Celebrated Crimes
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The Borgias
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 1 of the Celebrated Crimes series
On the 8th of April, 1492, in a bedroom of the Carneggi Palace, about three miles from Florence, were three men grouped about a bed whereon a fourth lay dying.
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The Borgias
by Sir Adolphus William Ward
Part 1 of the Celebrated Crimes series
The family of the House of Borgia are remembered for their corrupt rule during the period when one of them, Rodrigo Borgia, was Pope. This text was taken from a series of essays on famous criminals and crimes by the author of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas. The Borgia's crimes reputedly ran the gamut from theft and bribery to rape, incest and murder.
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The Borgias
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 1 of the Celebrated Crimes series
There are many dreadful - and perhaps scurrilous - rumors about the Borgia family of renaissance Italy, and Alexandre Dumas (author of "The Three Musketeers" and many other period classics) reveals one possible truth in all its ugly glory. Dumas minces no words in describing the violent acts of a violent time.
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The Borgias
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 1 of the Celebrated Crimes series
CELEBRATED CRIMES Vol I, Part 1: The Borgias There are dreadful - perhaps scurrilous - rumors about the Borgias of renaissance Italy, and here Dumas, author of such classics as THE THREE MUSKETEERS, in his Celebrated Crimes series, dishes up the dirt in all its ugly glory. This book was not written for children. Dumas has minced no words in describing the violent scenes of a violent time. In some instances facts appear distorted out of their true perspective, and in others the author makes unwarranted charges. The careful, mature reader - for whom the books are intended - will recognize and allow for this fact.
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The Borgias
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 1 of the Celebrated Crimes series
How much power can one family wield before they're corrupted?
In this first volume of his "Celebrated Crimes" series, Alexandre Dumas tackles the notorious Borgais. Originally from Spain, this noble family's political influence was felt across Europe through much of the 15th and 16th centuries. But their name also became synonymous with scandals and murder.
"The Borgais" is a fictionalised account of the family's machinations. These include Rodrigo Borgia and his reign as Pope Alexander IV, when rumours abounded of orgies at the Vatican.
A must read for history buffs, and any fans of "The Borgias" television series starring Jeremy Irons.
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The Borgias Celebrated Crimes
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 1 of the Celebrated Crimes series
The Borgias Celebrated Crimes by Alexandre Dumas
libreka classics — These are classics of literary history, reissued and made available to a wide audience.
Immerse yourself in well-known and popular titles!
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The Borgias
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 1 of the Celebrated Crimes series
The Encyclopedia of the Famous Borgias Family. The Borgias by Alexandre Dumas is not necessarily a fiction novel but a history lesson with some fiction in it about the famous House of Borgia that ruled Renaissance Italy. Witness their corruption, the different plots to eliminate their opponents and climb the power ladder from bribery, simony and theft to incest and murder.
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The Cenci
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Part 2 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Should you ever go to Rome and visit the villa Pamphili, no doubt, after having sought under its tall pines and along its canals the shade and freshness so rare in the capital of the Christian world, you will descend towards the Janiculum Hill by a charming road, in the middle of which you will find the Pauline fountain.
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The Cenci
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 2 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Beatrice Cenci was the son of Francesco Cenci, an aristocrat who, due to his violent temper and immoral behavior, had found himself in trouble with the papal justice more than once. In Rome, they lived in a mid 16th century mansion in Regola district, built over the ruins of a previous medieval fortified palace. Together with them lived also Beatrice's elder brother Giacomo, Francesco's second wife Lucrezia Petroni, and Bernardo, the young boy born from the man's second marriage. Among their other possessions was a castle in Petrella Salto, a small village near Rieti, north of Rome. Even at home Francesco Cenci behaved as a brute. He abused his wife and his sons, and had reached the point of committing incest with Beatrice. He had been jailed for other crimes, but thanks to the leniency which the nobles were treated with, he had been freed too soon. The girl had tried to inform the authorities about the frequent mistreatments, but nothing had happened, although everybody in Rome knew what kind of person Francesco Cenci was. When he found out that his daughter had reported against him, he sent Beatrice and Lucrezia away from Rome, to live in the family's country castle. Exasperated, the four Cenci had no better choice than to try and get rid of Francesco, and all together they organized a plot.
