About Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas was a French writer born in Villers-Cotterêts in 1802. As a young man, he moved to Paris, where he first became known for his plays and later for his adventure novels.
Many of his narratives appeared in newspapers as serials: readers followed the story one instalment at a time. Lively conversations, surprises and sudden turns kept the action moving. Among his collaborators was Auguste Maquet, who helped him develop some of his novels.
Dumas was also a keen traveller. His Impressions de voyage combined his discoveries with stories he had heard or read. In the volumes about Switzerland, he retold the legend of William Tell.