This edition has been annotated with the following unique content. Explanation of Historical Context - Detailed Century Analysis - Author detailed biography What happens when legendary heroes grow old, and a new generation must step into the shadows of giants? It is May 1660, and the fate of nations hangs in the balance. Cardinal Mazarin plots his final schemes, young Louis XIV is discovering love and power, and Raoul de Bragelonne—son of the noble Athos—serves France while pursuing the heart of the beautiful Louise de la Vallière. Meanwhile, D'Artagnan, now fifty years old but still possessed of his Gascon fire, finds himself perplexed by mysterious strangers and discovering that his old comrades have embarked on great projects without him. The epic conclusion to the greatest adventure saga in literature begins here. The Vicomte de Bragelonne: Ten Years Later is the third and final volume of Alexandre Dumas's immortal D'Artagnan Romances, following The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After . Originally serialized between 1847 and 1850, this massive 268-chapter novel has been called "an 'origins' story of the King, a tale about the education of a young monarch" as it chronicles the transformation of Louis XIV from a weak boy king dominated by his ministers and mother to the Sun King in absolute control of the French state. A story of friendship tested, loyalty questioned, and heroes facing their twilight. The heroes of the first two books have aged considerably. D'Artagnan, now captain of the musketeers, is fifty years old. Porthos is a baron. Aramis has become increasingly powerful: bishop of Vannes, then general of the Jesuits. The tone of this third novel is melancholic: we sense the approaching end. Yet even as they face the passage of time, these legendary friends become involved in the greatest intrigues of their lives. What readers and critics say: Robert Louis Stevenson wrote: "it is in the character of D'Artagnan, that we must look for the spirit of morality, which is one of the chief merits of the book, makes one of the main joys of its perusal, and sets it high above more popular rivals." Arthur F. Davidson argued that "The modern reader may draw back aghast at the six volumes of Le Vicomte de Bragelonne, but he will have missed the best part of the Musketeer cycle should he fail to read those pages which describe the end of Porthos—true epic pages such as Homer's self had not disowned." "Alternately melodramatic, sentimental, humorous, worldly, and almost always absorbing." — The Irish Times Experience the masterpiece that inspired countless adaptations and continues to captivate readers worldwide. Alexandre Dumas père was one of the most prolific and popular French authors of the 19th century, gaining great reputation first as a dramatist and then as a historical novelist. His works have been translated into nearly 100 languages, and he is one of the most widely read French authors. His novels have been adapted since the early twentieth century for nearly 200 films. This edition opens an epic adventure that continues with Louise de la Vallière and reaches its climax in The Man in the Iron Mask . Whether you're a longtime fan of the musketeers or discovering them for the first time, The Vicomte de Bragelonne offers everything that made Dumas a master: political intrigue, romantic entanglements, sword fights, loyalty, betrayal, and above all, the deep bonds of friendship tested by time and circumstance. Join D'Artagnan and his legendary companions as they face their greatest adventure yet—the challenge of growing old gracefully while the world changes around them.