One of the most prolific writers of all time, Alexandre Dumas was born on July 24, 1802, in Villers-Cotterêts in France. He was the third child of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a general in the French revolutionary army, and Marie-Louise-Elisabeth Labouret Dumas. Dumas's father died in 1806, leaving the family poor. Dumas's schooling was therefore scanty, but he soon developed literary interests, stimulated by his friendship with Adolphe Ribbing de Leuven, a young Swedish nobleman whom he met in 1819. In 1823, Dumas moved to Paris and gained a position on the staff of the Duc d'Orleans. In collaboration with Leuven, Dumas wrote many melodramas. His historical play Henri III et sa cour (Henry III and His Court) was produced to great acclaim in 1829.

Dumas took part in the revolution in 1830 that placed the Duc d'Orleans on the French throne, as King Louis Philippe. During the 1830s, Dumas continued to write...