The Black Count

I stopped reading fiction about ten years ago, when I discovered non-fic books and realized that, omg, truth really is stranger than fiction. The Black Count is one such strange, incredible story.

This is a biography of Alexandre Dumas's dad, (also) Alex Dumas, who was the mixed race son of a cheeky French aristocratic lothario and a slave lady in Haiti, came to France, pwned everyone at fencing at his Fancy Teen Aristocrat Fencing School (or whatever it was called), became top general of everything, weathered the French Revolution (avoiding the guillotine, oh man), commanded the French cavalry in the disastrous Egypt Expedition under Napoleon, ended up imprisoned in a castle in Italy by some crazy Neopolitans, and was also super tall for that period (over 6 feet!) and had the ladies faintin'. He was that kind of super noble, super modest, super athletic dude that's the hero of many a film. So: amazing person. And: amazing time! For goodness sake, late 18th century France was OUTTA CONTROL. It's a miracle anyone survived that period, especially while getting promoted.

Oh yeah, Dumas (the son) is the guy who wrote The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. Reminder!

I imagine Dumas (the father) played by a beefed up Chiwetel Ejiofor. Seriously, someone needs to buy these film rights.