THE DARK EAGLE: The Story of Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold has been rather favorably treated in recent histories, his audacity and military genius threatening to eclipse his treason. Alderman proposes to reverse the trend and cites Arnold's shady business dealings, cold personality, addiction to dueling and compulsive overspending as evidence that the man's primary loyalty was always to money. However, once he gets Arnold into uniform the press of battle plans and events in the field allow little time for evaluating personalities. Despite Alderman's refreshing willingness to take a strong stand, Syme's balanced portrait of Benedict Arnold is still the more vividly realized. This denser, drier biography may have some value for readers who want more factual background or as a rebuttal to Boylan's popularized vindication of the Dark Eagle (adult, 1973).