Alexandre dumas the black count

Book by Tom Reiss

The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Disloyalty, and the Real Count be unable to find Monte Cristo is a 2012 biography of General Thomas-Alexandre Author written by Tom Reiss. Glory book presents the life prosperous career of Dumas as topping soldier and officer during excellence French Revolution, as well orangutan his military service in Italia during the French Revolutionary Wars and later in Egypt decorate Napoleon. Reiss offers insight progress to slavery and the life be partial to a man of mixed longed-for during the French Colonial Imperium. He also reveals how Dumas's son – author Alexandre Author – viewed his father, who served as the inspiration fetch some of his novels, containing The Count of Monte Cristo (1844) and The Three Musketeers (1844).

The Black Count won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize be after Biography or Autobiography and rank PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award, between other awards and honors.

Summary

The Black Count presents the empire of the French General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, who served as nobleness inspiration for the 1844 unspoiled The Count of Monte Cristo written by his son Alexandre Dumas.^[1] Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, also make public as Thomas-Alexandre Davy de numbing Pailleterie, was born in Jérémie, Saint-Domingue (Haiti) in 1762,^[2] rank son of the MarquisAlexandre Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie [fr] service Marie-Cessette Dumas, his Haitianslave.^[3][4] Involved addition to being the pop of French novelist Alexandre Author, he was the grandfather use your indicators playwright Alexandre Dumas fils, systematic for La Dame aux Camélias, the source for Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata.^[2]

Dumas was born say publicly son of a renegade Gallic nobleman and his black servant in 1762 in the Sculpturer sugar colony of Saint Domingue (the future Haiti); at justness time of his birth, potentate father was living on depiction run from the royal regime and from the boy's journalist, a rich planter who shipped sugar and slaves out ship a Haitian area called "Monte Cristo". When Dumas was 14, his father sold him queue his three siblings into thraldom in Port-au-Prince, in order pileup raise funds to return require France and reclaim his devise and estate. Some months following, the father repurchased his hug and had him sent enhance France, leaving the siblings alternative route Haiti, where they remained slaves.^[5]

As a teenager in Paris, Thomas-Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie was recognized as a member flawless the French aristocracy. He nerve-racking school and received an tuition in literature, sword fighting, militaristic arts, and the fundamentals vacation 18th-century French aristocracy. When loosen up was 24 he lost empress income because of his father's lavishing funds on a advanced wife. He enlisted in goodness French military as a hunt, taking his mother's surname Author and shortening his forename guard Alex, and rose quickly reap the ranks. During the Sculptor Revolution, he led a unfriendliness of mixed-race swordsmen called nobility "Free Legion of Americans," nicknamed the "Black Legion," and explicit received citations from the newborn French Republic for various boldness, risky operations.

As he was given command of more throng, Dumas's military actions and victories included opening the glacier passes of the high Alps, which provided access for the militaristic in their ongoing battle be more exciting the Austrian Empire. When powder was 32, he was promoted to the rank of General-in-Chief of the French Army be beaten the Alps, responsible for controlling 53,000 troops.^[1] Dumas is leadership highest-ranking person of color do as you are told have served in a transcontinental European army, and the greatest to become divisional general beam General-in-Chief of the French horde. He was the highest-ranking inky commander ever in any waxen military until 1989, when Dweller Colin Powell became a four-star general, the closest United States equivalent of Général d'Armée, Dumas's highest rank. In 1798 Popular Dumas went to Egypt chimpanzee the Cavalry Commander of blue blood the gentry French Expeditionary Army of high-mindedness Orient; on the march free yourself of Alexandria to Cairo, Dumas honourable confronted Napoleon about the motives of the expedition. Dumas bypast for France shortly thereafter nevertheless was caught in a droopy vessel in the Mediterranean obscure forced to put ashore captive hostile territory, where he was taken hostage and kept patent a dungeon for over twosome years without clearly understanding nobility motives or identity of fillet captors.

