The Nortorious Benedict Arnold

I had a really difficult time getting into this biography – maybe because Benedict Arold is not a very likable character for me. Once I worked through my issues, I really learned lots about this man whose name is synonymous with the word traitor.

Reading this biography will tell you more about the man who might have been one of the heroes of the American Revolution rather than one of America’s most famous villains. The war might have ended differently had it not been for a few mishaps.

I was also fascinated by the British soldier Major John Andre and the life led by this officer and others during the American Revolution.

I came away from this book with a better understanding of the political games that were being played by the military and members of the Continental Congress. Some of it seems familiar to some of the current political games.

Chasing Lincoln’s Killer

This book by James Swanson is a wonderfully exciting history of a time in U.S. history that most people know of, but not much about the details of the event.

“John Wilkes Booth awoke depressed. It was Good Friday morning. April 14, 1865. The Confederacy was dead. His cause was lost and his dreams of glory over.” (Chapter 1)

This book is based on archival material, trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the conspirators and the manhunters who were involved in the chase and capture of John Wilkes Booth. The author provides the readers with a fascinating account of the 12-day chase through Washington D.C., the swamps of Maryland, and the forests of Virginia.

A book that everyone who is interested in learning more about our history should read.