Jack Kelly’s God Save Benedict Arnold is a captivating addition to American Revolution history. Focusing on the life of Benedict Arnold, one of the war’s most brilliant strategists, Kelly delves into both the personal and professional aspects that drove Arnold to commit the act of treason that made him infamous. I have always read/known about the treason but not the motivations behind that action. This book paints a different picture of Arnold and highlights Arnold’s business smarts, experiences as a trader on the high seas, and the impact of his father’s alcoholic downfall. This upbringing fueled Arnold’s lifelong sensitivity to insults and disrespect, which played a significant role in his later decisions. Truly a case of nature vs. nurture where nurture wins. Kelly also describes the various war activities that Arnold led and the courage and bravery those events required. Made worse by his childhood, Arnold’s fragile ego and sense of honor suffered as others took credit for his strategies and victories, leading to resentment. Furthermore, Kelly masterfully explores Arnold’s relationship with George Washington, who recognized Arnold’s genius and importance to the American cause. Washington’s anguish upon discovering Arnold’s treachery is palpable, and the two men became polar opposites in the hearts and minds of Americans. Although you cannot truly forgive the treachery, you can now have a better understanding on possibilities for why and to potentially see Arnold in a better light. In summary, Kelly’s work offers nuance, context, and recognition for the heroic efforts Arnold displayed before his fateful decision to abscond to Britain. A must-read for history enthusiasts and those curious about the enigmatic figure behind the infamous name.

If you would have asked me going into this book what I would have rated it, I probably would have said "I have no clue, but since it's about Benedict Arnold, there's no way it will be five stars from me!" I have been leading a book club reading nonfiction books about the American Revolution for the last 6 years, and I DO NOT like when Benedict Arnold appears. (I blame the first book I read about him, which made him out to be very whiny and entitled because I've viewed him that way ever since.) However, after reading Jack Kelly's book "Valcour," which heavily featured Arnold, and not wanting to throw the book across the room, I decided to give his newest book a chance.

"God Save Benedict Arnold" presents a balanced view of one of the most hated people in American Revolutionary history. This is the third book I've read by Kelly, and if anyone could present a version of Arnold that didn't make me want to roll my eyes, it was going to be him. Kelly didn't make excuses for Arnold. He didn't try to force some outside agenda on Arnold's reasons for betrayal. And he didn't try to force all the blame on Peggy either. I love books that present the facts as they are known and allow the reader to draw their own conclusions. That was what Kelly set out to do in the author's introduction to the book, and he delivered beautifully on it. If Kelly ever decides to write a book on Saratoga, I would pick it up in an instant.

Here's my breakdown:
Structure/formatting 5/5
Thoroughness of research 5/5
Storytelling 5/5
Enjoyment 5/5
Prior knowledge needed 5/5

If you're like me and you've had a bad time with books featuring Arnold, or if you have "an Arnold face" like the one my friend says I make whenever Arnold is even casually mentioned, this may be the book for you. Will it change your opinions of Arnold? Probably not, but hopefully you'll find it just as enjoyable as I did.

If you think you know Benedict Arnold, think again. Jack Kelly's "God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America's Most Hated Man" is a captivating exploration of the man behind the infamous label of a traitor.

Kelly doesn't shy away from the historical truth but presents Arnold as a multifaceted and complex figure. The book unravels the layers of Arnold's life, from his early days and heroic exploits during the Revolutionary War to the fateful decision that stained his legacy.

Kelly weaves a compelling story, making history come alive without sacrificing accuracy. The book explores Arnold's frustrations, his relentless pursuit of recognition, and the intricate web of political maneuvering that shaped his destiny. "God Save Benedict Arnold" achieves the delicate balance of being informative and engaging. Whether you're a history buff or someone seeking a fresh perspective on a familiar tale, this book is worth a read.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

‘God Save Benedict Arnold’
This December release tells us more about the man we see as a traitor and of his contributions to our country’s founding.