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The Cenci
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 2 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Beatrice Cenci laid her neck on the chopping block. She'd helped to beat a powerful nobleman to death, but for many in Rome, her execution was a tragic perversion of justice.
Beatrice's father, Francisco, was a horrible abuser. His wife and three children all suffered at his hands. Pushed to the brink, the four Cencis grouped together to put an end to Francisco's evil. The ensuing trial enthralled the city's population, and gave rise to a legend about Beatrice that persists to this day.
This entry in Dumas' "Celebrated Crimes" nimbly explores issues of morality and justice, whilst also delivering a juicy true crime story.
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Massacres of The South
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 3 of the Celebrated Crimes series
In the great political and religious convulsions of the South, the earthquake-like throes of which were felt even in the capital, Nimes has always taken the central place; Nimes will therefore be the pivot round which our story will revolve, and though we may sometimes leave it for a moment, we shall always return thither without fail.
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Massacres of the South
1551 - 1815
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 3 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Written by noted French author, Alexandre Dumas, "Massacres of the South" is an essay belonging to his collected title "Celebrated Crimes" which features famous criminals and crimes from European history.
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Massacres of the South
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 3 of the Celebrated Crimes series
For hundreds of centuries, one of Europe's great powers was the stage for untold death and destruction.
In "The Massacres of the South", Alexandre Dumas leads us through the many bloody events that shaped modern France. He begins in the 1500s with the Wars of Religion, which pitted Catholics against Protestants. And he ends with the Second White Terror, when thousands of Napoleon's supporters by killed following the return of King Louis XVIII. The period in between is a ghastly catalogue of assassinations, mob violence, and merciless monarchs.
This entry in the "Celebrated Crimes" series is a recommended read for scholars, Dumas fans, or anyone with an interest in grisly historical facts.
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Mary Stuart
Queen of Scots
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 4 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, is revered not only for her dazzling beauty, but for the mystery of her life. Succumbing to the irresistible impulses of passion, she gambled away her throne for love. Unbelievable acts of abduction, rape, and even murder were performed at her behest; she stopped at nothing. Ultimately, the deadly game of power she played and lost against her envious cousin, Elizabeth I, cost her not only her kingdom, but also her life.
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Mary Stuart: 1587
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 4 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Written by noted French author, Alexandre Dumas, "Mary Stuart" is an essay belonging to his collected title "Celebrated Crimes" which features famous criminals and crimes from European history.
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Mary Stuart
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 4 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Two queens, joined by blood and rivals for the throne. Only one would survive their decades-long power play.
"Mary Stuart" is a fictionalised essay about Mary Queen of Scots. Mary's reign in Scotland was marked by scandal. Her first husband was murdered, and she was heavily implicated in the crime. Forced to flea to England, Mary counted on the support of her cousin Elizabeth I. But Elizabeth feared that Mary had her sights set on the English crown. So she imprisoned her, and began building a case for her execution.
Dumas portrays his protagonist as an enigmatic figure, driven by lust and a thirst for power. This story is a great companion to the many movies about Mary, such as "Mary Queen of Scots" starring Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan.
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Karl Ludwig Sand
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 5 of the Celebrated Crimes series
On the 22nd of March, 1819, about nine o'clock in the morning, a young man, some twenty-three or twenty-four years old, wearing the dress of a German student, which consists of a short frock-coat with silk braiding, tight trousers, and high boots, paused upon a little eminence that stands upon the road between Kaiserthal and Mannheim, at about three-quarters of the distance from the former town, and commands a view of the latter.
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Karl Ludwig Sand
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 5 of the Celebrated Crimes series
With a little amplification, the novel is almost a non-fictitious story of Karl-Ludwig Sand. It narrates his crime against the royalty and the relentless pursuance of the criminal afterwards. Read with maturity of mind it provides deep insight into the atrocities perpetuated by the royalty and the hatred of the people for such authority.
