The Black Count

Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo

By: Tom Reiss

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY • ONE OF ESQUIRE’S BEST BIOGRAPHIES OF ALL TIME

General Alex Dumas is a man almost unknown today, yet his story is strikingly familiar—because his son, the novelist Alexandre Dumas, used his larger-than-life feats as inspiration for such classics as The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.

But, hidden behind General Dumas's swashbuckling adventures was an even more incredible secret: he was the son of a black slave—who rose higher in the white world than any man of his race would before our own time. Born in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), Alex Dumas made his way to Paris, where he rose to command armies at the height of the Revolution—until he met an implacable enemy he could not defeat.

The Black Count is simultaneously a riveting adventure story, a lushly textured evocation of 18th-century France, and a window into the modern world’s first multi-racial society. TIME magazine called The Black Count "one of those quintessentially human stories of strength and courage that sheds light on the historical moment that made it possible." But it is also a heartbreaking story of the enduring bonds of love between a father and son.

©2012 Tom Reiss (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"From pike-wielding mobs to prisoners locked in a fortress tower, The Black Count, a fascinating, detailed account of the life of Alexandre Dumas' father, is as action packed as The Count of Monte Cristo. Unlike Dumas' famous adventure novel, however, Reiss' incredible tale is true." (Candice Millard, New York Times best-selling author of The River of Doubt and Destiny of the Republic)

2013, NAACP Image Award, Nominated

2012, National Book Critics Circle Awards, Finalist

2013, PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography, Short-listed

2013, Phillis Wheatley Book Award, Short-listed

2012, Plutarch Award, Finalist

2013, Pulitzer Prize, Winner

“Rousing and thought-provoking, The Black Count is an adventure like no other. I marveled at every twist and turn of this remarkable true story, brought to life with the charm and personal touch that has become the trademark of Tom Reiss.” (Laurence Bergreen, New York Times bestselling author of Columbus and Over the Edge of the World)

the black count

this was an engrossing, educational and extremely interesting view of a French hero.
WELL READ!

Fascinating and Rich

It's quite an accomplishment that this book not only paints an interesting and detailed picture of Saint Domingue (now Haiti) and France in the 1700s, but also tells a rich, compelling story. This could easily be a darn good novel. Thank you, Tom Reiss. I learned so much from this book--and you made the experience quite a pleasure.

I could go on and on about the many topics, big and small, global and intimate, that come up in the book. A few: the importance of love and inegrity, especially in a family; slavery and freedom; political protections or lack of them; and most surprising for me: how much of a ruthless egotist Napoleon Bonaparte was!

The reader, Paul Michael, did an excellent job.

Race, a history

Very enlightening! If you thought you knew about race relations and slavery, you now know you were wrong. Prepare to be shocked!

An Astonishing Life

After reading The Count of Monte Cristo I had that bittersweet reading sensation of wanting more, but realizing the perfection of the story made that impossible. And then I discovered this book! The story of Alexander Dumas’ heroic father evokes parallels over and over with the stories he wrote. Moreover the racial attitudes of 18th century France as experienced by Dumas senior as the mixed race son of French aristocrat and a slave is almost beyond belief and very modern.

Now I am in the same place, yearning for a story as perfectly rendered as the one Tom Reiss has researched. Even the tales of his research which take us through archives in Paris, Haiti and the birthplace of the author Alexander Dumas are fascinating. Add to that a most excellent narration and you have an unforgettable story.

Perfect book

Great, amazing story - personal, historical, multi-faceted and multi-dimensional, great reader. I picked this one after reading the fascinating, “The Orientalist” by the same author; excellent.

Interesting story, excellent narration

I knew very little about Alex Dumas, so this was a very interesting read. It did a great job describing the change in views of racism and the dual reality that existed during the French Republic period. I had no idea of Napoleon’s racist policies.

Stand Out From the Crowd! Your opinion counts.

Where does The Black Count rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

f you decide to go back just click this button.

What other book might you compare The Black Count to and why?

Don't worry we've saved the information from the last screen.

LITERARY ADVENTURES

What irony–two of the best known literary adventures ever written were about white’ heroes based on the life of a black' swashbuckler. Tom Reiss, in "The Black Count", resurrects the life of Thomas-Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie, a Haitian-born’ Frenchman who is the son of a white aristocrat and a slave. This swashbuckler becomes a fearless and heroic general in Napoleon’s army. He is the father of Alexandre Dumas, author of “The Three Musketeers” and “The Count of Monte Christo”.

"The Black Count" dies at the age of 43 and is nearly erased from history by the duplicity and discrimination of his time. After a two-year imprisonment, with failing health, General Dumas is nearly a broken man. Napoleon no longer wants Dumas in his army. One presumes because of past personal conflicts or because of Dumas’ failing health.

Reiss intertwines the novel, “The Count of Monte Cristo”, with the story of General Dumas’ life but, unlike the novel, the General does not escape prison with enough treasure to destroy his enemies. Revisionists, like Tom Reiss, are left to correct, or at least, vivify history. Reiss shows that Napoleon is less than a liberator and Alex Dumas is more than a father of Alexandre Dumas.

Excellently Narrated Account of an Exciting Life

This book was fantastic.

Paul Michael is an excellent narrator. His voice was very smooth and even through out, and easily held my attention.

The narrative of the story was also fascinating. Revolutionary and Napoleonic France does not receive the attention it deserves for how influential it was, and this book was a great look at the era through the life of a truly interesting man.

Awakening of the real count of monticristo

I really loved not only the story of the corrector but also the detailed history of events leading up to an beyond the French Revolution an eye opener for her Thank you so much