I am not a fan of biographies, I've read a few and always find them to be bogged down with dates and facts and references and quotes, I soon lose interest and throw the book at the dog. I needed to pick an award winner for a reading challenge and as I really enjoyed the Count of Monte Cristo I gave this one a go. Lucky break for me this is a bloody good read. Tom Reis comes across more of a detective than a biographer, as he tries to find info on the elusive General, sudden deaths of experts and strange fires makes his job that much harder. His writing style is more like a fiction writer, he takes you on a journey through the brief life of a Hercules.

One odd thing depressed me about this book, my education, my history lessons were given by a PE teacher (who I think got the job cos he owned his own tracksuit), he knew nothing at all about the subject and just read slowly from a text book each lesson. I was taught that the USA was where all the important stuff about abolishing slavery happened, I had no idea that the French did so much over a 100 years before hand...until that psychopath Napoleon came along and undid everything.

Reis really captures the atmosphere of the time when Alex Dumas was becoming a man, the birth of the guillotine and the rise of the French republic. Then it goes into the French conquest of southern Europe and the part the Dumas played it that. He comes across as being one scary dude to be up against, 6ft2, incredibly strong, agile and talented with any weapon, he seemed to have a supernatural ability to avoid getting hurt, no wonder so many surrendered before him. He rises up the ranks, something very rare for a black man, whilst always on the sidelines was that wee little man Napoleon waiting for his moment to unravel everything.

The inspiration for the Count of Monte Cristo is blatantly obvious throughout the book, the treachery, imprisonment and the dashing hero. Alexandre Dumas' love for his dad really comes out in the book for me now, I think I shall have to re-read it as I have all this extra info.

A cracking biography, well researched and brilliantly written. One of those rare moments where I can see why a book has won an award.

Blog review: felcherman.wordpress.com/2019/09/10/the-black-count-glory-revolution-betrayal-and-the-real-count-of-monte-cristo-by-tom-reis/