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Karl-ludwig Sand
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 5 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Fanatic. Murderer. Martyr. Karl-Ludwig Sand was all of these things and more. Alexandre Dumas delves into his fascinating story as part of the "Celebrated Crimes" series.
Sand was a devout believer in German unification. At the time, Germany existed only as a loose confederation. In the name of this cause, he broke into the house of the conservative writer August von Kotzebue and stabbed him to death. Tried and executed in 1820, Sand became a nationalist icon.
Dumas' depicts a man driven to extremes by radical ideas. It's a story that remains frighteningly relevant to this day.
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Urban Grandier
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 6 of the Celebrated Crimes series
On Sunday, the 26th of November, 1631, there was great excitement in the little town of Loudun, especially in the narrow streets which led to the church of Saint-Pierre in the marketplace, from the gate of which the town was entered by anyone coming from the direction of the abbey of Saint-Jouin-les-Marmes. This excitement was caused by the expected arrival of a personage who had been much in people's mouths latterly in Loudun, and about whom there was such difference of opinion that discussion on the subject between those who were on his side and those who were against him was carried on with true provincial acrimony.
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Urbain Grandier
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 6 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Accused of sorcery, a man of God is put on trial for his life. But the dark forces leading his persecution are far from supernatural.
In "Urbain Grandier", Alexandre Dumas recounts one of France's most infamous witchcraft trials. The story begins in the early 1600s, in the parish of Loudon. A convent of nuns claim demonic possession, and the finger of blame is pointed at local priest Father Grandier. What follows is a horror story of exorcisms, torture, and execution.
Dumas offers a gripping account of the trial, but also shows us the powerful figures who orchestrated the plot. They include Cardinal Richelieu, who Dumas later made the lead villain of his classic novel "The Three Musketeers".
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Nisida
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 7 of the Celebrated Crimes series
If our readers, tempted by the Italian proverb about seeing Naples and then dying, were to ask us what is the most favourable moment for visiting the enchanted city, we should advise them to land at the mole, or at Mergellina, on a fine summer day and at the hour when some solemn procession is moving out of the cathedral. Nothing can give an idea of the profound and simple-hearted emotion of this populace, which has enough poetry in its soul to believe in its own happiness.
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Nisida
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 7 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Written by noted French author, Alexandre Dumas, "Nisida" is an essay belonging to his collected title "Celebrated Crimes" which features famous criminals and crimes from European history.
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Nisida
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 7 of the Celebrated Crimes series
The Prince of Brancoleone has a reputation for breaking hearts. And now he's set his sights on a new conquest.
She's Nisida, the beautiful daughter of a Naples fisherman. The prince disguises himself as a commoner and seduces her. But Nisida's little brother Gabriel intervenes, setting off a bloody tale of revenge, suicide and family secrets.
Part of Dumas' "Celebrated Crimes" series, "Nisida" is an enthralling look at honour and justice in 19th century Italy. Based on real events, it was co-written with Italian author Pier Angelo Fiorentino.
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Derues
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 8 of the Celebrated Crimes series
One September afternoon in 1751, towards half-past five, about a score of small boys, chattering, pushing, and tumbling over one another like a covey of partridges, issued from one of the religious schools of Chartres. The joy of the little troop just escaped from a long and wearisome captivity was doubly great: a slight accident to one of the teachers had caused the class to be dismissed half an hour earlier than usual, and in consequence of the extra work thrown on the teaching staff the brother whose duty it was to see all the scholars safe home was compelled to omit that part of his daily task. Therefore not only thirty or forty minutes were stolen from work, but there was also unexpected, uncontrolled liberty, free from the surveillance of that black-cassocked overseer who kept order in their ranks. Thirty minutes at that age it is a century, of laughter and prospective games Each had promised solemnly, under pain of severe punishment, to return straight to his paternal nest without delay, but the air was so fresh and pure, the country smiled all around The school, or preferably the cage, which had just opened, lay at the extreme edge of one of the suburbs, and it only required a few steps to slip under a cluster of trees by a sparkling brook beyond which rose undulating ground, breaking the monotony of a vast and fertile plain
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Derues
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 8 of the Celebrated Crimes series
One September afternoon in 1751, towards half-past five, about a score of small boys, chattering, pushing, and tumbling over one another like a covey of partridges, issued from one of the religious schools of Chartres. The joy of the little troop just escaped from a long and wearisome captivity was doubly great: a slight accident to one of the teachers had caused the class to be dismissed half an hour earlier than usual, and in consequence of the extra work thrown on the teaching staff the brother whose duty it was to see all the scholars safe home was compelled to omit that part of his daily task.
