14 h 53 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when the cause you pledge your sword to threatens the love you want to keep?
France has a child king, and Philippe, Duke of Orléans, rules as Regent. Raoul, Chevalier d'Harmental, has courage and skill with a sword, but little money and few prospects. Drawn into the Duchess of Maine's circle, he joins a plot against the Regent. Secret meetings and hired swords give his uncertain life a dangerous new purpose.
Then his love for Bathilde, a gentle orphan who lives by modest work, pulls him toward something warmer and more honest. Around them, the Duchess gathers allies while Abbé Dubois watches for trouble. In this historical adventure by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet, Paris streets and palace rooms become the setting for a struggle between honour, political loyalty and love.
What you’ll discover
- A sword without prospects Follow a brave young soldier whose poor fortunes draw him toward a dangerous cause.
- Love against the plot Discover how Bathilde's quiet dignity offers Raoul a life his fellow conspirators cannot.
- A Regent with wit Meet a ruler whose courage and love of pleasure complicate the portrait of a tyrant.
- Secret meetings and sharp steel Enter a world of hired swords, watchful spies and a duchess determined to overturn power.
- The weight of loyalty Consider what honour demands when loyalty to a cause clashes with loyalty to a person.
Who will love it
For readers who love swashbuckling history, secret plots and a love story with real risk. It is also a good start for anyone who has enjoyed The Three Musketeers.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A kingdom run by a regent
- A ruined young officer looks across the street
- The Duchess of Maine gathers her plotters
- The Regent is not the man they expect
- Love and loyalty pull in opposite ways
- What it is about and how it is told
Who’s who
- Raoul, Chevalier d'HarmentalA brave, ruined young nobleman and soldier who joins a plot against the Regent and falls in love with a neighbour.
- BathildeA gentle, dignified orphan who lives by modest work and is unaware how closely her life will be tied to the conspiracy.
- BuvatA timid, kindly copyist at the Royal Library who cares for Bathilde and wants only a quiet, orderly life.
- Philippe, Duke of OrléansThe Regent of France, witty, brave and fond of pleasure, who is the target of the plot.
- The Duchess of MaineA proud, clever noblewoman who resents the Regent and gathers allies to bring him down.
- Captain RoquefinetteAn old soldier and swordsman of rough manners who lends his skill to the plotters.
- The Prince of CellamareThe Spanish ambassador in Paris, who supports the scheme for the king of Spain.
- Abbé DuboisThe Regent's shrewd minister, who watches for signs of trouble with spies and cunning.
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- Audiobook
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- 15-minute summary
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- Paperback
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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The Conspirators; Or, the Chevalier d'Harmental
by Alexandre Dumas; Auguste Maquet · 1843
In Regency Paris, a young nobleman joins a plot against the Regent as love and loyalty pull him in opposite directions.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
A kingdom run by a regent
The story opens in the France that follows the death of Louis XIV in 1715. The new king, Louis XV, is a small child, so the country is governed by Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who is called the Regent. The old king's rule had been strict and solemn. Under the Regent, the court becomes freer, noisier and more given to pleasure.
Not everyone accepts this change. Some nobles believe the Regent has taken power that belongs to others. The late king's favoured son, the Duke of Maine, and his proud wife, the Duchess of Maine, feel pushed aside. They want influence back, and they look for allies at home and abroad.
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What is The Conspirators by Alexandre Dumas about?
It is a historical adventure set in Paris under the Regent, after the death of Louis XIV. A young nobleman joins a plot against the Regent while falling in love with a neighbour, and the two threads collide.
Is The Conspirators based on a true story?
Partly. The plot against the Regent, the Duke of Orléans, and figures like the Duchess of Maine and the Spanish ambassador Cellamare are real. The hero and his love story are Dumas's invention.
When was The Chevalier d'Harmental written?
It was published in 1843 and first appeared in instalments. Dumas wrote it with his collaborator Auguste Maquet. It was the first of his novels set in the Regency period.
The author
Alexandre Dumas
1802–1870 · French novelist and playwright
Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870) was a French novelist and playwright. He was born in Villers-Cotterêts, lived in Paris, and died in Puys, near Dieppe. He wrote The Three Musketeers (1844), The Count of Monte Cristo (1844–1846), Twenty Years After (1845), and The Black Tulip (1850).
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