Benedict Arnold

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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If someone knows just two names from the US War for Independence, they're George Washington and Benedict Arnold. We should all probably know a few more, but most of us have those two in our mental arsenal. He's easily the most famous traitor since Judas Iscariot – his name is synonymous with the act.

But how many of us know just how he betrayed the American forces? How'd he get to that position? What happened to him afterwards? This book answers those questions – and a few others you hadn't thought to ask.

The story is just tragic, really. That's not an apologetic for the guy – don't make misunderstand me. But there's just something about his floundering for significance and success that just strikes you as sad – he's like Forrest Gump, but without engendering any good will anywhere.

I want to read more about Arnold after reading about this – something I never expected.

As they have every time I see them interact with Christianity, these authors just don't get it. They seem to misunderstand the New Light/Old Light controversy and American Puritanism. It's a very minor point in this narrative, but as trends go, it's pretty annoying.

This is a pretty compelling story and the book seems longer than it is – that's not long as in boring, but long as in it covers a lot and you'd think it'd take at least 20 more pages to fit it all in. This brief biography of Arnold is this series at its best – a brief introduction of something most of us should know about told in a way that you can digest easily, that will drive you to read more.