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Derues
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 8 of the Celebrated Crimes series
How far would you go to secure a fortune? In late 18th Century Paris, one man turned to murder.
In this volume of his "Celebrated Crimes" series, Alexandre Dumas takes on the subject Antoine François Derues. Convicted of double poisoning, Derues was executed in 1777. His victims were the wealthy Madame de la Motte, whose country estate he wanted for himself, and her teenage son. In this gripping psychological portrait, Dumas ventures into the murderer's mind, recreating scenes that stretch back to Derues' childhood.
A must read for true crime fans, this work places Derues next to the other great names in the criminal pantheon – Jack the Ripper, H. H. Holmes, or Ted Bundy.
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La Constantin
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 9 of the Celebrated Crimes series
It was about seven o'clock. Three gentlemen were seated at one of the tables in a low, smoky room. They had already emptied several bottles, and one of them seemed to have just suggested some madcap scheme to the others, the thought of which sent them off into shouts of laughter.
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La Constantin
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 9 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Written by noted French author, Alexandre Dumas, "La Constantin" is an essay belonging to his collected title "Celebrated Crimes" which features famous criminals and crimes from European history.
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La Constantin
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 9 of the Celebrated Crimes series
In a morally corrupt society, where does the guilt for a crime really end?
In "La Constantin", Alexandre Dumas introduces us to two women who met untimely ends-Angelique-Louise de Guerchi and Josephine-Charlotte Boullenois. While they were killed by a pair of poisoners, Dumas points the reader towards other forces that led to their deaths. Namely, the husbands and fathers who controlled their lives.
A history of violence, "La Constantin" also doubles as a critique of the sexist morals and codes of 17th Century France. The book will definitely appeal to lovers of true crime fiction and diehard fans of Dumas.
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Joan of Naples
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 10 of the Celebrated Crimes series
In the night of the 15th of January 1343, while the inhabitants of Naples lay wrapped in peaceful slumber, they were suddenly awakened by the bells of the three hundred churches that this thrice blessed capital contains. In the midst of the disturbance caused by so rude a call the first thought in the mind of all was that the town was on fire, or that the army of some enemy had mysteriously landed under cover of night and could put the citizens to the edge of the sword.
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Joan of Naples
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 10 of the Celebrated Crimes series
It is the story of crimes against the royalty. The vast split between the masses and the elite, the frustration and aggravation in the masses, heedlessness of the authorities and the consequences thereof are depicted. It is a powerful story that highlights the antagonism between the two classes.
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Joan of Naples
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 10 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Plagues, assassinations and warring popes. The reign of Joan I had it all.
Her domain was the Kingdom of Naples. And she held onto it for forty years, resisting everything from a Hungarian invasion to the scourge of the Black Death. Her most scandalous moment came in 1345, when her first husband was murdered. And Joan was one of the main suspects.
This killing would eventually lead to Joan's dethronement and her execution. Alexandre Dumas paints a complex picture of a powerful woman in a man's world-beautiful and learned, but also ruthless. It's a fascinating entry in his "Celebrated Crimes" series.
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Man in the Iron Mask (An Essay)
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 11 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Imprisoned for three decades. His face never seen. Who was "The Man in the Iron Mask?"