Benedict Arnold is America’s most notorious traitor, his name synonymous with treason. Ironically, Arnold, a brilliant general, was a major reason the United States now exists. He was a big part of the reason why the Continental Army didn’t lose the Revolutionary War in its opening years.

“God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America’s Most Hated Man,” by Jack Kelly, presents Arnold’s career as an American patriot. Its focus is his performance as a field commander in the Continental Army.

Arnold’s Military Prowess

Arnold had an outsized effect on military activities in the war’s opening years. Mr. Kelly follows Arnold the patriot as he takes the hometown militia company he led to Boston from New Haven in April 1775. He joined the siege lines formed after the battles of Lexington and Concord. Thereafter, Arnold played an important, often critical part in the most important battles of the war’s first three years.

Such important battles included capturing Fort Ticonderoga, gaining control of Lake Champlain, leading one of the columns invading Canada in 1775, and overseeing an orderly retreat after the assault on Montreal failed. In 1776, he fought a brilliant delaying action on Lake Champlain. He delayed the British advance until autumn, forcing them to withdraw as winter fell. In 1777, he was passed over for promotion. But his efforts harrying the British during their Danbury Raid in April 1777 led to his promotion and command of one wing of the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign. There, he led two critical charges, which led to Britain’s defeat.

Mr. Kelly offers an excellent summation of Arnold’s brilliance during these battles and his overall military contributions. He shows that had Arnold been absent at any of them, Continental resistance would have collapsed, leading to a British victory. Yet after Saratoga, Arnold’s career began a downward spiral.

The Traitor’s Weakness

Throughout the book, Mr. Kelly reveals Arnold as abrasive, vain, and prickly about his honor, making enemies easily. George Washington cherished Arnold as a man who got things done. Fellow generals undercut Arnold and stole credit for his accomplishments. Congress repeatedly snubbed Arnold to demonstrate its superiority over Washington and his army. These events embittered Arnold and led to his committing treason against the patriot cause.

“God Save Benedict Arnold” is a fascinating portrait of a complex man. Mr. Kelly closes by analyzing Arnold’s motivations for betrayal. He shows that Arnold would have ended as a Revolutionary hero had he died at Saratoga.

An excellent biography of a man I knew very little about. I don't have much knowledge of history, so it was interesting to learn just how crucial Arnold was during the beginnings of the American Revolution. The author humanizes Arnold by discussing his childhood and family, but doesn't gloss over the awkward and off putting aspects of his personal life.

Arnold's motivations aren't completely clear, but it's easy to understand why Arnold felt let down by his new country and slighted by the promotions of much younger, less experienced men.

There were a lot of battle descriptions for my tastes. I did appreciate gaining an understanding of the truly miserable conditions and poor rations, as well as the terror of hand to hand combat. It helped me see the soldiers of the era as young men, rather than just an abstract idea from centuries ago.

I found thought-provoking the points near the end about celebrated Civil War generals long being seen as heroes, rather than traitors, unlike Arnold, despite their similarities.

Thank you NetGalley and LibroFM for the ARC. I will purchase for my library.

Growing up, I don't remember learning anything good about Benedict Arnold. His act of treason canceled anything he did before. This book provides a history lesson about the beginning of America. It is easy to read and there is a lot of information. As we come to the end, we learn factors that might have influenced Arnold, but nothing that others didn't also deal with, and nothing that excused him. I read an electronic copy courtesy of Net Galley, I am doing a review of my own free will.

The book presents a portrait of Benedict Arnold, a person notorious for betrayal of his country. While Benedict Arnold is considered a traitor, might his contributions to the country outweigh his betrayal? This is the main question the author considers. Even if you disagree with author’s assessments of Arnold’s behavior, you will find the book compelling both for the questions the book evokes and for the quality of writing. This book is great for people who like reading thought-provoking polemical books and for the American history buffs.

I didn't love this one but I also didn't hate this one. However I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

Wow! This book is a ton of information in a small-ish size. It's truly packed with quotes, letters, and cited info in nearly every paragraph; and interspersed with lovely little bits of prose. Not only is it very readable, but it's very fascinating! There's a great deal of context given for every "scene" in Arnold's history which was intimidating at first, but I quickly realized that the pay off of intensity and insight was worth it. I can't believe how little I knew of this aspect of the Revolution!

