Turncoat: Benedict Arnold and the Crisis of American Liberty

by Stephen Brumwell Narrated by Andrew Sellon

Overview

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.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

★ 04/16/2018
Historian Brumwell (George Washington: Gentleman Warrior) offers a provocative explanation for one of the enduring mysteries of the American Revolution: why did Benedict Arnold, one of “Washington’s most celebrated and valued subordinates,” become a traitor in 1780? Brumwell rejects the most common theories: that Arnold felt disrespected by the Continental Congress, which passed him over for promotion despite his impressive track record as a military commander, or that greed was his primary motivator. Instead, Brumwell credits Arnold’s own statements that he felt that offers to the rebels to end the fighting were both genuine and satisfactory, and that his defection was intended to reunite the fractured British Empire. Supporting his case with evidence such as the writings of British officer John Simcoe, Brumwell makes plausible the counterintuitive notion that Arnold’s position was not a fringe one, but actually “symptomatic of a far wider discontent” among the colonials. He also narrates the arc of Arnold’s life and reminds nonspecialists that the Americans’ eventual victory was far from inevitable. Open-minded readers will appreciate his dissenting view that Arnold may have “genuinely had his country’s well-being at heart,” a view that Brumwell believes “merits careful consideration within any balanced re-examination of America’s most infamous traitor.” (May)

From the Publisher

Deftly weaving that story into the larger military history of the American Revolution, Mr. Brumwell vividly sketches characters and recounts pivotal episodes.”—William Anthony Hay, Wall Street Journal

“Historian Brumwell offers a provocative explanation for one of the enduring mysteries of the American Revolution: why did Benedict Arnold, one of ‘Washington’s most celebrated and valued subordinates,’ become a traitor in 1780? . . . Open-minded readers will appreciate his dissenting view that Arnold may have ‘genuinely had his country’s well-being at heart,’ a view that Brumwell believes ‘merits careful consideration within any balanced re-examination of America’s most infamous traitor.’”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Gripping . . . This fine book situates Benedict Arnold within several contexts: issues of loyalty and disloyalty; treason as a political concept and a crime; relationships among honor, reputation, politics, and war; and the ordeal of 1780 for everyone embroiled in the Revolutionary War.  In a time when charges of treason and disloyalty intrude into our daily politics, Turncoat is essential reading.”—R. R. B. Bernstein, City College of New York

“Lucidly written and rich in detail, Brumwell’s narrative explains Benedict Arnold’s treason by taking him at his word—that the Revolution’s arch-traitor turned his coat to save America from a bloody civil war and a patriot cause gone astray. Brumwell’s conclusions are as provocative as Arnold was controversial.  A gripping read.”—Mark Edward Lender, Co-author of the award-winning Fatal Sunday

"Written with grace and flair by a leading military historian Turncoat examines Benedict Arnold's career as a soldier on both sides during the War of Independence. In so doing Brumwell has written an incisive study of the war and the very meaning of the American Revolution itself. This is the defining portrait of Arnold for the twenty-first century.”—Francis D. Cogliano, author of Revolutionary America

"The most balanced and insightful assessment of Benedict Arnold to date. Utilizing fresh manuscript sources, Brumwell reasserts the crucial importance of human agency in history.”—Edward G. Lengel, author of General George Washington
 

Edward G. Lengel

"The most balanced and insightful assessment of Benedict Arnold to date. Utilizing fresh manuscript sources, Brumwell reasserts the crucial importance of human agency in history.”—Edward G. Lengel, author of General George Washington

Francis D. Cogliano

"Written with grace and flair by a leading military historian Turncoat examines Benedict Arnold's career as a soldier on both sides during the War of Independence. In so doing Brumwell has written an incisive study of the war and the very meaning of the American Revolution itself. This is the defining portrait of Arnold for the twenty-first century.”—Francis D. Cogliano, author of Revolutionary America

Mark Edward Lender

“Lucidly written and rich in detail, Brumwell’s narrative explains Benedict Arnold’s treason by taking him at his word—that the Revolution’s arch-traitor turned his coat to save America from a bloody civil war and a patriot cause gone astray. Brumwell’s conclusions are as provocative as Arnold was controversial.  A gripping read.”—Mark Edward Lender, Co-author of the award-winning Fatal Sunday

R. R. B. Bernstein

“Gripping...This fine book situates Benedict Arnold within several contexts: issues of loyalty and disloyalty; treason as a political concept and a crime; relationships among honor, reputation, politics, and war; and the ordeal of 1780 for everyone embroiled in the Revolutionary War.  In a time when charges of treason and disloyalty intrude into our daily politics, Turncoat is essential reading.”—R. R. B. Bernstein, City College of New York

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170531462
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	05/29/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged

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