In the novel "The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later", Dumas revealed the man to be Louis XIV's identical twin. But that's far from the definitive answer. Here, Dumas dives into the real events that inspired his story, and dissects the other theories of the time. Was the prisoner in fact The Duke of Monmouth, illegitimate son to England's King Charles II? Or the disgraced French minister Nicolas Fouquet?
A recommended read for fans of Dumas' novel, but also anyone who loves a great unsolved mystery.
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Martin Guerre
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 12 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Written by noted French author, Alexandre Dumas, "Martin Guerre" is an essay belonging to his collected title "Celebrated Crimes" which features famous criminals and crimes from European history.
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Martin Guerre
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 12 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Martin Guerre's disappearance has changed him. In fact, he's no longer Martin Guerre at all.
In this true crime tale, Alexandre Dumas explores an outlandish case of impersonation. The year is 1556, and French peasant Martin Guerre has been missing for six years. But then he suddenly returns, and is welcomed back by his wife and son. But others in the village sense something amiss. They suspect the man is a total imposter.
It's a story that's truly stranger than fiction, and Dumas navigates its many twists and turns with aplomb. An essential for mystery fans.
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Martin Guerre
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 12 of the Celebrated Crimes series
We are sometimes astonished at the striking resemblance existing between two persons who are absolute strangers to each other, but in fact it is the opposite, which ought to surprise us. Indeed, why should we not rather admire a Creative Power so infinite in its variety that it never ceases to produce entirely different combinations with precisely the same elements? The more one considers this prodigious versatility of form, the more overwhelming it appears.
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Ali Pacha
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 13 of the Celebrated Crimes series
The beginning of the nineteenth century was a time of audacious enterprises and strange vicissitudes of fortune. Whilst Western Europe in turn submitted and struggled against a sub-lieutenant who made himself an emperor, who at his pleasure made kings and destroyed kingdoms, the ancient eastern part of the Continent; like mummies which preserve but the semblance of life, was gradually tumbling to pieces, and getting parceled out amongst bold adventurers who skirmished over its ruins.
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Ali Pacha
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 13 of the Celebrated Crimes series
In this seventh volume of his Celebrated Crimes, Dumas tells the three tales: of the brutal excesses of Ali Pacha; the tale of the Countess of Saint Geran; and of Murat, whose courage became a legend in the days of the French revolution. Few men have understood themselves better or been on better terms with the orbit of their existence than Ali Pacha, and as the personality of an individual is all the more striking, in proportion as it reflects the manners and ideas of the time and country in which he has lived, so the figure of Ali Pacha stands out, if not one of the most brilliant, at least one of the most singular in contemporary history.
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Ali Pacha
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 13 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Bloodthirsty tyrant or brilliant statesman? Alexandre Dumas explores the complicated legacy of Ali Pacha in this fictionalised biography.
A leader under the Ottoman Empire, Pasha ruled over a large portion of Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. There's no doubt he was politically astute-he maintained his power by signing alliances with both Napoleon and the British. But Pasha's not part of Dumas' "Celebrated Crimes" series for nothing. His brutality was legendary, and his reign was marked by numerous atrocities.
Dumas reckons with these complexities in the enthralling "Ali Pacha". It's a must read for Dumas fans and history buffs alike.
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The Countess de Saint Geran
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 14 of the Celebrated Crimes series
About the end of the year 1639, a troop of horsemen arrived, towards midday, in a little village at the northern extremity of the province of Auvergne, from the direction of Paris. The country folk assembled at the noise, and found it to proceed from the provost of the mounted police and his men. The heat was excessive, the horses were bathed in sweat, the horsemen covered with dust, and the party seemed on its return from an important expedition. A man left the escort, and asked an old woman who was spinning at her door if there was not an inn in the place.
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Countess de Saint-Geran
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 14 of the Celebrated Crimes series
There were two tables in the principal eating-room. The provost took possession of one, leaving the other to the soldiers, who went in turn to tether their horses under a shed in the back yard; then he pointed to a stool for the prisoner, and seated himself opposite to him, rapping the table with his thick cane. "Ouf!" he cried, with a fresh groan of weariness, "I heartily beg your pardon, marquis, for the bad wine I am giving you!" The young man smiled gaily. "The wine is all very well, monsieur provost," said he, "but I cannot conceal from you that however agreeable your company is to me, this halt is very inconvenient; I am in a hurry to get through my ridiculous situation, and I should have liked to arrive in time to stop this affair at once".
