From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: Probably Dumas' most serious attempt at an historical study, but which none the less is written in his always interesting and amusing manner. It is the first to be produced of the long series which continued from the reign of Louis XIV. to the end of the reign of Louis-Philippe, and may in fact be extended further back if we include his "Grands Hommes en Robe de Chambre."
A certain M. Fellons, connected by marriage with the chief town of the department in which Dumas was born, is credited with a share in this work; moreover he was a member of the firm which first published it.
Original edition: Paris, Dufour et Fellens, 2 vols., large 8vo., with engravings and vignettes by the foremost Parisian artists (60 engravings and 240 vignettes), 1844-45.
New edition : Paris, Passard, 9 vols., 8vo., 1845. The Garnett Collection has all volumes in 1845.
There have been numerous reprintings of the original illustrated edition, not always with the full number of engravings.
A pirated edition was issued in Brussels, by the Société Belge de Librairie, in 5 vols., 24mo, 1844-46.
It now fills four volumes in the standard edition of Calmann-Lévy. In Le Vasseur's "Alexandre Dumas Illustré" it forms part of Vol. XIII.
References :—
Dumas: Preface to "Les Trois Mousquetaires." Glinel: "Alexandre Dumas et Son Œuvre," page 396. Quérard: "Supercheries Littéraires Dévoilées," Vol. I., Column 1144. Parran: "Bibliographie d'Alexandre Dumas," page 53.
Reference may also be made to most of the more popular memoirs of the reign of Louis XIV., from which Dumas drew considerably.
