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Joachim-Napoléon Murat was the brother-in-law of Napoleon Boneparte, and held many titles in his life including Marshal of France, Grand Admiral of France, Grand Duke of Berg, and King of Naples. The story was first published as part of Dumas’s eight-volume series ‘Celebrated Crimes’ (1839 – 1840) and recounts Murat’s fall from favour and fascinating death – subsequent to Napoleon’s own demise.
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First published January 1, 1839
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Alexandre Dumas
7,078 books12.4k followersThis note regards Alexandre Dumas, père, the father of Alexandre Dumas, fils (son). For the son, see Alexandre Dumas fils.
Alexandre Dumas père, born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was a towering figure of 19th-century French literature whose historical novels and adventure tales earned global renown. Best known for The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and other swashbuckling epics, Dumas crafted stories filled with daring heroes, dramatic twists, and vivid historical backdrops. His works, often serialized and immensely popular with the public, helped shape the modern adventure genre and remain enduring staples of world literature.
Dumas was the son of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a celebrated general in Revolutionary France and the highest-ranking man of African descent in a European army at the time. His father’s early death left the family in poverty, but Dumas’s upbringing was nonetheless marked by strong personal ambition and a deep admiration for his father’s achievements. He moved to Paris as a young man and began his literary career writing for the theatre, quickly rising to prominence in the Romantic movement with successful plays like Henri III et sa cour and Antony.
In the 1840s, Dumas turned increasingly toward prose fiction, particularly serialized novels, which reached vast audiences through French newspapers. His collaboration with Auguste Maquet, a skilled plotter and historian, proved fruitful. While Maquet drafted outlines and conducted research, Dumas infused the narratives with flair, dialogue, and color. The result was a string of literary triumphs, including The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, both published in 1844. These novels exemplified Dumas’s flair for suspenseful pacing, memorable characters, and grand themes of justice, loyalty, and revenge.
The D’Artagnan Romances—The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte of Bragelonne—cemented his fame. They follow the adventures of the titular Gascon hero and his comrades Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, blending historical fact and fiction into richly imagined narratives. The Count of Monte Cristo offered a darker, more introspective tale of betrayal and retribution, with intricate plotting and a deeply philosophical core.
Dumas was also active in journalism and theater. He founded the Théâtre Historique in Paris, which staged dramatizations of his own novels. A prolific and energetic writer, he is estimated to have written or co-written over 100,000 pages of fiction, plays, memoirs, travel books, and essays. He also had a strong interest in food and published a massive culinary encyclopedia, Le Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine, filled with recipes, anecdotes, and reflections on gastronomy.
Despite his enormous success, Dumas was frequently plagued by financial troubles. He led a lavish lifestyle, building the ornate Château de Monte-Cristo near Paris, employing large staffs, and supporting many friends and relatives. His generosity and appetite for life often outpaced his income, leading to mounting debts. Still, his creative drive rarely waned.
Dumas’s mixed-race background was a source of both pride and tension in his life. He was outspoken about his heritage and used his platform to address race and injustice. In his novel Georges, he explored issues of colonialism and identity through a Creole protagonist. Though he encountered racism, he refused to be silenced, famously replying to a racial insult by pointing to his ancestry and achievements with dignity and wit.
Later in life, Dumas continued writing and traveling, spending time in Belgium, Italy, and Russia. He supported nationalist causes, particularly Italian unification, and even founded a newspaper to advocate for Giuseppe Garibaldi. Though his popularity waned somewhat in his final years, his literary legacy grew steadily. He wrote in a style that was accessible, entertaining, and emotionally reso
Alexandre Dumas père, born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was a towering figure of 19th-century French literature whose historical novels and adventure tales earned global renown. Best known for The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and other swashbuckling epics, Dumas crafted stories filled with daring heroes, dramatic twists, and vivid historical backdrops. His works, often serialized and immensely popular with the public, helped shape the modern adventure genre and remain enduring staples of world literature.
Dumas was the son of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a celebrated general in Revolutionary France and the highest-ranking man of African descent in a European army at the time. His father’s early death left the family in poverty, but Dumas’s upbringing was nonetheless marked by strong personal ambition and a deep admiration for his father’s achievements. He moved to Paris as a young man and began his literary career writing for the theatre, quickly rising to prominence in the Romantic movement with successful plays like Henri III et sa cour and Antony.