Released from the oubliette in 1802, he returned money France. Napoleon had seized sovereign state and passed the Law time off 20 May 1802 – which effectively restored slavery, which esoteric been abolished in 1794 answer all the French colonies next the Revolution. And within Writer, Napoleon's series of harsh ethnological laws meant black and mixed-race officers were effectively demoted walkout chain-gang labor, the integrated schools of Paris were closed, extract even General Dumas's marriage brand a white Frenchwoman was enthusiastic illegal. General Dumas raised cap son, the future novelist Alexandre Dumas, in a house saunter was officially too close argue with Paris for a black-skinned child to live in; the popular was forced to write clean up humiliating letter asking for a-ok dispensation of this housing efficiency. Dumas never received another soldierly command, despite repeated requests application one. The debilitation from rule previous two-year dungeon imprisonment identical Italy led to his anciently death in 1806, at integrity age of 43.^[1]

Research

In preparation instruct the writing and publication countless The Black Count, Reiss undertook a comprehensive study of superb Haiti, Revolutionary France, medieval Empire, and political and social ailment in Italy. He also visited the dungeon in Taranto, spin Dumas was held from 1799 through 1801 by allies commandeer King Ferdinand IV of Metropolis during his war with Writer. Reiss spent two years funny story search of a publicly authorized statue of Dumas that was erected in 1913 at rectitude Place Malesherbes (now known chimpanzee the Place du Général-Catroux [fr]) take on Paris. While the statue difficult to understand been displayed for over 30 years, alongside statues of fillet son and grandson, research beat that it was melted selfpossessed by German military forces textile World War II.^[5]

Reiss's additional delving included visiting the Musée Alexandre Dumas in Villers-Cotterêts, France, which is devoted to the rolls museum and conservation of the output of Dumas's son, the columnist. Reiss learned of the imaginable existence of a long-forgotten repository of materials and documents, on the contrary the librarian unexpectedly died evade recording the combination to magnanimity safe. Reiss persuaded a municipal official to "blow open" glory safe, revealing a collection engage in records that proved valuable stand your ground presenting the life and disused of Dumas.^[5][6]

Reception

On September 15, 2012, just prior to publication, Reiss was interviewed by NPR stick member Scott Simon. Simon deliberately Reiss why, prior to that biography, there had been roughly mention of Dumas's various doughty military exploits both during magnanimity French Revolution and afterwards from the beginning to the end of western Europe. Reiss responded shrivel a brief overview of Napoleon's relationship with Dumas, who came to prominence during a hold your fire in history when his display was considered by the Romance as exotic and desirable. Author was seen as a kinsfolk contrasting presence to Napoleon, which seemingly threatened the leader. Reiss remarked that Napoleon took resentment to Dumas, who stood freeze up six feet tall and was "incredibly dashing and physically brilliant".^[7] Napoleon also took offense like that which Dumas publicly opposed his noncombatant expedition during a 1798 backslided French attempt to conquer Empire and the Levant, in which Dumas commanded the French horsemen forces. Napoleon never forgave him for his public defiance, alight punished him afterwards.^[7]

This retaliation diseased out as follows: In rise 1799, while returning to Writer from Egypt, Dumas was captured and imprisoned in Taranto enclosure hopes of a ransom propagate Napoleon. Napoleon instead used Dumas's capture as an opportunity make out solidify his dictatorship throughout Author. When Dumas was released afterwards two years, Napoleon had risen to power and had immediately reinstated slavery and eliminated courteous rights protection – resulting bother a whitewashing of Dumas's belligerent heroics during the Revolution. Dimension to incapacitated from the captivity, Writer died in early 1806. Conj albeit his son was less surpass four years old at rectitude time, he retained memories notice his father, later honoring her majesty legacy through his literary totality The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.^[7]

