Book Review: The Court-Martial of Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold should have died in battle. For the first half of the American Revolution, he fought brilliant and successful campaigns. He built an American fleet on Lake Champlain, repulsed the British at Valcour Island and won the battle of Saratoga. So why did he commit treason when he was considered second only to George Washington as America's preeminent hero?
Entrusted with the defense of West Point by George Washington, he attempted to surrender it to the British. The conspiracy, had it succeeded, would probably have been the death knell for the American cause. Fortunately, his treachery was discovered at the last moment. Warned of the plot's failure, Arnold just barely evaded capture and escaped to British lines. Given the rank of brigade general, he commanded British troops against his former comrades on raids on Richmond and Portsmouth, Virginia and an especially bloody attack on New London, Connecticut. When the American Revolution ended with the surrender of the British, he and his wife and children sailed to London.
Richard McMahon's "The Court-Martial of Benedict Arnold" is fiction. There never was a court-marital. But what he has written is historical facts and real people with "what if" scenarios at crucial points in history and present an outcome of events alternative to historical records. For instance, what if Arnold had been captured by the Americans and tried by court-martial for treason? What would his defense have been? Would the reader have learned what prompted this man, a true hero of the war's early days, to suddenly turn on his country?
Historical characters and events actually occurred. The author did plenty of research to back up any and all claims made in the book. He also presents fictitious events and characters who act and speak as he believes they would have done.
It's thrilling for readers because of the way McMahon peels away the layers that made up the individuals and events who embodied the classic Greek tragedy, giving us a front-row seat for Arnold's spectacular rise to heroism and stunning fall to treachery and infamy. It's also fast-paced, slowing down just enough to give the reader a sense of place and time and then moving on to the next event.
The results of McMahon's brilliant writing style and unlimited imagination create a matchless alternative history that is impossible to put down.
Reader Reviews
Being a fan of alternative history stories, I found this one an extremely interesting read. But, be forewarned this is not a standard of the genre, the ending is something different. Benedict Arnold on trial for his treachery to a fledgling nation, it's a fascinating subject and well presented. Of course, we have to allow history to be twisted a bit, but it's done in a way that is utterly believable. This is now one of my favorites of the genre, pick up a copy and have a good read!
~John F. Wheeles
A cleverly written book about this controversial individual. The dialogues are quite creative and kept my interest. Certainly glad the author did clarify the facts from the fiction, at the end. Entertaining.
~BJF
History brought to life, Mr. McMahons captured me the moment I started reading "The Court-Martial of Benedict Arnold." The history that was, and the twists that could have been. Awesome read opened my eyes to what was and what could have been, well done Mr. McMahon…
~PIDivemaster
Excellent, well written, suspenseful novel. Interesting historical twist. Difficult to put down once started. Mr. McMahon is an author to be reckoned with. This is the third book of his I have read and each one gets better.
~Bill Green
About the Author
Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Queens, Richard attended Stuyvesant High School, then joined the U.S. Army. He served more than 33 years, 26 of them overseas in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Italy, Germany, and Turkey. After retirement from the Army as a highly-decorated colonel, and following 3 years in Saudi Arabia as an operations manager for Global Associates, he founded the adventure travel program in Hawaii for Mountain Travel (now Mountain Travel Sobek). For the next 7 years, he led adventure tours in Hawaii, Europe, and the Far East for Both MT and REI.
While in the service, he received a BS degree in military science from the University of Maryland, and after retirement, MA degrees in English and history from the University of Hawaii. He enjoys writing and hiking-related travel and belongs to three hiking clubs in Hawaii.