Contract: “Man is born free but is everywhere in chains.” I think perhaps he didn't read much past the first sentence, as this quote has nothing whatsoever to do with literal racial slavery. Rousseau was talking about all people, who are born as free individuals in a natural state of freedom, but become subject to laws they had no part in creating or agreeing to. It speaks to the condition of all humanity, not just literally enslaved people.

There are many more of these examples, but I won't go on. Between historical inaccuracies and incomplete readings of the material he quotes, this just isn't a history that should be trusted. ( )

Alexandre Dumas (of "The Three Musketeers" and "The Count of Monte Cristo" fame) had a Black father whose real life adventures were far more interesting than the plots of any of the son's novels -- including arriving in France in the eve of the French Revolution, going from private to general in the army in record time, outshining Napoleon wherever he went (in Egypt, everyone assumed he was Napoleon, not that short, thin, sickly fellow standing next to him) and having enough swashbuckling adventures to outshine previous and subsequent generations.

A great biography that put into context much of the French Revolution, its idealism, its excesses, the institutions that it started, and its betrayal at the hands of Napoleon. ( )

Interesting for its historical depiction of life and society during this time period, but the author seems quite biased. He constantly repeats how the French were the first to abolish slavery, promote equality, etc., and greatly downplays the horrors of the Revolution, choosing instead to focus on its democratic ideals and the heroic figure of the general. Quite a bit of supposition, especially concerning the main character's relationship with Napoleon. Nevertheless, it does present a good source of information about France before, during, and after the Revolution. Worth reading. ( )

Biography of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas (called Alex Dumas), father of the famous author Alexandre Dumas, and the inspiration for the protagonist of The Count of Monte Cristo. Alex Dumas was born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (today’s Haiti) to a French father and black enslaved mother. He joined the French Army as a soldier and rose rapidly through the ranks, eventually attaining the rank of General. He was a natural leader, a man of integrity who knew how to win the hearts and minds of his troops. This book also relates the advancements in civil rights under the new French government, which unfortunately did not last but was ahead of its time. The narrative non-fiction covers Alex Dumas’s personal story against the backdrop of the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars.

This book is well-researched and well-written. The author excels at describing Alex Dumas, giving the reader a good idea of what he was like as a person. He was physically substantial, well-liked by his men, courageous, and merciful to opponents. He set a good example for others to follow. The events are told in chronological order and describe Dumas’s many postings, as well as Napoleon’s role in his downfall. Alex Dumas was captured by anti-French forces and spent several years imprisoned in a remote area of Italy. His wife wrote numerous letters to influential people to try to find where he was being held and to get him released. This part of his life is articulated in The Count of Monte Cristo, and Reiss does an excellent job of delineating what parts were based on fact versus what was embellished or changed. I enjoyed reading this account of a lesser-known person in history. I found it inspirational, educational, and entertaining. ( )

Excellent biography. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the man who inspired his famous son's best known stories ([b:The Three Musketeers|7190|The Three Musketeers|Alexandre Dumas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320436982s/7190.jpg|1263212], [b:The Count of Monte Cristo|7126|The Count of Monte Cristo|Alexandre Dumas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309203605s/7126.jpg|391568]). ( )