The Black Count (2012) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 5 stars

“Biography of General Alex Dumas, Alexandre Dumas' father, who fought for the French Revolution and under Napoleon. Quite fascinating in its detail of France during this time, its colonies in the West Indies, its ideas about race.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Simply amazing, the authentic research that went into this book is staggering. The author tenacity to deliver an incredible story lights up the life of Alexander Dumas the Black general of whom narcissistic Napoleon was afraid.”

• Rated 5 stars

“More than just a biography of General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, this book is a rich source on the history of France during the late 1700s and beyond. Reiss provides plenty of detail on Hispaniola, slavery, the French Revolution, and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte as backdrop for the fascinating story and changing fortunes of Dumas, which became the basis for many of his famous son's literary heroes. Reiss looks beyond Dumas pere's memoirs of his father and reports from historical sources on General Dumas' exploits and proves that General Dumas put the "swash" in swashbuckler. An excellent treatment of the time period and the subject. The audio book narrated by Paul Michael is very well done, nicely paced, easy on the ears, with just enough drama to make the narrative flow. And he does a good job with the French pronunciations. ”

• Rated 0 stars

“A real page-turner. Full of history that still resonates today. ”

• Rated 0 stars

“From The Root's 15 best books of 2012”

• Rated 5 stars

“This book was fascinating. I knew next to nothing about Alexandre Dumas and his life, so this was all new to me. His father, and the life he lived, people he met and experiences he had, was the inspiration for so much of Dumas work. His father was an extremely interesting, dedicated, patriotic man with principals and ideals that he would not compromise. Dumas idolized him. The book was written in a very engaging style.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Reiss is fantastic! He is as personable as he is factual about his subjects. This is a thrilling tale that’s almost too bizarre to be true. Fascinating.”

• Rated 5 stars

“The exciting story of a brave general of the French Revolution, and the father of a famous novelist, who overcame a humble beginning in Haiti. It is a must read for the its portrayal of slavery and discrimination alone, but also gives excellent insight into the French revolution and the rise of Napoleon. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“Really great non-fiction about a man that should never have been forgotten. ”

• Rated 3 stars

“In my opinion, the author is missing a potential audience, as I discovered from reading this book there's much concerning slavery and the history of slavery. The book starts out a bit slow and I found it somewhat confusing WHO the author was talking about: the Count of MC OR the author of said book. Either way the book reveals a unique perspective of Haiti and slave status in an enlightened France. I could have given this book 4 stars but I just felt it did not keep me from putting the book down. A good read for those who enjoy history! ”