Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution
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- Author：Nathaniel Philbrick
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Summary
A New York Times Bestseller
Winner of the George Washington Prize
A surprising account of the middle years of the American Revolution and the tragic relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold， f rom the New York Times bestselling author of In The Heart of the Sea， Mayflower， and In the Hurricane's Eye。
May be one of the greatest what-if books of the age--a volume that turns one of America's best-known narratives on its head。"--Boston Globe
Clear and insightful， [Valiant Ambition] consolidates Philbrick's reputation as one of America's foremost practitioners of narrative nonfiction。--Wall Street Journal
In the second book of his acclaimed American Revolution series， Nathaniel Philbrick turns to the tragic relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold。 In September 1776， the vulnerable Continental army under an unsure George Washington evacuated New York after a devastating defeat by the British army。 Three weeks later， one of his favorite generals， Benedict Arnold， miraculously succeeded in postponing the British naval advance down Lake Champlain that might have lost the war。 As this book ends， four years later Washington has vanquished his demons， and Arnold has fled to the enemy。 America was forced at last to realize that the real threat to its liberties might not come from without but from withinComplex， controversial， and dramatic， Valiant Ambition is a portrait of a people in crisis and the war that gave birth to a nation。
Winner of the George Washington Prize
A surprising account of the middle years of the American Revolution and the tragic relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold， f rom the New York Times bestselling author of In The Heart of the Sea， Mayflower， and In the Hurricane's Eye。
May be one of the greatest what-if books of the age--a volume that turns one of America's best-known narratives on its head。"--Boston Globe
Clear and insightful， [Valiant Ambition] consolidates Philbrick's reputation as one of America's foremost practitioners of narrative nonfiction。--Wall Street Journal
In the second book of his acclaimed American Revolution series， Nathaniel Philbrick turns to the tragic relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold。 In September 1776， the vulnerable Continental army under an unsure George Washington evacuated New York after a devastating defeat by the British army。 Three weeks later， one of his favorite generals， Benedict Arnold， miraculously succeeded in postponing the British naval advance down Lake Champlain that might have lost the war。 As this book ends， four years later Washington has vanquished his demons， and Arnold has fled to the enemy。 America was forced at last to realize that the real threat to its liberties might not come from without but from withinComplex， controversial， and dramatic， Valiant Ambition is a portrait of a people in crisis and the war that gave birth to a nation。
Reviews
Vera Hannaford
，
In school the I was taught a sanitized version of the Revolutionary War with the colonists uniting in lockstep to fight the British and after winning， they sat down and wrote the Constitution， and here we go the United States of America as they sing about it in Schoolhouse Rock。 Perhaps there were some loyalists， but they went to Canada。 No biggie。But it wasn't like that。 The Continental Congress was fighting and fractured and a mess。 They couldn't tax and the money wasn't worth much。 The Army n In school the I was taught a sanitized version of the Revolutionary War with the colonists uniting in lockstep to fight the British and after winning， they sat down and wrote the Constitution， and here we go the United States of America as they sing about it in Schoolhouse Rock。 Perhaps there were some loyalists， but they went to Canada。 No biggie。But it wasn't like that。 The Continental Congress was fighting and fractured and a mess。 They couldn't tax and the money wasn't worth much。 The Army nearly starved to death due to underfunding。 Loyalists were all about and I'm guessing that most people just wanted to live their lives。 In short， things were #messy and so was Arnold。He was vain， impulsive and touchy。 He was fearless， brave， and patriotic。 Like many traitors before and after， he pretty much did it for the money， encouraged by his comely but crazy loyalist wife。I thoroughly enjoyed the book， and I think elegant letter writing needs to make a come back。 。。。more
Jacque
，
A great read and thoroughly researched。 I learned about some battles and American Revolutionary war weapon technology。 I gained some psychological insight into Arnold's treason as well。 A great read and thoroughly researched。 I learned about some battles and American Revolutionary war weapon technology。 I gained some psychological insight into Arnold's treason as well。 。。。more
Len Knighton
，
