Fateful turns, choices and escapes from certain death dominate this captivating story of the most compelling figures of the Revolutionary War. When General George Washington appointed Benedict Arnold military commander of the Philadelphia region, military historian Palmer argues, he was not only making one of the worst personnel decisions of his career, but was also creating the conditions for the "Traitor of America" to commit his crime. Stark contrasts and similarities between two men show how their choices informed their destiny. The son of an alcoholic, Arnold became a wealthy merchant before he took up arms against the British, but distinguishing himself on the battlefield was not enough to earn Arnold the prestige he perpetually sought. Washington, who grew up on a tranquil farm, was the beneficiary of guidance from influential figures and was groomed to be a leader. Palmer has a talent for building momentum and suspense, but his most skilled turn is as profiler of the military comrades who would later be foes.
Two great patriots. Two giants of the battlefield. Yet one became our greatest hero, and one became our most notorious traitor. In this enthralling new dual biography—one of the very few to deal with Benedict Arnold—military historian and former superintendent of West Point Dave R. Palmer shows how and why George Washington became the father of our country while Benedict Arnold became a man without a country.
It was a surprising turn of events. No man was more ardent for the patriot cause and more recklessly brave on the battlefield than Benedict Arnold. After the first three years of the Revolutionary War, every patriot recognized as our two greatest warriors George Washington, commander of the Continental Army, and twice battle-wounded Benedict Arnold, captor of Fort Ticonderoga, invader of Canada, and victor at the battle of Saratoga. Washington and Arnold admired each other. Washington saw Arnold as a true fighting soldier whose merits were unjustly neglected by his superiors and the Continental Congress. Arnold respected Washington as a worthy commander in chief. They even shared enemies—both men were subject to jealous conspiracies against them from plotting generals and petty politicians (including, in Washington’s case, John Adams). But while Washington rose above his enemies, Arnold became embittered by them. With a character less stoic than Washington’s, in pain from his battlefield wounds, and with slow twists of mind, heart, character, and decision, Arnold, in charge of Fortress West Point, finally committed himself to betraying the cause that he had previously served so well. In dramatic fashion, George Washington and Benedict Arnold: A Tale of Two Patriots unveils a chapter of American history that rivals any novel or film for action, intrigue, and romance. It is a story that few Americans know, but that every American should.