In the 1840s, Dumas turned increasingly toward prose fiction, particularly serialized novels, which reached vast audiences through French newspapers. His collaboration with Auguste Maquet, a skilled plotter and historian, proved fruitful. While Maquet drafted outlines and conducted research, Dumas infused the narratives with flair, dialogue, and color. The result was a string of literary triumphs, including The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, both published in 1844. These novels exemplified Dumas’s flair for suspenseful pacing, memorable characters, and grand themes of justice, loyalty, and revenge.
The D’Artagnan Romances—The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte of Bragelonne—cemented his fame. They follow the adventures of the titular Gascon hero and his comrades Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, blending historical fact and fiction into richly imagined narratives. The Count of Monte Cristo offered a darker, more introspective tale of betrayal and retribution, with intricate plotting and a deeply philosophical core.
Dumas was also active in journalism and theater. He founded the Théâtre Historique in Paris, which staged dramatizations of his own novels. A prolific and energetic writer, he is estimated to have written or co-written over 100,000 pages of fiction, plays, memoirs, travel books, and essays. He also had a strong interest in food and published a massive culinary encyclopedia, Le Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine, filled with recipes, anecdotes, and reflections on gastronomy.
Despite his enormous success, Dumas was frequently plagued by financial troubles. He led a lavish lifestyle, building the ornate Château de Monte-Cristo near Paris, employing large staffs, and supporting many friends and relatives. His generosity and appetite for life often outpaced his income, leading to mounting debts. Still, his creative drive rarely waned.
Dumas’s mixed-race background was a source of both pride and tension in his life. He was outspoken about his heritage and used his platform to address race and injustice. In his novel Georges, he explored issues of colonialism and identity through a Creole protagonist. Though he encountered racism, he refused to be silenced, famously replying to a racial insult by pointing to his ancestry and achievements with dignity and wit.
Later in life, Dumas continued writing and traveling, spending time in Belgium, Italy, and Russia. He supported nationalist causes, particularly Italian unification, and even founded a newspaper to advocate for Giuseppe Garibaldi. Though his popularity waned somewhat in his final years, his literary legacy grew steadily. He wrote in a style that was accessible, entertaining, and emotionally reso
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 16, 2022
Selbstsabotage als Prinzip?
Joachim Murat war als tollkühner Kavallerie-Offizier für einige Heldenstücke verantwortlich, die den Aufstieg seines späteren Schwagers Napoleon überaus günstig beeinflusst haben, andererseits unterliefen ihm immer wieder grässliche Patzer wie die letzte Etappe des Rückzugs aus Russland in Wilna. Während des Zerfalls des napoleonischen Weltreichs unterlag Murat allerlei Selbsttäuschungen und den Versprechen Metternichs, so dass er seine Neapolitaner gegen die Truppen von Vizekönig Eugéne in Marsch setzte, um letztlich mit leeren Händen dazustehen.
Wahrscheinlich wäre Waterloo ganz anders ausgegangen, hätte Napoleon seinem Schwager Quatre-Bras anvertraut und nicht den ausdauernden, aber zögerlichen Rückzugsspezialisten Ney mit dem vorentscheidenden ersten Schritt betraut. Doch der Kaiser war nachtragend und hatte sogar einen Haftbefehl gegen seinen treulosen Schwager ausgestellt, der sein Königreich Neapel trotzdem nicht behalten durfte.
Mit der Ankunft des zerlumpten Ex-Königs von Neapel in Toulon, den ein loyal gebliebener Kollege vertraulich über die absolute Ungnade informiert, beginnt Dumas Darstellung. Zahlreiche atmosphärische Szenen und Hinweise auf persönliche Quellenstudien markieren den Unterschied zu Werken von Mitarbeitern. Ich will hier nicht zu viel spoilern, aber Dumas gelingt bei der Beschreibung einer Flucht mit mehr als einem knappen Entkommen wie dem Umschlag in einen trügerischen Triumph ein absolutes Meisterstück. Zumal sich kreatüriche Not, persönliche Tapferkeit wider jede Vernunft, fatale Fehleinschätzungen wie blöde Missgeschicke im Erzählfluss zu einer Geschichte voll Tragik und Komik verbinden, ehe der aus Not geborene Versuch mit ein paar Mann Napoleons Kunststück auf neapolitanischem Territorium zu wiederholen, in ein groteskes Fiasko führt.
