The Tragedy of Benedict Arnold: An American Life

Malcolm (Peter’s War: A New England Slave Boy and the American Revolution) adds to the crowded field of Benedict Arnold biographies with a solid if unremarkable work whose stated intention is “not to condone Arnold but to understand” him. Malcolm starts with Arnold’s difficult upbringing in a household disgraced by his father’s business failures and alcoholism, before moving on to Arnold’s early business ventures, including starting a combination drugstore and bookstore in New Haven, and then tracing his evolution as a soldier. As Malcolm notes, Arnold’s growth into someone considered “the most brilliant officer on either side of the Revolutionary War” is all the more impressive given that he entered that conflict with no actual military experience. According to Malcolm, Arnold’s betrayal was the culmination of his “lifelong struggle for honor and respect,” and repeated professional slights, such as being passed over for promotions and the unwarranted micromanagement of his expenses, ultimately led from discontent to treason. Malcolm’s unsourced speculation about Arnold’s thoughts raises questions about methodology, and she never manages to make her subject come across as a living, breathing person. It’s a readable account of a remarkable life, but there isn’t much here to distinguish this from the many books about Arnold. [em](May) [/em]