Major John Andre: A Gallant in Spy's Clothing

Revolutionary War buffs will welcome this biography of Andre (17501780), a British officer who was closely involved with Gen. Benedict Arnold after the latter defected from the American cause. A London merchant's son, Andre, a witty aesthete, fled a life in trade to join the British army, where he quickly rose in North American posts. In this well-written account, Hatch (Thrust for Canada describes Andre's experiences as an ambitious young officer in the 1770s (from a brief imprisonment to the high life in Tory Philadelphia), then details his work as confidant and intelligence chief to Sir Henry Clinton, including months of coded negotiations with turncoat Arnold, who promised to deliver West Point to the British. Careless in his arrangements with Arnold, Andre was captured and hanged by the Americans. Photos. (March 28)