Join Us in France · Sunday, June 28, 2026
This episode delves into the dramatic life of Alexandre Dumas Père, author of "The Three Musketeers" and "The Count of Monte Cristo." Despite his immense literary success, Dumas was a controversial figure due to his persona and his unconventional background, stemming from his grandmother being a slave and his father being the first non-white general in the French army.
“His story is every bit as dramatic as his novels, a general for a father, a slave for a grandmother, and a life of endless adventure, scandalous excess, and staggering output.”
“Sure, yes. And he was controversial both for his person, his persona, his way of doing things, and even the way he wrote.”
“So Alexandre Dumas' father was brought to France and raised in an aristocratic environment where he was given an excellent education, and he was taught all the military arts and had a gift apparently, was very gifted.”