When I read the Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, I couldn't help but think: This Count fellow is a little farfetched for my tastes, but I suppose Dumas based him off of his father, so I can excuse him for exaggerating. Dumas essentially paints The Count as a sort of 19th century Batman.

Well, after reading this historical account of Dumas's father (The titular "Black Count"), I can say that little Alexandre hardly exaggerated his father's legend at all. Alex Dumas (Yes, his father had the same name as his son and it's confusing) was the lovechild of a French Nobleman and a Haitian Slave. Luckily, Revolutionary France was the most racially progressive country in the world, so, for the most part, he was afforded equal opportunities for education and career advancement.

Dumas was a fierce Revolutionary, a fencing prodigy, a legendary soldier, and a decorated General. This book is sprinkled with many tales of his remarkable strength, daring, and moral character. When the physically unremarkable Napoleon invaded Egypt, the Egyptians mistakingly thought the towering, muscular "Mulatto", who resembled "a centaur" astride his horse, was leading the expedition. Alex Dumas was a larger-than-life figure, and anyone with a heartbeat will thrill upon reading of his exploits.

I don't want to spoil anything though, so I'll leave my synopsis at that. I will say that aside from being a ripping good yarn, this book was extremely well-researched, and reasonably well-written. It's also a fascinating snapshot of French history, and I appreciated that the author makes this book accessible to casual readers of history.

I would recommend this book to everyone, but most certainly to history buffs, people interested in racial issues, and fans of "The Count of Monte Cristo".