VALIANT AMBITIONLexington， Bunker Hill， Valley Forge， Yorktown。 These are the places and battles most prominently taught in public schools when studying the American Revolutionary War。 In the six years， 1775-81， there were few， what might be called， major battles。 Nathaniel Philbrick chronicles the final four years of the War with a focus， not on George Washington， but on Benedict Arnold。 We learn of Arnold’s brilliance as a battlefield commander for Washington and his country。 Philbrick also te VALIANT AMBITIONLexington， Bunker Hill， Valley Forge， Yorktown。 These are the places and battles most prominently taught in public schools when studying the American Revolutionary War。 In the six years， 1775-81， there were few， what might be called， major battles。 Nathaniel Philbrick chronicles the final four years of the War with a focus， not on George Washington， but on Benedict Arnold。 We learn of Arnold’s brilliance as a battlefield commander for Washington and his country。 Philbrick also tells us of Arnold’s frustration with the Continental Congress， especially when it came to getting paid。 Arnold wanted glory and rank， but he also wanted dollars。 Arnold stands beside Judas Iscariot as history’s infamous traitors， betraying country and God， respectively， for the coins of the realm。 VALIANT AMBITION is a fast read， beautifully written。 Do not pay attention to the time taken to read this book。 I was reading four other books at the same time。 One of those books was the third of the CALL THE MIDWIFE trilogy: Farewell to the East End。 In the final chapter， author Jennifer Worth wrote，“Ambition is a double-edged sword。 One side will cut through stagnation and lead to a new life; without ambition， mankind would still be living in caves。 But the other side can be destructive…” These words truly fit Benedict Arnold， but also countries and people。 Indeed， if not for ambition， our country would not have been created。This book was published in 2016， an election year that propelled our nation into perhaps its most divisive era。 In the Epilogue entitled “A Nation of Traitors，” Philbrick wrote，“As Arnold had demonstrated， the real enemy was not Great Britain， but those Americans who sought to undercut their fellow citizens’ commitment to one another。 …the greatest danger to America’s future came from self-serving opportunism masquerading as patriotism。 …By turning traitor， Arnold had alerted the American people to how close they had all come to betraying the Revolution by putting their own interests ahead of their newborn country’s。"Those lessons are still to be learned by many in our nation。 Five stars 。。。more
Michael Mitchell
，
Loved the details of Arnold and Andre’s plan and comedy of errors that led to its failure。
Aaron Million
，
Nathaniel Philbrick has turned in another wonderful effort， this time focusing on George Washington and Benedict Arnold in the heart of the American Revolution。 Giving roughly equal time to both men， as well as deftly mixing in much-needed context of what generally was going on in a nascent America， Philbrick maintains a clear-eyed view of Arnold's treachery as well as Washington's mistakes and subsequent learning from them。 He succeeds in showing that Arnold's story is more complex than simply Nathaniel Philbrick has turned in another wonderful effort， this time focusing on George Washington and Benedict Arnold in the heart of the American Revolution。 Giving roughly equal time to both men， as well as deftly mixing in much-needed context of what generally was going on in a nascent America， Philbrick maintains a clear-eyed view of Arnold's treachery as well as Washington's mistakes and subsequent learning from them。 He succeeds in showing that Arnold's story is more complex than simply saying he was a traitor， while also pointing out how Washington struggled to control his aggressive battle instincts。Washington suffered from the constant meddling and lack of financial support from the Continental Congress。 The result was that he had a ragtag， ever-hungry army who kept suffering from desertions， disease， and death。 Washington had some serious missteps following the Battle of Bunker Hill， being outmaneuvered by the British on Long Island and later at Brandywine Creek and Trenton。 But Washington， as he was wont to do in other areas of his life， learned to control his impetuosity and preference for attacking， and instead adopt a long-term view， ultimately realizing that there was more pressure on the British to win the war than there was on him， as Britain was expected to win， and win easily。 That they did not is somewhat of a miracle。 Arnold also suffered at the hands of the Continental Congress。 He engaged in a long-running feud about his rank， and then his seniority。 Always present， and increasingly taking a primary position， was the matter of his finances。 Arnold liked high living and had gotten used to having money after having built up a fairly large nest egg as a merchant in Connecticut。 But the Congress was petulant and cheap， and Arnold was not treated well in return for his significant efforts - partially through his own ill-temper and partially because of the pettiness of some of the Massachusetts delegates such as John Adams。 Arnold repeatedly put his life on the line for the American cause， being seriously wounded in his left leg three different times。 Philbrick picks up the story in 1776， after the Declaration of Independence was signed， after the significant events of 1775， and after Arnold's unsuccessful invasion of Montreal。 In some ways， this is a sequel to his Bunker Hill where Arnold was barely in it and Washington was a supporting figure。 He alternates back and forth between the two men as， while they occasionally met and seemed to like each other， most of the time they were in different places。 Sprinkled in are occasional discourses on what the state of the war was at the time。 That is key to understanding the context that Washington and Arnold had to operate in。 These men were not living and working in a vacuum， although it probably seemed that way to both at separate times。 One area where Philbrick especially excels at is in reviewing the various battles that took place during this focused time period （which ends in Arnold's defection to the British in September 1780）。 Philbrick provides just enough detail to know how the battles were planned and then how they played out without being overly detailed or gory。 Augmenting these battle descriptions， and this was essential to helping my understanding， were multiple well-placed and easy-to-read maps that helped me to envision the topography and movements of the various armies， along with local landmarks and land fortifications。 