The Tragedy of Benedict Arnold: An American Life

Historian Joyce Lee Malcolm skillfully unravels the man behind the myth and gives us a portrait of the true Arnold and his world. There was his dramatic victory against the British at Saratoga in 1777 and his troubled childhood in a pre-revolutionary America beset with class tension and economic instability. We witness his brilliant wartime military exploits and learn of his contentious relationship with a newly formed and fractious Congress, fearful of powerful military leaders, like Arnold, who could threaten the nation's fragile democracy. Throughout, Malcolm weaves in portraits of Arnold's great allies--George Washington, General Schuyler, his beautiful and beloved wife Peggy Shippen, and others--as well as his unrelenting enemy John Adams, British General Clinton, and master spy John Andre.