Best Alexandre Dumas Podcasts (2024)

1
Racism, ruin & resounding success: The epic life of French author Alexandre Dumas 12:01

1d ago12:01

12:01

In this week's show, we retrace the turbulent life of 19th-century French writer Alexandre Dumas. The wildly successful mixed-race author faced racism, financial ruin and ghostwriter allegations during his lifetime. It was only 132 years after his death that his remains were laid to rest at the Pantheon mausoleum, in 2002. We retell the story of ho…

1
France's Olympic champions: What it takes to win gold 12:05

8d ago12:05

12:05

Only a few dozen French nationals have gone down in history as Olympic champions. Pole vaulter Jean Galfione, judoka Emilie Andéol and swimmer Alain Bernard tell FRANCE 24 about the day that changed their lives. From their preparation, to their emotions during the competition, to their subsequent careers, this is the story of three gold medallists …

1
Eighty years since D-Day: Remembering Normandy's summer of sacrifice 11:55

24d ago11:55

11:55

Between the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944 and the liberation of Paris on August 25 lies the Battle of Normandy. For three months, the Allied forces fought fiercely against the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany. From heavily bombed towns, to relentless artillery fire and hand-to-hand combat in the "Falaise pocket", Normandy was ravaged and civilians were t…

1
Paris 2024: Will the River Seine be Olympics-ready? 11:53

1M ago11:53

11:53

In this week's show we take a deep dive into the Seine, to find out how Paris's river is preparing for the 2024 Olympics. We see how authorities are racing against time to boost security, curb pollution and keep visitors entertained. With just a few weeks to go before the opening ceremony, one question remains: Will the Seine actually be swimmable?…

1
Assisted dying in France: The ultimate freedom? 12:33

1M ago12:33

12:33

French lawmakers are set to debate a new text on assisted dying in France, a parliamentary marathon that could last until the summer of 2025. France currently allows deep sedation but medically-assisted suicide remains illegal. It is a topic that is deeply divisive in France; to find out why, we went to meet patients and caregivers who campaign for…

1
Paris's Grand Palais: A rare glimpse at a colossal renovation project 11:41

2M ago11:41

11:41

It's a colossus of glass, metal, and stone with a location that makes all the other Paris monuments envious. Located between the Seine and the Champs-Élysées, the Grand Palais was built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle world fair to showcase French art. Closed three years ago for its first complete renovation in history, it's getting a second le…

1
The Surrealist Manifesto: Marking a century of avant-garde art 12:30

2M ago12:30

12:30

In 1924, French poet André Breton wrote a short text with fellow poet and compatriot Louis Aragon that was to send ripples through the world of art and literature, providing a blueprint for the avant-garde movements of the 20th century. One century later, we take a look at how the Surrealist Manifesto prompted an intellectual and artistic revolutio…

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73: The Ghost of Charles Dickens sitting on Barbara Kingsolver’s Shoulder 1:00:34

2M ago1:00:34

1:00:34

Virginia and Louise do a deep dive into Barbara Kingsolver’s Pullitzer Prize winning and compelling novel Demon Copperhead and talk all things Charles Dickens as well as adding some shameful new entries to the infamous Ick Register. Books Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, 1838 Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, 1854 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsol…

1
Notre-Dame, five years after the flames: A symbol of resilience 11:07

2M ago11:07

11:07

Exactly five years ago, the world watched in horror as Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral was ravaged by flames. Today, carpenters and artisans are hammering away to meet a December 8 deadline for the Gothic landmark's grand reopening. Spectators attending the Paris Olympics this summer will already be able to admire the renovated structure from the outs…

1
Ethical chocolate in France: A sweet endeavour 10:38

3M ago10:38

10:38

Nearly three quarters of French people eat chocolate once a week, consuming an average of 7 kilos per year. But what seems a simple indulgence has a dark side: cacao farming has resulted in massive deforestation. Reports of child labour and farmers who are often unfairly paid have tarnished the industry. Despite all this, chocolate has been conside…