The final map detailed Arnold's defection， the route he took and the route of British major John Andre that led to his capture。 The beauty of Philbrick's writing here is that even though I knew how things turned out， especially after having recently read Willard Sterne Randall's biography of Arnold， I was still eager to get to the next page。 Unlike Randall， Philbrick is more even in his handling of Arnold。 Whereas Randall tended to give Arnold the benefit of the doubt on many of his dealings with Congress， Philbrick paints a much more neutral portrait that showed both sides antagonizing each other。 Arnold did not deserve the poor treatment that he received， but he was also his own worst enemy and brought a lot of the venom upon himself。 His second wife， Peggy， is also looked at with a much less understanding and more critical eye。 After finishing Randall's book， I had suspected that she was a big factor in Arnold's eventual decision to sell himself to the British and try to surrender West Point。 After finishing Philbrick's books， I am convinced that she was the impetus for his fateful decision and that， while in no way letting him off the hook here， he did not seem to ever think of going over to the British until after he had met her and then married her （or， at a minimum， he did not write of it）。 Arnold had some good traits but he had a selfish and ultimately destructive personality。 He had no qualms about using people to suit his own needs。 Sometimes those needs coincided with that of the colonies; sometimes they didn't。 Washington had his own issues， but managed to subjugate them to the greater cause。 Washington also learned from his mistakes - something that Arnold seemed to be incapable of doing。 Philbrick also accurately reviews the tensions between loyalists and patriots。 Both sides committed crimes against each other。 The Revolution was never a foregone conclusion。 As Philbrick writes， it was zealous Americans who didn't want to be subjugated any longer to the whims of Great Britain against other Americans who viewed the first group as traitors and greedy， with most Americans honestly not caring too much one way or the other as long as their lives were not negatively impacted。 From page 322: "The United States had been created through an act of disloyalty。 No matter how eloquently the Declaration of Independence had attempted to justify the American rebellion， a residual guilt hovered over the circumstances of the country's founding。" The only thing that I wish Philbrick had included was Arnold's subsequent time as a Brigadier General in the British Army， and his vicious sacking and pilfering of Richmond， VA。 But I understand why he ended the story at the time of Arnold's defection。 Arnold and Washington were done with each other at that point。 Arnold was also done with America by then， at least in his heart， and America was certainly done with him。 Grade: A 。。。more
Jason Barnum
，
This was a book about the traitor， Benedict Arnold。
Jeff Wilson
，
Philbrick writes well and I'm hoping that his treatment of this period during the war for Independence is just a bump in the road。 To be sure the title draws attention to Benedict Arnold as a main theme of the book but it would have been better to not have so focused to the extent that he did。 His general approach to this book is that all the other characters that make an appearance in this text （the Howe brothers， George Washington， Nathanial Greene， all of Congress， Cornwallis， Burgoyne， Gates Philbrick writes well and I'm hoping that his treatment of this period during the war for Independence is just a bump in the road。 To be sure the title draws attention to Benedict Arnold as a main theme of the book but it would have been better to not have so focused to the extent that he did。 His general approach to this book is that all the other characters that make an appearance in this text （the Howe brothers， George Washington， Nathanial Greene， all of Congress， Cornwallis， Burgoyne， Gates， etc， etc） are all lacking in virtue or wisdom to some degree and only Arnold has the warrior approach to the war that is necessary。 He does eventually include Arnold in his list of people who are flawed。 Ultimately， as I mentioned earlier， he writes well。 So the reader can still get a very good idea of the course of the war as it takes place after the siege of Boston up to the treason of Arnold。 I would particularly like to applaud his efforts during the last two chapters that deal with the treason in an appropriate level of detail。 。。。more
Mike
，
Bit uneven， but good account of how unbridled ambition can blind。
。
，
The only thing keeping this from 5 stars was his delving into psychology。 After painting so clear a picture of Arnold as an undervalued general， I couldn't buy the author's insinuation that his defecting was a narcissistic act done in reckless abandon。 If anything， if we note that Benedict Arnold didn't know that the Americans were due to win the fight thanks to the immense French forces on their way， then what he did makes sense in context。 In his experience， the continental army was repeatedly The only thing keeping this from 5 stars was his delving into psychology。 After painting so clear a picture of Arnold as an undervalued general， I couldn't buy the author's insinuation that his defecting was a narcissistic act done in reckless abandon。 If anything， if we note that Benedict Arnold didn't know that the Americans were due to win the fight thanks to the immense French forces on their way， then what he did makes sense in context。 In his experience， the continental army was repeatedly and hopelessly inept and it isn't without reason that he'd assume their failure was imminent， especially without him。 。。。more
Michael Giuliano
，
