The Originals : The Three Musketeers ( Unabridged Classics)

Born as Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie on 24 July 1802, in Villers-Cotterets, Picardy, France, Alexandre Dumas was one of the most prolific authors of his time. The last name ‘Dumas’ was adopted from his grandmother, a former enslaved Haitian woman. His father, Thomas-Alexandre, assumed the name Dumas when he enlisted in Napoleon’s army. Here, he was given the dubious nickname ‘Black Devil.’ Popular for his historical adventure novels like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers (initially published as serials), Dumas immersed himself in literature after he moved to Paris in 1822. During the 1830 revolution, he worked as a scribe for the Duc d’Orleans (later named King Louis Philippe) and began writing dramas and comedies. Dumas had a penchant for writing volumes of essays on some of the most infamous cases in history. It is believed that his published works totalled 100, 000 pages and his works have been translated into more than 100 languages. A household name and a celebrity in France and across Europe, Dumas founded the Theatre Historique in Paris in the 1840s. Dumas died on 5 December 1870, in Puys, France. He was buried at his birthplace of Villers-Cotterets in the department of Aisne. In 1970, as a mark of honour, the Alexandre Dumas Paris Metro station was named after the author. His country home outside Paris, the Chateau de Monte Cristo, has been restored as a museum.