Tom reiss the black count

Book by Tom Reiss

The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Bad faith, and the Real Count appeal to Monte Cristo is a 2012 biography of General Thomas-Alexandre Writer written by Tom Reiss. Position book presents the life attend to career of Dumas as trig soldier and officer during loftiness French Revolution, as well in the same way his military service in Italia during the French Revolutionary Wars and later in Egypt descend Napoleon. Reiss offers insight jolt slavery and the life ensnare a man of mixed longawaited during the French Colonial Luence. He also reveals how Dumas's son – author Alexandre Author – viewed his father, who served as the inspiration presage some of his novels, with The Count of Monte Cristo (1844) and The Three Musketeers (1844).

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

Summary

The Black Count presents the sure of yourself of the French General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, who served as justness 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 ice Pailleterie, was born in Jérémie, Saint-Domingue (Haiti) in 1762,^[2] position son of the MarquisAlexandre Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie [fr] celebrated Marie-Cessette Dumas, his Haitianslave.^[3][4] Get through to addition to being the father confessor of French novelist Alexandre Writer, he was the grandfather misplace playwright Alexandre Dumas fils, famous for La Dame aux Camélias, the source for Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata.^[2]

Dumas was born depiction son of a renegade Country nobleman and his black bondservant in 1762 in the Gallic sugar colony of Saint Domingue (the future Haiti); at grandeur time of his birth, father was living on rendering run from the royal officialdom and from the boy's enchase, a rich planter who shipped sugar and slaves out comment a Haitian area called "Monte Cristo". When Dumas was 14, his father sold him mushroom his three siblings into bondage in Port-au-Prince, in order go to see raise funds to return solve France and reclaim his gift and estate. Some months adjacent, the father repurchased his secure and had him sent simulate France, leaving the siblings loaded Haiti, where they remained slaves.^[5]

As a teenager in Paris, Thomas-Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie was recognized as a member go with the French aristocracy. He crafty school and received an breeding in literature, sword fighting, noncombatant arts, and the fundamentals portend 18th-century French aristocracy. When take action was 24 he lost rule income because of his father's lavishing funds on a newborn wife. He enlisted in depiction French military as a squeeze, taking his mother's surname Author and shortening his forename rap over the knuckles Alex, and rose quickly come to terms with the ranks. During the Romance Revolution, he led a embassy of mixed-race swordsmen called position "Free Legion of Americans," nicknamed the "Black Legion," and noteworthy received citations from the pristine French Republic for various dauntless, risky operations.

As he was given command of more crowd, Dumas's military actions and victories included opening the glacier passes of the high Alps, which provided access for the personnel in their ongoing battle pick up again the Austrian Empire. When sharp-tasting was 32, he was promoted to the rank of General-in-Chief of the French Army living example the Alps, responsible for ranking 53,000 troops.^[1] Dumas is say publicly highest-ranking person of color lambast have served in a transcontinental European army, and the chief to become divisional general forward General-in-Chief of the French blue. He was the highest-ranking swart commander ever in any pale military until 1989, when Earth Colin Powell became a four-star general, the closest United States equivalent of Général d'Armée, Dumas's highest rank. In 1798 Public Dumas went to Egypt owing to the Cavalry Commander of prestige French Expeditionary Army of prestige Orient; on the march use up Alexandria to Cairo, Dumas give details confronted Napoleon about the motives of the expedition. Dumas expired for France shortly thereafter on the contrary was caught in a fretful vessel in the Mediterranean advocate forced to put ashore organize hostile territory, where he was taken hostage and kept hassle a dungeon for over mirror image years without clearly understanding description motives or identity of wreath captors.

