The man in the Iron Mask: the true story of the most famous prisoner in history and the four Musketeers

by Roger Macdonald

'They never existed and were simply bastards of my imagination,' said Alexandre Dumas, of his famous Three Musketeers, but this is untrue. Athos, Aramis and Porthos were flesh and blood. Their supposedly fictional duel with Cardinal Richelieu's guards actually took place in 1640 and Charles d'Artagnan, a teenager on his first day in Paris, fought alongside the Musketeers. Many other elements of the tale are also true - the Cardinal's agent, Milady de Winter, really was an English aristocrat, and against all odds, d'Artagnan did succeed in becoming Captain of the King's Musketeers, the only person whom Louis XIV could trust to arrest his over-mighty minister, Fouquet. It was d'Artagnan who escorted Fouquet to the feared Alpine fortress of Pignerol, wherein lived the most mysterious of all prisoners, the Man in the Iron Mask. Oxford historian Roger Macdonald has spent five years unravelling fact from fiction to uncover the true story of the Musketeers and their connection with the Man in the Iron Mask. It is a reality more extraordinary than any tale Dumas could devise. Honour and heroism, betrayal and intrigue, are set amidst the lust, jealousy and deadly poisons that made the Sun King's court a world of frenzied paranoia. The Musketeers ride again across the pages of real history in this superbly researched account, and in his exciting denouement Macdonald at last reveals the identity of the Man in the Iron Mask.

Genres: History, France, Biography, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published November 15, 2005

Reviews

[Melisende · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fascinating and enjoyable journey into 17th & 18th Century France during the reigns of Louis XIII and his son, Louis XIV, the Sun King.

It is the time of the dominance of Cardinal Richelieu and his successor, Mazarin, and of the royal mistresses; of the intrigues and turmoils of France in the centuries preceding the Revolution; the plotting and power struggles of the French courtiers for ascendancy; of diplomats and spies; of the Musketeers.

MacDonald introduces us to three Musketeers in particular who were far ffrom being "bastards" of the imagination of Alexandre Dumas, writing more than two centuries after events).

And so MacDonald has his candidate for the famous "Mask" and summarily takes the reader through events from the first appearance of the mask leading up to his final moments of freedom before his decades of incarceration. MacDonald using original documents as he outlines his case for the Mask whilst assessing and disproving the case for other nominees, including Nicholas Fouquet and the Comte de Lauzan.

MacDonald declares that the identity of the Mask will not be revealed even if the impudent reader fast tracks to the back sections of the book outline the cast of characters, the chronology of events, and the chapter notes. However, this reader cottoned on to the identity of the mask fairly early in the piece.

This tome has a place on the shelf of any French History enthusiast or those who love a good mystery. For in this tome we discover a plausible candidate for the Mask and the reasons for his incarceration.

Another fascinating tome to add to my own personal library.

See my review here: http://melisendeslibrary.blogspot.com...

[Stanley Goldyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roger Macdonald's absorbing work is prefaced by an equally and appetisingly interesting introduction, sprinkled with erudite names and venerable places.

The story that follows is a rewarding historical insight into the true four musketeers - later made famous by Alexandre Dumas - and life at the French court under Louis XIII and then his son, Louis XIV, the Sun King.

Macdonald's tapestry is weaved from myriad historical documents which point to different inferences than the conclusions drawn by earlier investigators into the existence and true identity of the man in the iron mask.

Not only is the court life of Louis XIV diarised by the author - in itself intriguing - but rarely-known pieces of d'Artagnan's compelling life and colourful personality are brought to the reader's eye. Macdonald reveals a time when intrigue, innuendo, poisonings, incrimination and jealousy thrived at court and were the fabric of everyday life.
A highly recommended read, revealing some fascinating insights.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hoot to read - a great little piece of pseudo history that joins a lot of tenuous dots together to provide a new slant on the famous musketeers and man in the iron mask.

Macdonald does a very nice job of summarising the important events of the period, and showing where the people on whom Dumas based his characters slot in. I have a new appreciation for D'Artagnan - the historical version is if anything more impressive than Dumas's character.

However, Macdonald also goes a lot further than his cited evidence justifies in speculating on some of the details, and in his take on who the man in the iron mask actually was. It makes a good conspiracy story, but is not sufficiently supported with evidence.

Well written and fun to read, but not to be taken too seriously.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but not memorable

[Kenneth Pauley]

Did not finish. Got about 2/3 of the way through and got burnt out. Very text book style writing that felt dry. Biggest thing I learned was that the French royalty were some sexual FREAKS.