Vielleicht liegt es ja gerade an der Kürze und dem Umstand, dass der Meister beim tragischen Ende eines Kameraden seines Vaters keine Co-Autoren zuließ. Aber Murat ist für mich die konzentrierteste Leistung, gerade wegen der konsequent tragikomischen Note. Man hat immer wieder den Eindruck, dass sich Murat mit seinem Tapferkeitsanspruch und seiner Sentimentalität selbst sabotiert.
Joachim Murat war als tollkühner Kavallerie-Offizier für einige Heldenstücke verantwortlich, die den Aufstieg seines späteren Schwagers Napoleon überaus günstig beeinflusst haben, andererseits unterliefen ihm immer wieder grässliche Patzer wie die letzte Etappe des Rückzugs aus Russland in Wilna. Während des Zerfalls des napoleonischen Weltreichs unterlag Murat allerlei Selbsttäuschungen und den Versprechen Metternichs, so dass er seine Neapolitaner gegen die Truppen von Vizekönig Eugéne in Marsch setzte, um letztlich mit leeren Händen dazustehen.
Wahrscheinlich wäre Waterloo ganz anders ausgegangen, hätte Napoleon seinem Schwager Quatre-Bras anvertraut und nicht den ausdauernden, aber zögerlichen Rückzugsspezialisten Ney mit dem vorentscheidenden ersten Schritt betraut. Doch der Kaiser war nachtragend und hatte sogar einen Haftbefehl gegen seinen treulosen Schwager ausgestellt, der sein Königreich Neapel trotzdem nicht behalten durfte.
Mit der Ankunft des zerlumpten Ex-Königs von Neapel in Toulon, den ein loyal gebliebener Kollege vertraulich über die absolute Ungnade informiert, beginnt Dumas Darstellung. Zahlreiche atmosphärische Szenen und Hinweise auf persönliche Quellenstudien markieren den Unterschied zu Werken von Mitarbeitern. Ich will hier nicht zu viel spoilern, aber Dumas gelingt bei der Beschreibung einer Flucht mit mehr als einem knappen Entkommen wie dem Umschlag in einen trügerischen Triumph ein absolutes Meisterstück. Zumal sich kreatüriche Not, persönliche Tapferkeit wider jede Vernunft, fatale Fehleinschätzungen wie blöde Missgeschicke im Erzählfluss zu einer Geschichte voll Tragik und Komik verbinden, ehe der aus Not geborene Versuch mit ein paar Mann Napoleons Kunststück auf neapolitanischem Territorium zu wiederholen, in ein groteskes Fiasko führt.
Vielleicht liegt es ja gerade an der Kürze und dem Umstand, dass der Meister beim tragischen Ende eines Kameraden seines Vaters keine Co-Autoren zuließ. Aber Murat ist für mich die konzentrierteste Leistung, gerade wegen der konsequent tragikomischen Note. Man hat immer wieder den Eindruck, dass sich Murat mit seinem Tapferkeitsanspruch und seiner Sentimentalität selbst sabotiert.
August 14, 2021
Free download available at Gutenberg Project.
