Turncoat : Benedict Arnold and the crisis of American liberty
(Book)

General Benedict Arnolds 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, Arnolds 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 Arnolds abandonment of the revolutionary cause he once championed. This work traces Arnolds journey from enthusiastic support of American independence to his spectacularly traitorous acts and narrow escape. Brumwells research leads to an unexpected conclusion: Arnolds mystifying betrayal was driven by a staunch conviction that Americas best interests would be served by halting the bloodshed and reuniting the fractured British Empire.