[Old-Barbarossa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having just finished the D'Artagnan saga by Alexandre Dumas I was looking for some background reading to supplement the poor notes in the Oxford editions I'd read. Stumbled upon this.
A broad and scandalous Hx of the French court in the 1600s, covering most of the real people mentioned in the Musketeers books (including D'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis). Great detail and juicy court gossip including the probable real father of Louis 14th. It concludes, after setting the scene in detail, with a new theory on who the Mask was.
I didn't see it coming.
He manages to give nothing away until the final reveal, but sets out other theories and fairly convincingly refutes them.
While his theory is fairly shocking, I'm not 100% convinced. He "assumes" things "could have" "seemed" to have happened. But that is the power of the Mask I suppose. The very nature of the hidden prisoner, the lack of solid evidence as to identity leaves us with much supposition.
I don't know if we really need to know the identity. The fact that he existed is fairly disturbing as it is. Also, apart from the use of the mask itself he was subject to pretty much the same strictures as the other long term prisoners including Foucquet.

[Elaine Douds · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was an amazing read. The Authors premise is that he is able to prove who was the actual "Man in the Iron Mask" which was another historical fact. There was a very important prisoner who was kept masked for many years. He was kept in solitarty confinement except for his jailers. The revelation at the end is actually shocking. He is convinced of his conclusion and very convincing as he reveals his historical sources. If he is correct it may be one of the worst abuses of Power in history (There have been plenty, the list is long so adding one more won't hurt).

Any one who is a fan of the D'Artagnan Chronicals (The Three Musketeers etc) would love this book.

[Nicole Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fascinating. I loved how the author kept the identity a secret for as long as possible. Even if you read ahead or checked out the timelines in the back, he kept the book pretty much spoiler-free. I think it was extremely well researched. Reading this has piqued my interest in revolution era France.

[Karen E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very readable book about characters that we have all heard about -- the Three Musketeers. It turns out they (and d'Artagnan) really existed. The other main characters are historical figures, including the Man in the Iron Mask. The author believes he has discovered the actual identity of "The Mask," and, no, he wasn't the elder twin brother of Louis IV.

[Venus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A non-fiction mystery about who the real man in the iron mask was, written like fiction. This is a great page turner. Macdonald knows how to build suspense into his non-fiction that is very hard to do.

[Gnuehc Ecnerwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The version I read does not have the ":The Mystery Solved" in the title. I wouldn't have bought the book if it did. This is like reading juicy gossips from another era. Tremendously enjoyable but dubious in historical accuracy. Good for reading on the beach, etc.

[Ewa · Rating 1 out of 5]

The beginning was promising but farther I went with reading it soon turned to opposite and to finish the book became hard slog till it's very end. I found the mode of writing very unangaging as for my tastes.

[Salutino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buen libro para aquellos que gustamos de la historia, nos hace adentrarnos a una extensa investigación de uno de los episodios más comentados de Francia.

[Maranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A boring, bland book that's filled with unnecessary sexism that had no relevance to the story and made the author sound heavily biased toward historical women.

[Pete daPixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb! Simply brilliant research by Oxford historian Roger Macdonald. Having begun this book largely ignorant of this period of French history and unable to differentiate one King Louis from another, thinking that a Bourbon was a biscuit, 'The Man in the Iron Mask' was a revelation.
I have never read Voltaire or Dumas' fiction, or for that matter taken little notice of any movies that have touched on the 'Three Musketeers' or 'Scarlet Pimpernel' or 'Sun King'.
As the front cover states this is 'the true story of the most famous prisoner in history and the four musketeers'. From some distant source in my memory I had an inclination that the mysterious prisoner in the iron mask was a twin brother of a French king. As in most historical conspiracy theories, the truth is far more incredible, which is why I can't recommend this book more strongly.
France, and particularly Paris in the seventeenth century, ruled by King's Louis XIII and XIV was a hotbed, (and that's the correct adjective) of scandal, corruption and intrigue. With a huge cast list that includes not just Athos, Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnan, but also Cardinal Richelieu, Cyrano de Bergerac, Voltaire, Nicolas Fouquet, Marie de Medici, Anne of Austria, Queen Maria-Theresa, Lucy Percy Countess of Carlisle, Henrietta Stuart and other royal mistresses, Marie-Angelique de Fontanges, Louise de La Valliere, Francoise Maintenon, and Athenais de Rochechouart de Montespan. Sex and drugs was rampant, including murder by poison and black masses involving the killing of babies as sacrificial offerings! All this and the true identification of the man in the iron mask.

[Theresa A. Garcia]

Defies Logic

His identity of the Mask stretches belief. Why not kill him if he wasn’t royal? What did he do to warrant imprisonment for life? Too many unanswered questions.