Benedict Arnold (1741-1801)

Arnold, Isaac. The Life of Benedict Arnold: His Patriotism and His Treason. Chicago: Jansen, McClurg and Co., 1879. "I wish to make known his patriotic services, his sufferings, heroism, and the wrongs which drove him to desperation, and converted one of the most heroic men of a heroic age to the perpetration of an unpardonable crime. I wish to introduce one drop of pity into the bitter cup of indignant denunciation." (p. 3) Not useless; the author used manuscript sources and is fair enough, but it is a long, dull book. Flexner, below, thinks it is the best biography available—before his own was written, of course.

Baylan, Brian Richard. Benedict Arnold: The Dark Eagle. New York: Norton, 1973. This is a sympathetic treatment of Arnold, "one of America's greatest heroes." The author attempts to "understand the pressures that drove Benedict Arnold into the arms of the British." (p. 11) "The romantic, heroic Benedict Arnold has been lost in the vilification of the traitor." (p. 15) The author is a director of plays and films. Modest bibliography, inadequate index.

Decker, Malcolm. Benedict Arnold, Son of the Heavens. Tarrytown: W. Abbatt, 1932. Seventy-nine illustrations, good index, extensive bibliography of published sources; not as many manuscripts consulted as by, say, Flexner. No full cita­tions to sources but explanatory material for each chapter.

— Ten Days of Infamy; a n Illustrated Memoir of the Arnold-Andre Conspiracy. New York:Arno Press, 1969. Copiously illustrated, with fold-out maps and a chronologi­cal chart. Selected bibliography of published works; fair index.

Flexner, James Thomas. The Traitor and the Spy: Benedict Arnold and John Andre. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1953. This is a fine work. There are no citations, but there is a discussion of historiographic questions for each chapter and a bibliography. Citations are published in a separate pamphlet, available (in 1953) from the publisher. Index.

Marpungo, J. E. Treason at West Point: The Arnold-Andre Conspiracy. New York:  Mason/Charter, 1975. A slight work; popular. Inadequate index. A list of books for further reading.

Paine, Lauren. Benedict Arnold, Hero and Traitor. New York: Ray, 1965. Paine sees Arnold as a paradox and his treason as "the embodiment ... of the reasons which prompt treason in forceful, violent men." (p. 11) No citations or bibliog­raphy.

Sellers, Charles Coleman. Benedict Arnold, the Proud Warrior. New York: Minton Balch, 1930. Arnold is presented as an adventurer, a characteristic which "urged him, impetuously hopeful, toward great things, and always snatched them from him when he came too near." (p. 6) Bibliography of manuscript and published sources; index.

Sherwin, Oscar. Benedict Arnold, Patriot and Traitor. New York: Century, 1931. Sympathetic to Arnold. Genealogical outline, bibliography of published works, index.

Sullivan, Edward Dean. Benedict Arnold, Military Racketeer. New York: Vanguard Press, 1932. Arnold's one loyalty was to "the furtherance of his own corrupt and heedless ambitions. Not a moment's scruple or sentimental dalliance halted his bullying and jostling course direct to disgrace." (p. ix) This is a typical product of the debunking era. It is neither biography nor history, but jour­nalism. No citations; bibliography of published works only; no index.

Wallace, Willard. Traitorous Hero: The Life and Fortunes of Benedict Arnold New York: Harper Bros., 1954. Wallace also wrote Bicentennial pamphlet XXVI, Connecticut's Dark Star of the Revolution: General Benedict Arnold (1978). "Recent research," he said in 1978, "has not basically changed the main lines of de­velopment and argument that were then advanced." (p. 74) Of the earlier work, Richard Sanderegger says, "Mr. Wallace, while arriving at conclusions similar to those of Mr. Flexner, is less objective .... He places too high a value on Arnold's ability and undervalues that of his contemporaries." (New England Quarterly 27:421.