Tom Reiss

This is a biography of Alexandre Dumas' father, who inspired many characters and aspects of his son's fiction. He was the son of a French count and a black Haitian slave, who grew up in Haiti, was leased into slavery by his father (to help pay the count's passage back to France), and then led the life of a rich playboy when he arrived in France before joining the army and becoming a committed Republican fighter and one of Napoleon's generals.

Now, that's one hell of a hook. This biography is show more written exquisitely and I found myself applauding the author over what he chose to include and to point out, and the amount of historical background he included. There's enough background for a novice of the period to feel well-informed, but not so much to bore the knowledgeable, and every bit relates back to Dumas' life.

The book is full of extracts from Alexandre Dumas' memoir, letters written to and from the General and his close family and friends, and various military dispatches. I was honestly slightly shocked over just how many source documents were available. The book is exciting, joyous, and heart wrenching at times, with the flow and intensity of a novel.

The only momentary annoyance I felt was during some references to Napoleon's height. The annoyance coming from the fact that his height was actually slightly above average for the period. Granted perhaps all of her generals were exceptionally tall, but the author could have pointed out that Napoleon really wasn't short in the least. That's just me being nitpicky though. show less

Amazing story of Alex Dumas, general of the French Revolution and father of Alexandre Dumas père: titled aristocrat, military stalwart, and—often written out of his history—biracial child of a wastrel father and slave mother (her status was somewhat unclear). He adhered to the ideals of the Revolution in no small part because the French abolished slavery—which was economically quite valuable to them in their colonies—long before any other modern nation did so, and they did it show more because slavery was wrong. Reiss tells the story of Dumas’s father, then Dumas, recounting a career of glory that ended in pain when Dumas was captured by enemies of France, just as Napoleon’s rise changed the political climate. Napoleon instituted vicious racial codes and attempted to reverse the Haitian revolution by invading; his former hero was now an embarrassment. Dumas died in poverty, his widow denied the pension to which she was entitled by stonewalling bureaucrats. But the glory in between makes for a gripping story, and a reminder that racism can surge shockingly quickly (and sometimes retreat too). show less

A nonfiction novel reconstructing the biography of the father of the French novelist Alexandre Dumas, author of "The Three Musketeers" (1844) and "The Count of Monte Cristo" (1844-46). Surprisingly easy to read, this book tells the detailed and dramatic life story of the son of an aristocrat, born as a slave and risen to the rank of general in Napoleon's army.

Alex Dumas (as he was called) was one of the few high-standing officers who did his best to curb their soldiers' atrocities and show more provide safety for the farmers and townspeople, through whose lands Napoleon's campaigns swept like a destroying swarm of locusts. A lot of the qualities that his son, Alexandre Dumas, seems to have admired in his own fictional characters were present in his father's personality - courage, determination, honor, mercy, and loyalty.

The author referenced documents, letters, and the writer's own accounts of his family history. This was a quicker-than-usual read (for historical nonfiction) and an interesting and bright glimpse into a very bleak and bloody historical period.

I'd advise this book to anyone interested in Napoleonic wars, Alexandre Dumas, or simply in inspiring characters throughout history. show less

Most people recognize the name “Alexandre Dumas” thanks to the enduring popularity of The Three Musketeers. Many people are aware that the novelist Alexandre Dumas had a son Alexandre who was a playwright as well as a novelist. Far fewer are familiar with the original Alexandre Dumas. He was born in what is now Haiti to a French father (a marquis, no less) and a slave mother. He had the great fortune to live in France during a period of great freedom for Africans and people of mixed show more race. He had the great misfortune to be a contemporary of Napoleon, who took away those liberties when he rose to power.

The first person intrudes at several points in the narrative. This wouldn't be remarkable in an autobiography, but it's unexpected in a biography. The first person passages reveal Reiss's extraordinary efforts to access primary sources that had lain untouched in archives and repositories for two centuries. (Some of the richest sources were stored in a safe whose combination had been lost at the death of the only person who knew it. Thanks to Reiss's persistence, the safe was blown open and Reiss was permitted to view its contents.) The newly discovered primary sources will interest scholars, while Reiss's vivid narrative will appeal to general readers and fans of The Count of Monte Cristo and other action and adventure novels inspired by the life of General Dumas. show less