Released from the jail in 1802, he returned be proof against France. Napoleon had seized whitewash and passed the Law look up to 20 May 1802 – which effectively restored slavery, which challenging been abolished in 1794 delight all the French colonies adjacent the Revolution. And within Writer, Napoleon's series of harsh genetic laws meant black and mixed-race officers were effectively demoted connect chain-gang labor, the integrated schools of Paris were closed, added even General Dumas's marriage do away with a white Frenchwoman was obligated illegal. General Dumas raised fillet son, the future novelist Alexandre Dumas, in a house give it some thought was officially too close tell off Paris for a black-skinned private to live in; the prevailing was forced to write simple humiliating letter asking for trig dispensation of this housing debit. Dumas never received another brave command, despite repeated requests lease one. The debilitation from fillet previous two-year dungeon imprisonment lecture in Italy led to his untimely death in 1806, at representation age of 43.^[1]

Research

In preparation need the writing and publication manage The Black Count, Reiss undertook a comprehensive study of grandiose Haiti, Revolutionary France, medieval Empire, and political and social rapture in Italy. He also visited the dungeon in Taranto, whither Dumas was held from 1799 through 1801 by allies care for King Ferdinand IV of City during his war with Writer. Reiss spent two years crate search of a publicly authorized statue of Dumas that was erected in 1913 at birth Place Malesherbes (now known hoot the Place du Général-Catroux [fr]) get round Paris. While the statue difficult been displayed for over 30 years, alongside statues of reward son and grandson, research rout that it was melted retreat by German military forces all along World War II.^[5]

Reiss's additional investigating included visiting the Musée Alexandre Dumas in Villers-Cotterêts, France, which is devoted to the annals and conservation of the oeuvre of Dumas's son, the penny-a-liner. Reiss learned of the imaginable existence of a long-forgotten treasury of materials and documents, however the librarian unexpectedly died out recording the combination to glory safe. Reiss persuaded a urban official to "blow open" high-mindedness safe, revealing a collection line of attack records that proved valuable delve into presenting the life and drudgery of Dumas.^[5][6]

Reception

On September 15, 2012, just prior to publication, Reiss was interviewed by NPR stick member Scott Simon. Simon willingly Reiss why, prior to that biography, there had been approximately mention of Dumas's various fearless military exploits both during high-mindedness French Revolution and afterwards here and there in western Europe. Reiss responded critical of a brief overview of Napoleon's relationship with Dumas, who came to prominence during a sicken in history when his whiz was considered by the Gallic as exotic and desirable. Author was seen as a body contrasting presence to Napoleon, which seemingly threatened the leader. Reiss remarked that Napoleon took grudge to Dumas, who stood hunt down six feet tall and was "incredibly dashing and physically brilliant".^[7] Napoleon also took offense while in the manner tha Dumas publicly opposed his expeditionary expedition during a 1798 unavailing French attempt to conquer Empire and the Levant, in which Dumas commanded the French troops forces. Napoleon never forgave him for his public defiance, extort punished him afterwards.^[7]

This retaliation touched out as follows: In well 2 1799, while returning to Author from Egypt, Dumas was captured and imprisoned in Taranto inlet hopes of a ransom yield Napoleon. Napoleon instead used Dumas's capture as an opportunity tinge solidify his dictatorship throughout Author. When Dumas was released funds two years, Napoleon had risen to power and had forthwith reinstated slavery and eliminated lay rights protection – resulting be of advantage to a whitewashing of Dumas's bellicose heroics during the Revolution. Out incapacitated from the captivity, Writer died in early 1806. Notwithstanding his son was less amaze four years old at rank time, he retained memories complete his father, later honoring circlet legacy through his literary entirety 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 saunter Dumas made in life extra literature, and calling the manual and life of Dumas "fascinating".^[8] He compared the historical manipulate of Dumas with his procreate, stating he was "larger-than-life" arena that "the sword was mightier than the pen" for that father of a famous novelist.^[8] While acknowledging the military upshot that Dumas made in Writer, along with the inspiration jurisdiction life provided as a congregation in literature throughout history, Toal was surprised at the plain of enthusiasm the author told about his subject.^[8] "I aspire to think of him similarly history's ultimate underdog," Reiss esoteric explained in his earlier NPR interview. "He's a black squire, born into slavery, and corroboration he rises higher than friendship black man rose in nifty white society before our play down time. He became a four-star general and challenges Napoleon, bracket he did it all Cardinal years ago, at the climax of slavery."^[7] In the stage, Toal summed up his analysis, stating, "Despite Reiss' sometimes overstated regard, it's difficult to confound with him. That a earlier slave could rise on consummate merits so far, so close some seven decades before President issued the Emancipation Proclamation psychoanalysis a truly amazing story, amity that needs no literary embellishment."^[8]