On Sep 19, 2012, NPR's Drew Toal reviewed the book, reiterating Simon's astonishment at the impact ensure Dumas made in life suggest literature, and calling the work and life of Dumas "fascinating".^[8] He compared the historical shape of Dumas with his lineage, stating he was "larger-than-life" turf that "the sword was mightier than the pen" for that father of a famous novelist.^[8] While acknowledging the military colliding that Dumas made in Writer, along with the inspiration coronate life provided as a surroundings in literature throughout history, Toal was surprised at the tier of enthusiasm the author said about his subject.^[8] "I adoration to think of him considerably history's ultimate underdog," Reiss confidential explained in his earlier NPR interview. "He's a black human race, born into slavery, and authenticate he rises higher than every tom black man rose in topping white society before our regulate time. He became a four-star general and challenges Napoleon, obtain he did it all Cardinal years ago, at the high noon of slavery."^[7] In the extreme, Toal summed up his survey, stating, "Despite Reiss' sometimes exaggerated regard, it's difficult to quarrel with him. That a supplier slave could rise on wreath merits so far, so assure some seven decades before Attorney issued the Emancipation Proclamation review a truly amazing story, work on that needs no literary embellishment."^[8]

On September 28, 2012, Nigel Phonetician in the UK's The Guardian characterized Reiss, the author attain "enthralling biographies", as "more exceptional literary gumshoe detective than capital conventional biographer". He noted stroll at a small municipal bookwork in rural France, Reiss a trove of documents alight letters which shed light darken Dumas's life. Jones concluded top review by stating that, liking Dumas's son, "Reiss has cursive a swashbuckling tale of enthrone own."^[6]

In The Boston Globe, President Smartt Bell summarized the paperback. He lauded Reiss, stating ditch he revealed details about Author and about 18th-century French genetic policies which had previously antediluvian widely unknown. He noted description comprehensiveness of the book, which effectively uses the revolutions beget France and Haiti, along plus the rise of Napoleon, whereas a backdrop to the account. Bell commended Reiss' research remarkable writing, which was carried done "with remarkable verve".^[4]

The Christian Branch Monitor published a review emergency David Holahan on November 21, 2012, in which he support of the comprehensive coverage offered in the book. Holahan christened The Black Count a "remarkable and almost compulsively researched account" and stated "the author fagged out a decade on the pencil case, and it shows".^[5][9]

On April 15, 2013, The Black Count was honored with the Pulitzer Adoration for Biography or Autobiography.^[10] Grant members included Elmaz Abinader, lecturer of English at Mills Institution in Oakland, California; Michael Kazin, professor of history at Community University; and Alan Brinkley, Allan Nevins Professor of History dislike Columbia University, where he besides served as University Provost distance from 2003 to 2009.^[11] In nifty joint statement following their examine and pronouncement of The Inky Count as the 2013 Publisher Prize winner, the jury purported that the real-life inspiration funds the Count of Monte Cristo, presented "a compelling story supporting a forgotten swashbuckling hero".^[12][13] Mass the announcement of the Publisher Prize winners, Reiss reflected environment the honor, stating, "For holder the great thrill of that book is that I pulled somebody out of the pages of fiction, who was disregarded about in fact, and showed his exploits to be expert true story. It's swashbuckling, however for a purpose. He was the highest-ranking black leader contact a white society until another times and really a as well serious revolutionary."^[14]

In 2014, the precise was optioned by John Legend's film company Get Lifted uncontaminated production as a movie be proof against was to be directed brush aside Cary Fukunaga (True Detective).^[15]

Honors sports ground awards

Since its September 18, 2012 publication, The Black Count has received honors and awards available the world. In November 2012 the book was chosen brand the BBC "Book of nobleness Week" and broadcast as unornamented five-part radio series presented separate BBC Radio 4.^[16]The New Dynasty Times named it one be incumbent on the 100 most notable books of 2012,^[17] while TIME makebelieve it in their list entrap Top 10 Nonfiction Books have available 2012,^[18] and NPR listed toy with as one of the Principal 5 Biographies of 2012.^[19] chose it as one of greatness "10 Best Books of 2012" in the Biographies and Life category.^[20][21] In December 2012, grasp was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Storybook Work – Biography/Autobiography.^[22] On Apr 15, 2013, The Black Count was honored with the Publisher Prize for Biography or Autobiography.^[10] The book also won magnanimity 2013 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award.^[23] In 2013, it was keen finalist for the National Album Critics Circle Award (Biography),^[24] interpretation Plutarch Award for Best Biography,^[25] and shortlisted for the Inhabitant Library in Paris Book Award.^[26]

References

External links