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The Countess De Saint-geran
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 14 of the Celebrated Crimes series
The only way to secure her fortune was by committing a heinous crime. This shocking tale of greed and murder is recounted here by master storyteller Alexandre Dumas.
Marchioness de Bouille is looking forward to being very rich. She stands to inherit her brother's money, as he and his wife, Countess de Saint-Geran, are childless. But her dreams are dashed when the Countess suddenly becomes pregnant. Together with her lover, the Marchioness hatches a plan to remove the newborn from the picture.
Based a real case from 17th century France, "Marchioness de Bouille" is a true crime fan's dream.
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Murat
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 15 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Written by noted French author, Alexandre Dumas, "Murat" is an essay belonging to his collected title "Celebrated Crimes" which features famous criminals and crimes from European history.
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Murat
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 15 of the Celebrated Crimes series
On the 18th June, 1815, at the very moment when the destiny of Europe was being decided at Waterloo, a man dressed like a beggar was silently following the road from Toulon to Marseilles. Arrived at the entrance of the Gorge of Ollioulles, he halted on a little eminence from which he could see all the surrounding country; then either because he had reached the end of his journey, or because, before attempting that forbidding, sombre pass which is called the Thermopylae of Provence, he wished to enjoy the magnificent view which spread to the southern horizon a little longer, he went and sat down on the edge of the ditch which bordered the road, turning his back on the mountains which rise like an amphitheatre to the north of the town, and having at his feet a rich plain covered with tropical vegetation, exotics of a conservatory, trees and flowers quite unknown in any other part of France.
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Murat
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 15 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Facing the firing squad, Joachim Murat told them to aim for his heart. Courageous until the end, his life is one of the great rise and fall stories. And Alexandre Dumas is the perfect author to tell it.
Murat was a trusted general under Napoleon Bonaparte. His marriage to Napoleon's sister, Caroline, only served to deepen the bond between the two men. But he would eventually betray the emperor by switching allegiances during the Napoleonic Wars. This fateful decision would prove to be Murat's undoing.
Dumas paints a fascinating portrait of Murat; a brave commander with a taste for extravagance. It makes his fall from grace all the more tragic.
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The Marquise de Brinvilliers
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 16 of the Celebrated Crimes series
Towards the end of the year 1665, on a fine autumn evening, there was a considerable crowd assembled on the Pont-Neuf where it makes a turn down to the rue Dauphine. The object of this crowd and the centre of attraction was a closely shut, carriage. A police official was trying to force open the door, and two out of the four sergeants who were with him were holding the horses back and the other two stopping the driver, who paid no attention to their commands, but only endeavoured to urge his horses to a gallop. The struggle had been going on same time, when suddenly one of the doors violently pushed open, and a young officer in the uniform of a cavalry captain jumped down, shutting the door as he did so though not too quickly for the nearest spectators to perceive a woman sitting at the back of the carriage. She was wrapped in cloak and veil, and judging by the precautions she, had taken to hide her face from every eye, she must have had her reasons for avoiding recognition.
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The Marquise De Brinvilliers
by Alexandre Dumas
Part 16 of the Celebrated Crimes series
When it came to the art of poisoning, Marquise de Brinvilliers had a rare talent.
She honed her craft by testing out mixtures on hospital patients. And then began her most ambitious project, murdering first her father, and then her two brothers. Her motive? The substantial family fortune. Her crimes shocked 17th century France, and triggered a nationwide panic about poisoners in the nobility.
Her story inspired works by numerous writers, including Robert Browning and Arthur Conan Doyle. In his version, Alexandre Dumas picks apart the Marquise's case and trial, including her excruciating torture by 'water cure'. Recommended for fans of grisly true crime.