Valiant Ambition was solid if unremarkable， proceeding in workmanlike fashion through a tale with which I was mostly unfamiliar。 I was far more interested in the contours of the broader conflict than in the specifics of Arnold’s story。 To be fair， though， my feelings may have more to do with Arnold’s singularly uninteresting character than the book’s shortcomings。 I thoroughly enjoyed the final 50 pages or so， but I can’t help feeling the entire book would have benefited from a similar sense of Valiant Ambition was solid if unremarkable， proceeding in workmanlike fashion through a tale with which I was mostly unfamiliar。 I was far more interested in the contours of the broader conflict than in the specifics of Arnold’s story。 To be fair， though， my feelings may have more to do with Arnold’s singularly uninteresting character than the book’s shortcomings。 I thoroughly enjoyed the final 50 pages or so， but I can’t help feeling the entire book would have benefited from a similar sense of urgency and context。 。。。more
Jesse H。 Cockerham
，
a great read for a fresh look at the revolutionary war and Benedict Arnolds treachery i personally think he should not have pursued a woman with loyalist ties who also turned out to be a great manipulator and instead of enjoying their station in American society it just wasn't good enough for the Shippens a very easy read been reading it at my gym i highly recommend these books and this author a great read for a fresh look at the revolutionary war and Benedict Arnolds treachery i personally think he should not have pursued a woman with loyalist ties who also turned out to be a great manipulator and instead of enjoying their station in American society it just wasn't good enough for the Shippens a very easy read been reading it at my gym i highly recommend these books and this author 。。。more
Shinae Wyckoff
，
Fascinating story。 Philbrick highlights two well-known figures: Benedict Arnold and George Washington， and draws you through the 1776 Battle of New York through 1780， when Arnold’s betrayal was discovered。 This book does a good job of pacing what could feel like an onslaught of information: battle data， comments from contemporaries’ personal correspondence， political maneuvering in Congress， downturns in the local economy， and perspectives of public opinion at the time。 He pulls all this togethe Fascinating story。 Philbrick highlights two well-known figures: Benedict Arnold and George Washington， and draws you through the 1776 Battle of New York through 1780， when Arnold’s betrayal was discovered。 This book does a good job of pacing what could feel like an onslaught of information: battle data， comments from contemporaries’ personal correspondence， political maneuvering in Congress， downturns in the local economy， and perspectives of public opinion at the time。 He pulls all this together into a narrative that is not only readable but compelling。 He shows how Washington’s natural aggressiveness and indecisiveness often got in the way of making the best decisions as general， demonstrating how much Washington had to grow as a person and as a military leader throughout the course of these years - his legendary self-control and patience and resolve despite heavy criticism were qualities he grew and developed， not natural to him。 He contrasts starkly with Arnold， whose own natural faculties and tendencies are highlighted as well。 It is interesting to hear more in-depth accounts of Arnold’s successes on the battlefield， his keen， analytical eye for identifying weaknesses in his battle opponents， and his courage to charge into the fray。 Had his underlying character had a firmer foundation of humility rather than vainglory， and his fiscal responsibility outpaced his desire to live in style， he might not have felt so panicked and offended by the circumstances of his lack of promotion and income。 And if this isn’t a lesson in be-very-thoughtful-about-who-you-marry， I don’t know what is。 Her character did him no favors。 The author does a fabulous job at drawing your eye toward relevant contrasts， especially in the characters of similarly situated contemporaries。 The ego of one set versus the concern for the greater good by the other set （Arnold vs Washington; Officer André vs Nathan Hale）。 The point is well made。 It really is striking; the difference between what people can accomplish if their desire is for goodness rather than greatness。 Arnold’s ego and self-absorption pull him inexorably toward the downward spiral we all see coming。 Like watching a bad wreck。I would say this is a great read for anyone interested in this era。 It will be especially enjoyable if you enjoy a character-driven story。 。。。more
Aaron
，
The founding myths of American History are way less interesting than its facts。
Jim
，
An excellent recounting of the nature of the relationship between Washington and Arnold， the history of Arnold’s service in the Continental Army and his perceived slights suffered at the hands of fellow officers as well as the Congress。 It follows closely Arnold’s path to treason and Major John Andre’s part in it。 The author’s conclusion is that Arnold’s treason served to bring the country together in support of Washington and the Army
Diane
，
The American story I was taught in grade school was a myth。 Philbrick brilliantly illustrates the self-interest and politics behind the fighting of the American Revolution。 "Whether it was Joseph Reed's willingness to promote his state's interest at the expense of what was best for the country as a whole or Arnold's decision to sell his loyalty to the highest bidder， the greatest danger to America's future [and still a danger today] came from self-serving opportunism masquerading as patriotism。" The American story I was taught in grade school was a myth。 Philbrick brilliantly illustrates the self-interest and politics behind the fighting of the American Revolution。 "Whether it was Joseph Reed's willingness to promote his state's interest at the expense of what was best for the country as a whole or Arnold's decision to sell his loyalty to the highest bidder， the greatest danger to America's future [and still a danger today] came from self-serving opportunism masquerading as patriotism。"p。322 。。。more