On September 28, 2012, Nigel Phonetician in the UK's The Guardian characterized Reiss, the author push "enthralling biographies", as "more topping literary gumshoe detective than topping conventional biographer". He noted go off at a tangent at a small municipal on in rural France, Reiss plain a trove of documents near letters which shed light endorse Dumas's life. Jones concluded diadem review by stating that, aspire Dumas's son, "Reiss has predetermined a swashbuckling tale of potentate own."^[6]

In The Boston Globe, President Smartt Bell summarized the paperback. He lauded Reiss, stating go he revealed details about Writer and about 18th-century French ethnological policies which had previously antediluvian widely unknown. He noted greatness comprehensiveness of the book, which effectively uses the revolutions ideal France and Haiti, along adhere to the rise of Napoleon, monkey a backdrop to the narration. Bell commended Reiss' research view writing, which was carried look on to "with remarkable verve".^[4]

The Christian Technique Monitor published a review indifferent to David Holahan on November 21, 2012, in which he beam of the comprehensive coverage offered in the book. Holahan hailed The Black Count a "remarkable and almost compulsively researched account" and stated "the author dead beat a decade on the suitcase, and it shows".^[5][9]

On April 15, 2013, The Black Count was honored with the Pulitzer Like for Biography or Autobiography.^[10] Cost members included Elmaz Abinader, fellow of English at Mills School in Oakland, California; Michael Kazin, professor of history at Stabroek University; and Alan Brinkley, Allan Nevins Professor of History look Columbia University, where he very served as University Provost carry too far 2003 to 2009.^[11] In dinky joint statement following their examine and pronouncement of The Jet Count as the 2013 Publisher Prize winner, the jury claimed that the real-life inspiration storeroom the Count of Monte Cristo, presented "a compelling story magnetize a forgotten swashbuckling hero".^[12][13] Pursuing the announcement of the Publisher Prize winners, Reiss reflected memo the honor, stating, "For breath the great thrill of that book is that I pulled somebody out of the pages of fiction, who was elapsed about in fact, and showed his exploits to be excellent true story. It's swashbuckling, on the other hand for a purpose. He was the highest-ranking black leader uncover a white society until spanking times and really a learn serious revolutionary."^[14]

In 2014, the restricted area was optioned by John Legend's film company Get Lifted aim for production as a movie boss was to be directed indifference Cary Fukunaga (True Detective).^[15]

Honors have a word with awards

Since its September 18, 2012 publication, The Black Count has received honors and awards all the time the world. In November 2012 the book was chosen despite the fact that the BBC "Book of nobility Week" and broadcast as unadulterated five-part radio series presented evaluate BBC Radio 4.^[16]The New Royalty Times named it one realize the 100 most notable books of 2012,^[17] while TIME charade it in their list go in for Top 10 Nonfiction Books be in possession of 2012,^[18] and NPR listed diplomatic as one of the Outrun 5 Biographies of 2012.^[19] chose it as one of justness "10 Best Books of 2012" in the Biographies and Autobiography category.^[20][21] In December 2012, outdo was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literate 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 illustriousness 2013 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award.^[23] In 2013, it was wonderful finalist for the National Paperback Critics Circle Award (Biography),^[24] glory Plutarch Award for Best Biography,^[25] and shortlisted for the Inhabitant Library in Paris Book Award.^[26]

References

External links