I enjoy reading historical nonfiction and fiction. This was a neat addition to my (kindle, that is) shelves of American history. This would make a great gift for history buffs.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an e-arc to read and voluntarily review.

Benedict Arnold is a traitor. That is what most know about this man. Jack Kelly takes a different stance, taking a closer look at who Arnold’s life, actions and motivations to better understand the choices he made. A well-researched and captivating history of Benedict Arnold.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Growing up, Benedict Arnold’s name was synonymous with TRAITOR. That would be the worst insult you could give someone. But after reading this book, I came to see that he was so much more than his one betrayal. This is a must read if you love history!
Many thanks to the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Very well written and researched biography of Benedict Arnold.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.

This was an interesting, well-researched read. I learned a lot about Benedict Arnold that I didn't know about before. This book delves into his background as a soldier and military leader. It also reflects the time he lived in. We know that he was a traitor, but he was more than that. He was a talented soldier and military leader and was overlooked by Congress when giving out promotions.
It allows you to make your own about why he became a traitor. It was a compelling read that described life during the time of Benedict Arnold, including his military exploits leading up to his eventual betrayal.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and the author of the ARC of this book.

If you love American History and the Revolution, this book is for you. Kelly pulls no punches and really dives into who Benedict Arnold was, what drove him, and why events played out the way they did. Fantastic job!

If you think that Benedict Arnold was nothing but a charlatan and a traitor, this is a good book to start with in learning just how wrong you are [and how schools still do not tell the truth about this man].

Was Benedict Arnold a good man? That is up to the reader to decide [and I am sure we would all have different views], but one, after learning the truth, cannot say he wasn't a patriot and that he didn't fight hard for his country. How it all went to heck in a handbasket and how he turned from that patriotism to being one of the most reviled men in history, is what this book tells you. And what a ride that will be for those who know only what they have been taught in school.

Well-written and researched, this was a great book to read in addition to the other books I have read about Mr. Arnold [may I recommend to the readers Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick? It delves more into the "why" than this book does, for those who want a more tidy ending] and I will be recommending it to all my history-loving friends.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jack Kelly, and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Benedict Arnold was born into a family of British immigrants in the American colonies. The author writes abou Benedict’s early life where he gets chance to to Yale but ends up leaving due to his father’s alcoholism bankrupting their finances. Benedict is given the opportunity to learn a trade which he does do. When he hears of the British soldiers marching from Boston, Benedict knew he had to gather men to fight them. He had already trained the local men so he said goodbye to his family and marched off to fight with his men. He was involved with the battles at Lexington, Concord and taking a leading role in Fort Ticonderoga. Benedict did not get recognition or respect from his fellow officers. The men he led had great admiration for hi.m. However he wanted respect, approval and recognition which seemed to elude him. His personality caused criticism among his fellow officers, The men he led only had admiration for him. He did develop a friendship with Washington. Washington believed Benedict Arnold to possess abilities not often found. In soldiers. Washington gave him the rank of colonel in the newly formed Continental Army. But then Benedict was assigned the protection of West Point. He decided to switch sides in a hard-fought war after this appointment. Once this was discovered, that Benedict Arnold had joined with the British military, he was considered a traitor. Benedict disappointed Washington greatly. After the war ended, he moved to England where he remained until his death. He was to be remembered only as a traitor and not for the successful strategies and victories.

A very well-researched and thorough account of "the most hated man in America." I only knew some of the main facts and tidbits about Benedict Arnold, so this book was a comprehensive (and not boring) and kept my interest. I loved learning the details about how Benedict Arnold made the decision to betray the early United States and earn this title.

Highly recommended book about someone so heinous!

Thanks to NetGalley, Jack Kelly and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available!