Deb
，
Another brilliant book from Philbrick regarding the Revolution。 It is a beautifully written history bringing so much context to the founding of the country。
Laurie
，
An excellent historical look at the evolution of Benedict Arnold through the Revolution。
James J
，
great
Emily
，
Nathaniel Philbrick is one of the best at taking history and turning it into a tapestry of color and character， especially when it comes to maritime and revolutionary history。 He is an especially gifted writer of personality and character; his heroes and historical figures jump to life on the page， as does his portrayal of place。 His book on Bunker Hill made me feel an extraordinary kinship with wartime Boston， and standing next to the monument in Charlestown， I could picture the death of Joseph Nathaniel Philbrick is one of the best at taking history and turning it into a tapestry of color and character， especially when it comes to maritime and revolutionary history。 He is an especially gifted writer of personality and character; his heroes and historical figures jump to life on the page， as does his portrayal of place。 His book on Bunker Hill made me feel an extraordinary kinship with wartime Boston， and standing next to the monument in Charlestown， I could picture the death of Joseph Warren。 It's a gift to bring the dead to life; if the past is a foreign country， the ability to translate its motives and urgencies to present readers is precious， and is an ability that Philbrick has aplenty。Valiant Ambition， however， falls short of my expectations for Philbrick。 Roughly， it follows the life of Benedict Arnold from boyhood to the end of the West Point affair， and during the war years uses the life and actions of George Washington as a foil。 Along the way， Philbrick pays special attention to interesting maritime incidents during the Revolution， singling out John Glover and the Marblehead men for special mention in New York and Trenton both - it was their seamanship that made the New York retreat， and the treacherous Trenton crossing， possible。There are several criticisms of the way this story is told， paired with some positives。 First， Philbrick has done an excellent job forming the character and personality of Benedict Arnold for his readers。 He is an ambitious and clever man - perhaps not so clever as he thinks - and a brilliant， quick-thinking soldier。 He is also thin-skinned and hot-headed， and works so quickly to outthink the people around him that he lands himself into situations he can't get himself out of。 But in attempting to compare him to Washington， Philbrick stretches his narrative too thin: the comparison is not deep enough to feel robust。 We follow his expeditions to Canada， battles on Champlain， and victory at Battle of Valcour Island， in which Arnold， a skilled sailor， deftly leverages the winds to win a victory over the British ships on Lake Champlain。 We follow him to Saratoga， where he rallies the men and helps lead them to victory， despite Horatio Gates's dithering。 Here， though， is another miss。 Saratoga feels sketchily told; Arnold， for all the paeans sung to his heroism， comes off as a bumbling but charismatic figure who somehow saves the day - Philbrick does not really explain how this happens。 Saratoga comes off flat; Arnold's heroism does not make sense in the way he has explained it。From here， Philbrick does a convincing job of portraying Arnold's fall from grace: his money woes， his deep bitterness at the politics that led to him being passed over for the promotions he felt he deserved; the death of his wife and his subsequent marriage to Peggy Shippen - a noted beauty with high financial expectations。 It is to Philbrick's credit， and the strongest point of the book， that he portrays Arnold's decisions and his desperation so clearly。 If for no other reason， I would recommend Valiant Ambition for how clearly he chronicles this undoing。From here， again， Philbrick continues strongly into the plot to surrender West Point; again， he does an excellent job explaining how Arnold came to take command here。 But he loses some of the major details， rushing through towards the ending。 When the ending comes， it's so abrupt I was shocked。 I imagine that Philbrick is planning a sequel， otherwise， this ending makes absolutely no sense。Overall， this book is inconsistent。 Philbrick has excelled at capturing Arnold's character and translating his internal personality and motives into explanations of his actions。 It's too his credit that I understood why Arnold made every decision he did; I felt empathy for him， and also saw very clearly the personality traits that led him into the choices he made。 At certain points， the comparison with Washington - a strong and highly emotional character in his own right - is helpful; it shows that Washington was able to subdue his emotions and rise above hot-headed impetuousness。 But this comparison is so thin that it feels like a sideshow。This is， in fact， the central criticism of the book: Philbrick tries to do too much。 He has flashes of greatness， but in trying to cover so much， it feels rushed and incomplete。 There are too many missing pieces， so while center stage is interesting， we're very aware that the scenes just don't add up。 The attempt structure of the comparison with Washington and the maritime asides are two sideshows， but overall， while Philbrick has convincingly created Arnold， he rushes through certain scenes and neglects to include others。