Book

Turncoat : Benedict Arnold and the crisis of American liberty

Brumwell, Stephen, 1960- author

Overview

Why did the once-ardent hero of the American Revolutionary cause become its most dishonored traitor? General Benedict Arnold's failed attempt to betray the fortress of West Point to the British in 1780 stands as one of the most infamous episodes in American history. In the light of a shining record of bravery and unquestioned commitment to the Revolution, Arnold's defection came as an appalling shock. Contemporaries believed he had been corrupted by greed; historians have theorized that he had come to resent the lack of recognition for his merits and sacrifices. In this provocative book Stephen Brumwell challenges such interpretations and draws on unexplored archives to reveal other crucial factors that illuminate Arnold's abandonment of the revolutionary cause he once championed. This work traces Arnold's journey from enthusiastic support of American independence to his spectacularly traitorous acts and narrow escape. Brumwell's research leads to an unexpected conclusion: Arnold's mystifying betrayal was driven by a staunch conviction that America's best interests would be served by halting the bloodshed and reuniting the fractured British Empire.

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Subject: Arnold, Benedict, 1741-1801. / United States. Continental Army Biography. / Generals United States Biography. / United States History Revolution, 1775-1783.
• ISBN: 9780300210996

Item info:

1 item available

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Holdings :

Call Number	Copies	Material	Location
E278.A7 B78 2018	1	BOOK	AUTOSTORE