4* The Count of Monte Cristo
4* The Black Tulip
5* The Two Dianas
3* La chemise de la Sainte Vierge
3* La Comtesse De Salisbury
3* Les mille et un fantômes
3* Les Frères corses
3* The Women's War
TR Ascanio
TR Georges, Or, the Isle of France
TR The woman with the velvet necklace
TR The Prussian Terror
The D'Artagnan Romances series
4* The Three Musketeers
4* Twenty Years After
4* Vicomte de Bragelonne
4* Ten Years Later
TR Louise de La Vallière
4* The Man in the Iron Mask
The Last Valois series
5* Queen Margot, or Marguerite de Valois
4* Chicot the Jester (La Dame de Monsereau)
4* The Forty-Five Guardsmen
The Marie Antoinette Romances series
4* Joseph Balsamo
4* Le Collier de la Reine
4* Taking the Bastille
4* The Countess de Charny
TR The Knight of Maison-Rouge
The Sainte-Hermine Cycle series
TR The Companions of Jehu
TR The Whites and the Blues
TR The Last Cavalier: Being the Adventures of Count Sainte-Hermine in the Age of Napoleon
Celebrated crimes series
4* Murat
TR The Borgias
TR The Cenci
TR Massacres of the South
TR Mary Stuart Queen of Scots
TR Karl Ludwig Sand
TR Urbain Grandier Celebrated Crimes
TR Nisida
TR Derues Celebrated Crimes
TR La Constantin
TR Joan of Naples
TR Martin Guerre Celebrated Crimes
TR Ali Pacha
TR The Countess Of Saint Geran Celebrated Crimes
TR The Marquise de Brinvilliers
TR Vaninka Celebrated Crimes
TR The Marquise de Ganges
Auto-biography
5* My Memoirs, Vol. 1
4* My Memoirs, Vol. 2
5* My Memoirs, Vol. 3
4* My Memoirs, Vol. 4
3* My Memoirs, Vol. 5
5* My Memoirs, Vol. 6
4* The Count of Monte Cristo
4* The Black Tulip
5* The Two Dianas
3* La chemise de la Sainte Vierge
3* La Comtesse De Salisbury
3* Les mille et un fantômes
3* Les Frères corses
3* The Women's War
TR Ascanio
TR Georges, Or, the Isle of France
TR The woman with the velvet necklace
TR The Prussian Terror
The D'Artagnan Romances series
4* The Three Musketeers
4* Twenty Years After
4* Vicomte de Bragelonne
4* Ten Years Later
TR Louise de La Vallière
4* The Man in the Iron Mask
The Last Valois series
5* Queen Margot, or Marguerite de Valois
4* Chicot the Jester (La Dame de Monsereau)
4* The Forty-Five Guardsmen
The Marie Antoinette Romances series
4* Joseph Balsamo
4* Le Collier de la Reine
4* Taking the Bastille
4* The Countess de Charny
TR The Knight of Maison-Rouge
The Sainte-Hermine Cycle series
TR The Companions of Jehu
TR The Whites and the Blues
TR The Last Cavalier: Being the Adventures of Count Sainte-Hermine in the Age of Napoleon
Celebrated crimes series
4* Murat
TR The Borgias
TR The Cenci
TR Massacres of the South
TR Mary Stuart Queen of Scots
TR Karl Ludwig Sand
TR Urbain Grandier Celebrated Crimes
TR Nisida
TR Derues Celebrated Crimes
TR La Constantin
TR Joan of Naples
TR Martin Guerre Celebrated Crimes
TR Ali Pacha
TR The Countess Of Saint Geran Celebrated Crimes
TR The Marquise de Brinvilliers
TR Vaninka Celebrated Crimes
TR The Marquise de Ganges
Auto-biography
5* My Memoirs, Vol. 1
4* My Memoirs, Vol. 2
5* My Memoirs, Vol. 3
4* My Memoirs, Vol. 4
3* My Memoirs, Vol. 5
5* My Memoirs, Vol. 6
June 16, 2017
"Murat" de Alejandro Dumas es un pequeño cuento o narración que fue incluida en su obra "Crímenes célebres", narra las desventuras de Joaquín de Murat, gran mariscal del imperio napoleónico, antiguo Rey de Nápoles desde que fue expulsado por Napoleón de Francia hasta sus últimos días.
Me gustó en gran medida por la simpatía que le tengo a Murat, pero la narración aunque muy corta se me hizo larga porque fue muy duro ver las desventuras por las que tuvo que pasar luego de tratar de conquistar nuevamente su reino de las manos austriacas.
Hay en su lucha algo de patético pero también de honorable y respetable, cosas que Dumas sabe plasmarlas de manera muy contundente. Murat tuvo un final muy distinto al que merecía aquel personaje célebre que en sus mejores años era admirado hasta por sus enemigos por su bizarría y presencia.
Me gustó en gran medida por la simpatía que le tengo a Murat, pero la narración aunque muy corta se me hizo larga porque fue muy duro ver las desventuras por las que tuvo que pasar luego de tratar de conquistar nuevamente su reino de las manos austriacas.
Hay en su lucha algo de patético pero también de honorable y respetable, cosas que Dumas sabe plasmarlas de manera muy contundente. Murat tuvo un final muy distinto al que merecía aquel personaje célebre que en sus mejores años era admirado hasta por sus enemigos por su bizarría y presencia.
