Alexandre Dumas was born July 24, 1802, and died December 5,1870. He was the author of over ninety plays and many novels, including the famous Three Musketeers trilogy(1844) and The Man in the Iron Mask(1850).His grandfather was a French nobleman who lived in Santo Domingo, Hispaniola, and his grandmother an Afro-Caribbean slave. Dumas's father, a general in Napoleon's army, fell out of favor,then died when Alexandre was four years old, leaving his family in poverty. As a youth Dumas was a storyteller with a vivid imagination, and after moving to Paris at age of twenty-one, he eventually turned his talent to writing plays, producing Henri III et Sa Cour to a triumphant reception. In 1824, he fathered an illegitimate son, Alexdandre Dumas fils, who grew up to be a celebrated writer himself. After taking part in the French revolution of July 1830, he married his mistress, Ida Ferrier, but left her after using up her entire dowry. He was a lavish spender, and in 1848, after the successful publication of Le Comte de Monte Cristo(1844-1845), he built his own Chateau de Monte Cristo, which cost more than 500,000 francs. Soon bankrupt, he was forced to flee to Belgium to escape his crediors. His travels included a trip to Russia, then one to Italy, where he joined a fight for its independence. He died penniless but optimistic, saying of death,"I shall tell her a story, and she will be kind to me."

In the post-Napoleonic era, Edmond Dantes, a young sailor from Marserlles, is poised to become captain of his own ship and to marry his beloved. But spiteful enemies provoke his arrest, condemning him to lifelong imprisonment. Then Edmond's sole companion in prison reveals his secret plan of escape and a letter with directions to hidden riches on the island of Monte Cristo---a treasure trove that will eventually fund Edmond's dream of creating a new identity for himself: the mysterious and powerful Count of Monte Cristo.

In The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas employed all the elements of compelling drama--suspense, intrigue, love, vengence, rousingadventure, and the triumph of good over evil--that contribute to this classic story's irresistible and timeless appeal.