The Black Tulip begins with the lynching of the Dutch Grand Pensionary Johan de Witt and his brother Cornelis by a mob yet the story revolves around competition between the country's best gardeners to grow a black tulip and win ƒ100,000. It is a story of intrigue and love and Dutch history and, a connection with a black tulip and the killing of the de Witt brothers. Alexandre Dumas was a French writer whose works have been translated into nearly 100 languages. His historical novels include The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, The Corsican Brothers, and The Man in the Iron Mask.