The great conceit of this book is well-put here: "The United States had been created through an act of disloyalty。 No matter how eloquently the Declaration of Independence had attempted to justify the American rebellion， a residual guilt hovered over the circumstances" （322）。 This is an excellent summary and a brilliant point。 But he builds on it， "Arnold had changed ll that。。。。 Arnold gave this nation of traitors the greatest of gifts: a myth of creation" （322）。 This is all interesting， but it's totally unsupported - it's just tossed out there and lands， staring up at us and asking us to believe on faith。 You could write an entire book on this subject along， and it's a fascinating one！ But Philbrick does an extreme disservice to this extraordinary conclusion by stating it without any contextual support。Philbrick is an incredible writer: well-paced and with a great eye for personality and for simplifying the complications of a long-ago time with its strange military conventions and creakiness。 In this book， he's come up with some great ideas and new takes on Benedict Arnold， who is well-presented in a way that transcends him beyond the simple label of traitor。 But Philbrick has fallen far short of the mark in truly completing the goals he set out to accomplish， and ultimately， while I learned a lot， I was left disappointed。 。。。more
Kelly Camui
，
He is such a thorough researcher。 His books are always a treat
Edward Newman
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A fascinating， well-written and exciting account of the post-Lexington and Concord/Bunker Hill period of the American Revolution， focusing on the campaigns in NY， Philadelphia and New Jersey， but even more so on the personalities of the main protagonists: Washington， Benedict Arnold， and the other American， French and British soldier’s and politicians。 The depth of the disarray amongst the Americans was remarkable， with the states pulling in multiple directions， most American civilians becoming A fascinating， well-written and exciting account of the post-Lexington and Concord/Bunker Hill period of the American Revolution， focusing on the campaigns in NY， Philadelphia and New Jersey， but even more so on the personalities of the main protagonists: Washington， Benedict Arnold， and the other American， French and British soldier’s and politicians。 The depth of the disarray amongst the Americans was remarkable， with the states pulling in multiple directions， most American civilians becoming disinterested in the War， and even more so， in paying for it， the veritable class warfare that was breaking out between dedicated revolutionaries and the indifferent， the increasing thuggish conduct of the American militia toward other Americans， the brutality of the British， and at the center: the talented but avaricious， vain and easily slighted Benedict Arnold， a bona fide hero whose lust for money and women turned him traitor; and Major Jihn André， the silky British officer who seduced even his captors with his erudition and charm。 Highly recommended: but start with the first volume of the three book history of the Revolution， Bunker Hill。 。。。more
Zach
，
PRETTY GREAT！ This is going to make me a Philbrickian--this and In the Heart of the Sea。
Josiah
，
" Washington is rightly regarded today as one of the greatest military commanders and statesmen in American History。 But like every exceptional leader， he made his share of mistakes。 Indeed， to insist that Washington could do no wrong is to deny him his greatest attribute: his extraordinary ability to learn and improve amid some of the most challenging circumstances a commander in chief has ever faced。"- Nathaniel Philbrick， Valiant Ambition: George Washington， Benedict Arnold， and the Fate " Washington is rightly regarded today as one of the greatest military commanders and statesmen in American History。 But like every exceptional leader， he made his share of mistakes。 Indeed， to insist that Washington could do no wrong is to deny him his greatest attribute: his extraordinary ability to learn and improve amid some of the most challenging circumstances a commander in chief has ever faced。"- Nathaniel Philbrick， Valiant Ambition: George Washington， Benedict Arnold， and the Fate of the American Revolution。 " I met him upon the road a little distance from Dobbs ferry。 He was then taking his observations and examining the roads。 I thought that he was upon some deviltry。 We met at a notch of the roads， and I observed he stopped， and sitting upon his horse， seemed minutely to examine each road。 I could not help taking notice of him， and thought it strange to see him quite alone in such a lone place。 He looked guilty， and well he might for Satan was in full possession of him at that instant as ever he was of Judas。" - Joseph Plumb Martin on Benedict Arnold， A Narrative of Some of the Adventures， Dangers and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier， Interspersed with Anecdotes of Incidents that Occurred Within His Own Observation。This is a story about two men， both had their issues， and both resolved them in different ways。 One is known as the father of the country， a respectable figure， symbolized with freedom， virtue， and purity。 The second is known as the complete opposite。 A self serving devil who replaced the cause of liberty for a get rich quick scheme。 Such a potent figure is he that his name bears a mark today of what he became: A notorious traitor to his own nation， his own friends。This is the second installment in Nathaniel Philbrick's trilogy on the Revolutionary war。 It covers the period from 1776 and Washington's headquarters in New York， to 1780 and the discovery of the betrayal of Benedict Arnold and the hanging of Major General John Andre。 This is the followup to the book Bunker Hill which I really enjoyed。 