The Black
County: Glory,
Revolution, Betrayal and the Real Count of Monte Cristo
By Tom Reiss
414 pages
The Black Count is the story of a mixed race French general
named Alexandre Dumas. The volume is rich in historical background of the
French Revolution and the military expansion of the French Republic. Alexandre was born to a French noble, Antonia
de la Pailleterie, and a slave, Maria Dumas. He was born in the French colony
which is now known as Haiti.
His noble father favored his son and brought him to France when Alexandre was only fourteen.
Dumas played an important role in the newly formed French Republic.
He was a superb military strategist and logistics manager. His enemies called
him the “Black Devil,” for he appeared to be unstoppable. However, he fell out
of favor of Napoleon Bonaparte and everything changed. His son, also named
Alexandre, became a novelist and wrote, the
Three Musketeers, among other novels.