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May 21, 2020i love murat.and in this there many batle hestory date
January 9, 2022
Bon c'était très bien :
une bonne lectrice et une histoire courte avec la loyauté, les sacrifices, l'empathie , et surtout de mourir avec le dignité.
une bonne lectrice et une histoire courte avec la loyauté, les sacrifices, l'empathie , et surtout de mourir avec le dignité.
May 4, 2012
Alexandre Dumas recounts the sad and controversial events that led to Joachim Murat's capture in Pizzo then execution for attempting to regain the throne.
Dumas ends the story with Murat who fearlessly meets his death.
Joachim Murat was a renowned cavalry leader, marshal of France and king of Naples. He escorted Bonaparte in Italian and Egyptian campaigns and got married with his sister Caroline.
Pretty sad. The End.
Dumas ends the story with Murat who fearlessly meets his death.
Joachim Murat was a renowned cavalry leader, marshal of France and king of Naples. He escorted Bonaparte in Italian and Egyptian campaigns and got married with his sister Caroline.
Pretty sad. The End.
December 11, 2024
"Gli eventi di grande importanza hanno spesso delle cause minime e si potrebbe credere che Dio e Satana si divertano a giocare ai dadi la vita e la morte degli uomini, la creazione o la distruzione degli imperi."
January 26, 2018
Good reading, a bit phantastical but it reflects a lot of how society was going on in the post Napoleonic era. It helps if you are fond of history as it shows how were the last days of Marshal Murat.
January 23, 2023
Well written, tragic and enthralling
August 25, 2025
Un ouvrage qui plaira surtout aux passionnés d'Histoire, époque Napoléon 1er.
September 26, 2013
Account of the last days of the "Dandy King" famous for his flamboyant dressing taste as well as his courage, chivalry and charisma.
1815: as the 'Corsican Empire' crumbles under the assault of the forces of Metternich and The Restoration, we follow Napoleon's brother in law as he attempts to restore his domain on the King of Naples.
Murat will eventually capitulate in the tiny hamlet of Pizzo di Calabria, captured by the local peasants and condemned to firing squad by the returning Bourbon King's police.
He will always be remembered for his calmness and fortitude as he faced the executioners refusing the customary chair and blindfold "I have braved death too often to fear it".
As the soldiers would somehow hesitate in shooting their formal commander, he'd prompt:
«Soldats! Faites votre devoir! Droit au cœur mais épargnez le visage. Feu!»
1815: as the 'Corsican Empire' crumbles under the assault of the forces of Metternich and The Restoration, we follow Napoleon's brother in law as he attempts to restore his domain on the King of Naples.
Murat will eventually capitulate in the tiny hamlet of Pizzo di Calabria, captured by the local peasants and condemned to firing squad by the returning Bourbon King's police.
He will always be remembered for his calmness and fortitude as he faced the executioners refusing the customary chair and blindfold "I have braved death too often to fear it".
As the soldiers would somehow hesitate in shooting their formal commander, he'd prompt:
«Soldats! Faites votre devoir! Droit au cœur mais épargnez le visage. Feu!»
March 10, 2019
Racconto avventuroso degli ultimi mesi di vita del generale francese, poi re di Napoli, Gioacchino Murat, dalla fuga in Corsica al velleitario tentativo di restaurazione del suo Regno, conclusosi tragicamente.
Il Castello di Pizzo Calabro è teatro del triste ed appassionante epilogo, nel quale Dumas è abile a mescolare avventura, dramma, amara ironia, e suspense, senza però disattendere la fedeltà storica. Preziosa l'idea di inserire la lettera originale del condannato ai familiari, tradotta dallo scrittore stesso, che visitò i luoghi e conobbe nientemeno che i protagonisti di cui si narra.
Il Castello di Pizzo Calabro è teatro del triste ed appassionante epilogo, nel quale Dumas è abile a mescolare avventura, dramma, amara ironia, e suspense, senza però disattendere la fedeltà storica. Preziosa l'idea di inserire la lettera originale del condannato ai familiari, tradotta dallo scrittore stesso, che visitò i luoghi e conobbe nientemeno che i protagonisti di cui si narra.
April 18, 2016
Didn't really care for this one.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews