The Black Count by Tom Reiss

Most people have heard of Alexandre Dumas, the author of such classics as The Count Of Monte Cristo, The Man In The Iron Mask and The Three Musketeers.  What most people don't know is that his swashbuckling adventure novels were based on his own father, whose life was more unbelievable than the fictional characters we now find entertaining. 

Alex Dumas was born in what is now known as Haiti, the son of a disgraced French aristocrat and a native woman.  His life until he was in his late teens was on the island, with long years spent in hiding along with his father in the most remote areas.  When Dumas was seventeen, his father came into his title and returned to France to move into a castle and live the life of a wealthy man.  He sold Alex into slavery to pay for his passage, but then retrieved him.  Alex was given an amazing education but he really shone at the academy where nobles sent their sons to learn sword fighting and military maneuvers.  When he and his father fell out, Alex joined the French military.

He joined at the bottom of the ranks but his talent and striking physique made him stand out.  Soon he was in charge of other men and loved nothing more than going out on scouting maneuvers.  This was the time of the beginning of the French Revolution and Dumas was a full fledged enthusiast as the mottoes of freedom for all struck a chord with him.  Dumas' talent and bravery insured his rapid rise until he was named a General at a young age.

As General Dumas, he was given some of the most difficult military missions and was successful at all of them.  Along with his own skill in fighting, he was also a master tactician and strategist.  Another General was making his way up the ranks.  Napoleon was also fighting to rise to the top and when he was made head of the Army, he took Dumas along with the French army in a surprising move to capture Egypt and from there he hoped to win the Arabic nations and onward into India.

But the relationship between the two men was not a smooth one.  Napoleon was not fond of Dumas, who towered over him and who commanded his men through respect not fear.  Napoleon left Egypt, leaving his men behind to make their own way home.  Dumas and others made it only as far as Italy, where they were imprisoned for several years.  This imprisonment broke Dumas' health and when he returned it was to see the advances made by those of color being rolled back and his own military backpay and ability to serve in jeopardy.  He died at forty, a broken man except for his wife and two children.

Tom Reiss has written of an interesting and amazing man who most have never heard of.  Along with Dumas' story, the reader learns about the sugar trade of the French and the slavery that supported it, the French Revolution and those who played a part in it, the military maneuvers and battles that occurred during this time, and the rise of Napoleon.  This book won the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 for biography and it is a fascinating character study of a man whose life illustrated the times he lived in.  This book is recommended for readers of history and those who grew up loving the swashbuckling adventure novels of Alexandre Dumas.