To understand this book as well as this period in American history， I think it is a necessity to understand the two main men in this story: The commander in chief and the betrayer。 ***WashingtonWashington is well known as the father of the country， the commander and chief during the revolution， and the first president of the United States setting the standard therein。 Many people though （including me） have this image in their mind when they think of him and some to the point that they have romanticized his whole image。 What is not known is that， in this period of war from 1776 to near 1780， Washington was in a tough spot。 For many he was a reckless， indecisive and not trust worthy general。 A belief he would come to conclude himself。After the embarrassing loss at long Island and Kipas bay， George Washington was distraught in the head。 New York would become a stronghold for the British and loyalist population， and would ultimately， in the future， cause many problems in the northern theater。 Washington had lost control of his army and even himself during this time。 He was ever upset at the quality of his army and the control that congress gave him over it。 He had problems with congress and their squabbles over whether the army should be just state militias （ which Washington deplored） or a traditional drafted army， he had problems with certain men in the army such as Joseph reed （a once close friend） and Horatio Gates， he had to deal with the disappointment of the French fleet and General d'Estaing， and he had to deal with the ever persistent of his deplorable army that would eventual become mainly misfits of society: Slaves seeking to be free， Immigrants， and Native-Americans。 Through all these problems， the thing he had to deal with the most was his actions。He would become a cherished hero but， at this time， he would have to deal with issues and he did deal with them。 He would realize that， even though at times he wanted it to be otherwise， the war would have to be a mainly defensive war with careful selected offensive attacks。 With this mindset he was able to create wins at the battles of Trenton and would find a reliable General in Arnold。In this book it shows the reason why we remember Washington as one of the patriarchs of America。 He solved his issues。 More than that， he admitted his issues。 He came to be respected by all true Americans。 It is valid to say that， where Washington admitted， learned， and prospered from his mistakes， Arnold justified his actions under the same mistreatment that Washington withstood。 Arnold As much as this book is about Washington， I believe that it is about Arnold much more。 While the prevailing amount of Americans today and （post betrayal） ones back then would consider Benedict Arnold a Devil， many do not realize the real story of the traitor。 Alike Washington， Arnold had his own amount of trouble during and before the war。 The differences between the two men was how they solved the trouble。Arnold was born to an alcoholic father， inherited a poor fortune， became in dept early （ partly because， according to him， the war）， and， with his wife's death， became an early widower with children to care for。 He started the war in a Connecticut militia he helped to sponsor but would gain success and popularity at the battle of Valcour Island on lake Champlain。 In this battle Arnold was able to find a defensible area on lake Champlain to ensure a， at least， more favorable battle against a bigger naval force of the British。Arnold， although reckless at times， was very talented and， where many would be indecisive in their endeavors， Arnold jumped into the battle。 He was an enraged man seeking to prove himself at any cost。 Washington saw this and knew this was a man that the war needed in high position。 Philbrick does a good job at， while not romanticizing his problems， making Arnold more humane and making his decisions just a product of how he dealt with things， just like every man who is reckless and seeking to prove himself would。 Far from saying he is largely misunderstood， he shows both wrongs， the ones he had to endure with the men we aspire today， and the ones he created。In the midst of the political cause faced by Washington， Arnold himself had to deal with possibly worse problems。 Due to the agreement in congress between states， each state was to have two Major Generals commanding。 Connecticut （ Arnold's home state） already had the two， So， even after Arnold's brilliance， he was not offered or allowed to have a Major Generals position。 Five new Generals would be appointed before him。 Washington was appalled by this treatment stating in a letter to Arnold: " We have lately had several promotions to the rank of Major General and I am at a loss whether you have had the preceding appointment。。。 or whether you have been omitted through some mistake！"Washington liked Arnold and wanted him to have the role。 He trusted him to some extent。 Among many unqualified generals who proved to be terrible on the battlefield， Arnold was a breath of fresh air but， like Washington's own battles with congress， he could do nothing about it。 Arnold would become so distressed over this and being stationed with other political men who treated him woefully （Horatio Gates） that， while leading a charge in the battle of Saratoga， he was shot through the left leg。 This distress was also a result of Gates and Wilkenson's way of leading （Gates sat in a tent far away from the front lines）。 Arnold， the betrayer， felt betrayed by his country and the political and military leaders around him so much that， upon being found shot， he stated: " I wished it had passed [through] my heart。"Arnold， still recovering from his wound， would retain a governorship in Philadelphia upon the British ceding the area。 He had to deal with a variety of issues in this role such as: cleaning up the trashed congress house， dealing with the loyalist and patriots hatred of each other， and a rebellion and riot。 