First my quibble. A bit too much detail in the military history, since the subject of the book is Benedict Arnold. Now the praise.

Benedict Arnold is best known for his vicious turn against the American Revolution. His name is a synonym for betrayal, for total faithlessness. This book puts his turn from glorious heroism into the context of its time. The American revolutionaries were a ragtag group of rebels. The one thing that what became the United States was not was a country. What Benedict Arnold betrayed was a rebel movement. History being written by the victors, the U.S. is treated by many as a country as of July 4, 1776, not 1787 when the Constitution was written, or when George Washington took the oath of office in New York City on April 30, 1789.

Benedict Arnold was an undoubted hero from 1774 when he took up arms for the Revolution for a bit more than four years, when the betrayal started. The betrayal came to a head in September or October 1780 when he attempted to turn over West Point to John Andre, a British officer. During the "heroic" period he was grievously wounded not once but twice. He spearheaded an invasion of Quebec City from Maine that nearly took what is now Canada for the revolutionaries.

He and Ethan Allen are rivals for credit for seizing Fort Ticonderoga in 1775 and then helping win the crucial Battle of Saratoga in 1777. That battle, in turn, led directly to French and Dutch recognition and military and financial support for the Revolution. In short it is possible that "no Benedict Arnold, no United States." This is rarely remembered. In no way is Benedict Arnold another Vidkund Quisling, Pierre Laval or Julius or Ethel Rosenberg.

The "thanks" he got from the Continental Congress and corrupt military leaders was to go unpaid, unthanked and passed over for credit and promotion. He advanced considerable resources to pay soldiers and for military supplies. In his mind, at some point, "enough is enough." Part of the factor seems also have been a steamy affair leading to his second marriage, to Peggy Shippen. Peggy was part of a well-known and wealthy Loyalist Family.

None of this, in my mind, excuses treason. But some leaders should know that when "no good deed goes unpunished" the results are often not good.

Not surprisingly, the British gratitude for Benedict Arnold's turn against the Revolution was fleeting. They did not honor their promises to Benedict. The main moral of the story, I suppose, is that loyalty is a fundamental value, abandoned at peril. ( )

Benedict Arnold is not all we were taught he was; he was a patriot. Traitor? Not so sure. He certainly was denied by the newly formed United States and spurned by England. BTW - he didn't "give" West Point up to the British. He did get screwed over by history. ( )

An extremely brave and competent general, Arnold was not easy to get along with and therefore alienated the politicians who could have mentored him. His actions of leading from the front allowed him to adapt to the enemies battle plans. It also put him in mortal danger. His off the field heroics and need for money put him in the situation to try to give up the Fort on the Hudson to the British. He spent his last days as a British Officer and his name is always aligned with a treasonous attitude. ( )

One Amazon Reviewer calls this "This is perhaps the best single volume biography available on Benedict Arnold ". Since I have not read any mroe I tend to concur. Knowing as little as I do about the Revolution I assume he had been captured and hung, and not expected him to the turn his fighting skills to the benefit of the British and, living in England, continue his prewar vocation, trading across the Atlantic. Not a nice man, but a man with more bow. Quite a contrast to Washington who had trusted him. ( )