Every school child associates the name Benedict Arnold with an act of treason at the time that America was fighting for its’ independence, but there is so much more to the man that they are not taught. Originally from a well known family, his father became an alcoholic and lost the family fortune. Arnold became a merchant and gained leadership experience by taking command of his own ships. When war came to the American shores, he was involved with the takeover of Ticonderoga as well as the campaign against Quebec. Jack Kelly offers not only a look into his contributions to the war, but also the harsh conditions and starvation that the patriots faced as they followed Arnold into Canada. While Kelly offers no excuses for Arnold’s betrayal, he does give a clear picture of who Arnold was, including his disagreements with his peers, the frustration of being passed over for promotions and his own personal losses. This is highly recommended for readers with an interest in American history. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book or my review.

I love history but I often find it difficult to read nonfiction history. So it is always with a little trepediation that I pickup a history book. The American Revolution isn't usually a time period I have much interest in but I was curious about Benedict Arnold. I knew that he had been accused of treason but I'm not sure if I ever really knew what he did.

I'm glad I picked up this book. There was a lot about the American Revolution that either I just don't remember or I was never taught in school. For example, I don't remember the Patriots invading Canada or that there was a navy with warships. I knew that they did have to use boats - there's that famous painting of Washington crossing the Delaware River, but I didn't realize that there were battles fought on rivers and lakes.

I was also wondering on more than one occasion how the Americans ever won - we seemed so disorganized and there was very little money to support such a war. The book also gave me an appreciation of the feat that this fledgling country undertook. Many of the places that have bridges today did not then. There weren't roads or even footpaths in parts of the country where soldiers had to travel to reach other areas. We know how fast a battle can change yet communication between troops and higher command was almost non-existent because they relied on couriers on horseback that might be several days ride away. Jack Kelly does an excellent job of setting up the scene of the American Revolution.

Often the nonfiction books I struggle with has lists of dates and names, but Kelly is judicious in using both. At one point, I did wish that there was a bit more of a timeline given as I had lost track of when we were. Partly that is because Kelly is entirely linear in telling the life story of Benedict Arnold. He moves back and forth through Arnold's life to sprinkle out details that inform who Arnold became.

The writing flows well. At times it almost read like a novel, but Kelly provides plenty of eyewitness accounts through the letters, logs, and diaries of people that knew Arnold so it never felt like Kelly was inventing any of the plot.

By the time we get to the treasonous act, I was really questioning how could such a man commit treason. Kelly made it clear that Arnold was a vain man, but he also seemed very supportive of the Patriots cause. He often used his private funds to outfit regiments, he was injured a number of times, while personally aggrieved by the actions of Congress he continued to fight when he could have easily returned home.

With so much of history we can't really know what happened and when it comes to an individual's actions it is even more difficult. I like that Kelly lays out the various possibilities and doesn't just come right out and say "This is the reason!"

Whether you've been looking for more nonfiction to read since participating in Nonfiction November or have someone on your holiday gift list that loves history, this is an excellent book to pick up.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/12/god-save-benedict-arnold-by-jack-kelly.html

Benedict Arnold: A Complex Man

Benedict Arnold’s name is synonymous with traitor. That’s sometimes the only thing we remember about him. However, he was much more. He was brave to the point of recklessness, a brilliant strategist and a charismatic leader. His capture of Fort Ticonderoga was instrumental in helping to end the war. His attack on Quebec illustrates his ability to inspire men to follow him. Arnold was also thin-skinned feeling he didn’t get the recognition he deserved. His feelings of betrayal were not completely unjustified. The congress overlooked him several times for promotion raising men in lesser positions to higher rank.

When Arnold suffered a severe injury, he had time to brood on his injustices. This is apparently what led him to accept the British offer and start passing them military intelligence. While it’s easy to speculate that money was the lure that drove Arnold to treason, he was a sensitive individual who felt he had many grievances. This may have played a part in his decision.

This is a well researched biography. I particularly liked the quotations from period sources. I think this is a great addition to the history of the Revolutionary War period. The book was easy to follow. I felt I learned a great deal.

Thanks to the published and Net Galley for this review copy.