He would handle all this with little excitement or enthusiasm， still wishing for the post he aspired to have。At this time， in the words of Philbrick， he would take advantage of the situation。 In the first act of betrayal， he instructed his aid to secretly look for and collect British or East Indian goods。 While doing this， he enforced a rule that the public could not do the same thing he did。 He was suffering economically at this time and， like Arnold always would， he'd go to any lengths to get what he wanted or needed。 This would be the start of steady stream of betrayal。This betrayal was partly due to his marriage to a loyalist leaning woman: the young Peggy Shippen。 She was furious of the treatment that Arnold had been under and， with Major John Andre， persistently pushed Arnold to offer his services to General Clinton; the commander and chief of the British， in exchange for a military position and many English pounds。 Given the trial and denouncement made by， yet again a should-be friend Joseph Reed and many in congress， Arnold agreed。They spent time in correspondence， using invisible ink and code names， and they agreed that， should the British take West Point， they could possibly win the war。 Arnold pleaded for this command and finally got it but the plan eventually failed due to his own self and correspondence Andre。During an in-person meeting between the two， Andre's ship was attacked by the colonists and Arnold decided it was too dangerous to attempt to board。 He asked Andre to travel across country to find protection in New York dressed in common man's clothes， which would make him a spy。 Andre was caught by Americans dressed as Hessians after he announce he was one of them。 They found the correspondence of letters in his sock and had them sent to Washington。 It stated many things but the most important was that Arnold was a traitor。The book ends with Arnold leaving aboard the same ship that he told Andre not to get on， while Andre would be hanged a few days later as a spy。 For Washington this was a hard thing to swallow and yet he was surprised that there were not more traitors like Arnold during these early days of the republic。***This review only scratches the surface of this book and is really made up many of my personal reflections and the key points throughout the work。 Philbrick takes a time of politics and embarrassment in American History and makes it exciting， a page turner。 Like in Bunker Hill， Philbrick assembles a interesting cast of characters such as: Horatio Gates， Henry Clinton， Joseph Plumb Martin， Joseph Reed， John Andre， and， even the wife of the traitor， Peggy Shippen， among many others。 He shows the human side of them all of them。 But， while the main feature of Bunker Hill was a community of patriots， in Valiant Ambition its not a community that plays the main role but two men。 Overall I found this book to be a riveting work。 I have now read four of Philbrick's books and none have disappointed。 While saying that though， I believe I liked the first installment of this trilogy better than the second and that was by the smallest of margins。 The reason for this is due to the way that Philbrick makes alive the city and community around Boston a way that I have never read before。 You really felt like you knew the characters of the community and the role that they played。 That being said， Washington and Arnold， as well as， the political situations are really shown brilliantly in this work。 Both of these books are wonderful in their own way and page turners。 I highly recommend both and hope to read the finale soon。 。。。more
Luke Gorham
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3 1/2。 Enjoy how un-romantic Philbrick writes of the Revolution， but this was a bit imbalanced overall。
Nick
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Great book as usual for Philbrick。 Valiant Ambition takes the reader through the middle section of America’s War of Independence by starting in the summer of 1776 and ending in the winter of 1780。 The book mostly highlights Benedict Arnold’s slow burning decline to treason。 Philbrick does a great job in outlining Arnold’s reasons for treason and showing the reader how the subject of loyalty was an extremely gray area during the Revolution。
Susan
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Excellent history of Benedict Arnold's strong military leadership qualities combined with his need for acclaim and monetary reward。 Also revealing side story of Washington's weak early military abilities。 Explains why Arnold turned traitor and switched to the British side。 Listened to audio book。 Excellent history of Benedict Arnold's strong military leadership qualities combined with his need for acclaim and monetary reward。 Also revealing side story of Washington's weak early military abilities。 Explains why Arnold turned traitor and switched to the British side。 Listened to audio book。 。。。more
Furnison
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5+。 This is an outstanding book， the best that Nathaniel Philbrick has ever written。 It contains much information that is new to me。 I found it hard to put down， something unusual in nonfiction。 Benedict Arnold was an interesting character。 He was one of the best patriot generals and crucial to some of the early battles。 He was brave and seriously injured in battle。 He was also a complete narcissist。
Gig Wailgum
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Loved learning more about such an interesting time （and GW and Arnold） in our young country。 I was left hanging at the end of this book。 But now i see that there is a second book that picks this narrative。
John Henson
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Great read！
Laurel
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