The Three Musketeers

First published in serial form in 1844, The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas is a spirited tale of friendship, honour and political intrigue, set in France during the reign of Louis XIII. When the young Gascon d’Artagnan arrives in Paris hoping to join the king’s musketeers, a series of quarrels leads him to an unexpected alliance with Athos, Porthos and Aramis. Together, the four companions become entangled in courtly rivalries, secret missions and the dangerous machinations of Cardinal Richelieu, as they seek to defend the honour of Queen Anne of Austria. From duels in the streets of Paris to conspiracies at court, Dumas weaves historical figures and fictional adventure into a world of daring, wit and suspense.

A defining work of nineteenth-century popular fiction, The Three Musketeers helped shape the modern adventure novel through its memorable characters, brisk narrative and intricate plotting. Written in collaboration with Auguste Maquet, it first appeared in the newspaper Le Siècle, where its serial form kept readers eagerly awaiting each new episode. Beneath its swordplay and romantic escapades lies a lasting celebration of loyalty, courage and the bonds forged through shared danger, embodied in the companions’ famous spirit of solidarity. The novel remains the first instalment of Dumas’s d’Artagnan Romances, a literary world whose influence extends far beyond the page into theatre, film and popular imagination.

From the book

“Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures.”

— Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers

On The Three Musketeers

“The Three Musketeers is one of the great adventure stories of all time.”

— Encyclopaedia Britannica