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The Black Count

Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo
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Oct 10, 2023mackiecat rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book won a well-deserved Pulitzer. We are all familiar with books by Alexandre Dumas, but it is not well known that many of the exploits of the Three Musketeers, the Man in the Iron Mask, and other stories had their basis in the…
Aug 11, 2022tjdickey rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
History that reads like fiction indeed! Alexandre Dumas' father lived a life of romantic experiences, from childhood among the French slave colonies of the Caribbean, to the swashbuckling life of a young gentleman in Paris, to the…
Apr 04, 2022gale37 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Excellent biography of a historic and heroic figure whose life deserves to be better known but not simply because he was Alexandre Dumas Pere's father.. This is also very readable - so much so that I had to immediately read another…
Apr 22, 202110000mefest rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Definitely a biopic worthy story! I think we have yet to see a man of color in a role like this one, the TRUE story of Alexander Dumas (pronounced Du-maw'). Dumas was a general in the French military in 18th century France. and his son…
Nov 02, 2019N13m4nd rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
The Black Count is a biography of Alexandre Dumas. No, not the novelist: his father. Born the mixed race son of a disgraced minor noble and his slave mistress, Alex Sr. grew up in a fugitive family in the backwoods of the island that would…
Aug 27, 2018cobo rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A fascinating account of a great French hero of the Revolution. The story also reveals how the idealism of men and women like Dumas is betrayed by others, such as Napoleon, who are motivated by insatiable greed for power. This is a…
Mar 19, 2018DrSelina rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is an amazing book. The history of Black excellence in this world is constantly being withheld and hidden. More people need to read this book and more people need to learn of the amazing Dumas family.
Jun 06, 2017luvbooks137 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A wonderful book; I truly enjoyed it ! Every fan of Alexandre Dumas should read and understand the background of his stories: the unusual upbringing, the exceptional person his father was. I thought my knowledge about the French Revolution…
Oct 26, 2016spcarrier rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Terrific book, great history, and a story that needed to be told. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Jan 04, 2016Janice21383 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The breathlessly romantic true story of the founder of the Dumas family. Alex Dumas seems to have had the same fondness for a good yarn as his son and grandson. But the facts are wonderful enough: born the son of a slave and a disgraced…
Quimeras
Oct 12, 2015Quimeras rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
“The Black Count” captures a fascinating period in France’s history and the equally fascinating life of General Alex Dumas. I was thoroughly engaged in this book. Note: do not skip the footnotes. They offer some interesting tidbits.
Apr 25, 2015Jeff_Ve rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
If you enjoy history you will love this book.
Jun 24, 2013PennPal rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Wonderful read Words, pages, thoughts flowed past Filled in aspects of French history, social history and art that somehow I had missed, forgotten or never really understood. Great story at the same time
Jun 20, 2013Dejascribe rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A wonderfully written look at the little known history behind the Count of Monte Cristo author and his larger than life father/hero.
Nov 27, 2012
"If you've ever wondered where the 19th-century French novelist Alexandre Dumas learned to swashbuckle, biographer Tom Reiss has the answer in The Black Count. The novelist's father, known as Alex, was born in 1762 on the island of Santo…
adagarcon
Oct 27, 2012adagarcon rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
"So often when one has discusses Dumas "pere" & "fils", the conversation seldom segues into the realm of their progenitor. That's why Reiss' "Black Count" is a nice respite from the normal conversational ebbs and flows. Make no mistake,…
Oct 12, 2012BertBailey rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This review (http://www.literaryreview.co.uk/keates_09_12.php) gives it a 5-star rating, fwtw.
Oct 05, 2012dontbugmeimreading rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
I love the Count of Monte Cristo so I thought that this would be a good read. I was disappointed. This book was so dry I couldn't make it past chapter 2. I think I got a condensed version of the book from the 2 prologues.