Secret History of the American Revolution

by Carl van Doren

s/t: An Account of the Conspiracies of Benedict Arnold & Numerous Others Drawn from the Secret Service Paper

Genres: American Revolution, History, American History

534 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

Carl Clinton van Doren, a United States critic and biographer, won Pulitzer Prize. He was the brother of Mark van Doren and the uncle of Charles van Doren.

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I am interested in history, this book was a real challenge for me. I often found it tedious, especially the many pages detailing Benedict Arnold's financial problems. However, I stuck with it out of family loyalty. The inside cover is inscribed, "To Dad from Ruth, Christmas 1943." A gift from my mother to my grandfather which has been in the family more than 70 years.
That being said, I do not recommend this book to the fan of popular history. It assumes a familiarity with Revolutionary War participants I, a casual reader, do not have. According to the Preface, the true story of Benedict Arnold was not known until the Clinton papers were released, (apparently in the 20th century) and they "...show him to have been bold, crafty, unscrupulous, unrepentant: the Iago of traitors."

[Tom N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though old, still very much referred to and recommended by historians and others interested in Arnold’s treason. Enjoyed this book by a fine writer.

[KB · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone interested in the betrayal of Benedict Arnold and the ensuing capture of Major John André.