1
Wanted: A place to live in Paris 12:30

3M ago12:30

12:30

The race for accommodation in Paris could be an Olympic sport in itself. The number of rentals available is plummeting while prices are soaring, yet real estate agents are overwhelmed with demand. From short-term rentals to efficiency upgrades, prospective tenants are paying the price for the ongoing crisis. We take a closer look.…

1
Open Sourcery: France’s unpredictable pact with AI 11:19

4M ago11:19

11:19

Text, code, speech, image and even video: you can now create anything in a flash thanks to generative artificial intelligence. This world-changing innovation presents an opportunity for France, which hasn’t been a leader in tech since the dawn of the internet. The French government is currently investing 1.5 billion euros into AI, and has champione…

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Russian dissidents in France: The price of exile, far from Putin's Russia 12:22

4M ago12:22

12:22

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour, upending the lives of millions of Ukrainians. But the conflict also changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Russians opposed to the war. Some left for Armenia, Georgia or Turkey, while others requested asylum in France. It was the start of a long road, far from the …

1
Missak Manouchian: A stateless hero enters France's Panthéon 11:53

4M ago11:53

11:53

His life was worthy of a novel. An Armenian orphan who arrived in France as a stateless refugee and became a poet and Communist activist, Missak Manouchian was a figure of the French Resistance during World War II. Exactly 80 years to the day after his execution by the Nazis, Manouchian is taking his place in the Panthéon mausoleum alongside France…

1
Join the parade! Carnival season kicks off in France 10:59

4M ago10:59

10:59

It's an annual celebration of ruckus and revelry: carnival season has kicked off in France, bringing an explosion of colour to the grey months of winter. From the Latin "carne vale" meaning "farewell to meat", the ancient festival has evolved into a collective moment of excess ahead of the Christian period of Lent. From overseas in Guadeloupe, to d…

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72: This Is A Bit Embarrassing… (books we’ve never read) 52:24

5M ago52:24

52:24

Louise and Virginia thought it might be fun to do an episode on books that they feel a bit embarrassed to have never read (until now). There were a lot of books to choose from, but they discuss four in this conversation. During this chat they also create an Ick Register for authors who use words that give the ick, so that readers can be warned in a…

1
From 1924 to 2024: Spotlight on the Paris Olympics, then and now 11:58

5M ago11:58

11:58

Paris is preparing to hold the Olympics this summer, but did you know that the last time the French capital hosted the Games was exactly 100 years ago? Much has been forgotten about the 1924 Olympics, but records were broken, champions were made and more women athletes took part than ever before. FRANCE 24's Stéphanie Trouillard and Claire Paccalin…

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71: The Next Diving In Book Club – Salt River Road by Molly Schmidt 45:36

5M ago45:36

45:36

Louise and Virginia have a great conversation about a lovely Western Australian novel. Salt River Road by the very talented debut author Molly Schmidt captures the large Tetley family at the worst time of their lives. Their wife and mother, Elena, has died after a long illness and left them all devastated. Although the book looks at grief through t…

1
Guadeloupe in murky waters: French islands hit by wastewater treatment scandal 13:43

5M ago13:43

13:43

Located in the heart of the French Caribbean, Guadeloupe is best known for its beaches, rivers and waterfalls. But beyond the postcard image, more than 70 percent of wastewater treatment plants in the island are out of order – or nearly – despite significant funding, particularly from the European Union. The result is a health and environmental cat…

1
A cake fit for a king: Exploring France's 'galette des rois' tradition 10:32

6M ago10:32

10:32

It's a pastry that's synonymous with the month of January in France. At the start of every year the "galette des rois", or king cake, fills bakeries across the country and there's one to suit everyone's taste. In this show, we find out more about the origins of this French culinary tradition which, contrary to popular belief, doesn't date back to t…