The Black Count

Tom Reiss's Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Black Count" resurrects the astonishing true story of General Alex Dumas, the forgotten father of the celebrated novelist Alexandre Dumas. Born in Haiti to a French marquis and an enslaved African woman, Alex Dumas rose through the ranks of the French military with breathtaking speed, becoming a hero of the French Revolution and a general fighting for liberty and equality. His exploits were legendary, earning him the moniker 'Monsieur Humanity' from his troops, and his life served as the very inspiration for his son's iconic swashbuckling heroes like The Count of Monte Cristo and D'Artagnan. Yet, despite his incredible achievements and pivotal role in history, Alex Dumas was deliberately erased from historical memory, largely due to Napoleon's jealousy and later, racial prejudices. Reiss meticulously traces Dumas's epic journey from the plantations of Saint-Domingue to the battlefields of Europe and Egypt, uncovering the truth behind his astonishing ascent and tragic downfall, and finally giving this extraordinary figure the recognition he long deserved.