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Reviews
The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery by Steve Sheinkin
threegoodrats's review against another edition
3.0
I'm terrible with history, but Sheinkin's narrative style really made it come alive. My review is here.
alicebme's review against another edition
4.0
Benedict Arnold was a crazy mofo with some impulse issues. Sheinkin has a gift for adding that spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down. His enthusiasm for historical topics is contagious.
roseleaf24's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating story of the infamous traitor.I knew basically nothing about Benedict Arnold except that he was a traitor during the Revolutionary War until I read Avi's book Sophia's War and learned he was actually a patriot hero prior to his betrayal. So how and why did he flip? While this is nonfiction, there is significant interpretation from the author, which makes it all the more interesting.
kitsuneheart's review against another edition
4.0
Sure to be getting a bit more focus, thanks to Hamilton. Sheinkin looks at a far-less revered American revolutionary. One who, for the most part, is only remembered as a figure of speech, not an actual person. I certainly recall my surprise at learning that a "benedict arnold" was actually someone COMPARED to the PERSON "Benedict Arnold."
This book places a lot of emphasis on Arnold's pride and the slights against him. While Sheinkin isn't seeking to pardon the man, Arnold is shown as a human who made many wrong and selfish decisions. At the same time, it's obvious he has some military skill, and that the Revolution would have failed without his presence at certain key points.
Overall, good for the history buffs. If you notice your kids more interested in the American Revolution, see if you can sway them with this.
This book places a lot of emphasis on Arnold's pride and the slights against him. While Sheinkin isn't seeking to pardon the man, Arnold is shown as a human who made many wrong and selfish decisions. At the same time, it's obvious he has some military skill, and that the Revolution would have failed without his presence at certain key points.
Overall, good for the history buffs. If you notice your kids more interested in the American Revolution, see if you can sway them with this.
julie_ann_harper_1633's review against another edition
5.0
I feel like I should be an official spokesperson for Steve Sheinkin because all I have is good things to say about him. His writing about Benedict Arnold explains so much about him. You almost feel bad for him because of how he was treated. And I most definitely would love to know what Benedict and Peggy talked about in their bedroom. That's where they made the plans and where he became a traitor.
rtpodzemny's review against another edition
4.0
I've never read anything classified as "YA nonfiction" before. It seems like a great format for a high-action story like Benedict Arnold. The story moves along at a pretty good clip, and the language is accessible without feeling inappropriately modern. I feel like something like this could be a real revelation for a reluctant student of history.
emromc's review against another edition
4.0
Like Sheinkin's "Bomb," "Benedict Arnold" reads like a story even though it's non-fiction. It's brilliantly researched and very well written. When I picked up the book I knew nothing about Arnold (except that he was a traitor for...something...sometime...), and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about him. He was a brilliant leader, a ridiculous man, more than a little crazy, and one of the unsung heroes of the Revolutionary War...at least until he tried to betray his country to the British because his pride had been injured beyond repair. We wouldn't have won the war without him, and we very nearly lost WITH him in the end, and would have had it not been for a series of God-blessed events that uncovered his treason in the nick of time.
It's a quick, easy read geared towards younger audiences, but I feel like I learned and will retain so much more than I would with a biography aimed at an adult audience. Highly recommended for anyone who likes American history, strange, mysterious historical figures, or a rollicking story.
It's a quick, easy read geared towards younger audiences, but I feel like I learned and will retain so much more than I would with a biography aimed at an adult audience. Highly recommended for anyone who likes American history, strange, mysterious historical figures, or a rollicking story.
hidekisohma's review against another edition
5.0
I have to say, I'm not normally a non-fiction guy. However, recently i've been looking at some revolutionary war stuff and as i was doing this, I came across the historical figure of Benedict Arnold and I realized to myself, throughout my childhood, I always heard the phrase "Benedict Arnold", but I didn't actually know what he DID to be considered America's greatest traitor. So, seeing as I needed a book to read anyway and I needed a break from Star Wars books, I thought i'd give it a try. And honestly, I wasn't disappointed.
There were a lot of historical things I didn't know about Arnold. His past, his reasons for doing what he did, and eventually, WHAT he did that made him so infamous. Seeing as this is a YA book, it was a fast read, but at the same time, construed the information of his life very well without seeming like the author was paid $1 for every word he used that no one has said in one hundred years.
The author, in a dated format, managed to put together a list of events that shaped Benedict, allowing the reader to understand him, and while, not agreeing with him, see his angle and where he was coming from. In the end, it DID all boil down to selfishness, but it's always good to see the background and why something happened.
I honestly enjoyed this book very much and it gave me useful information such as how only a few tiny seemingly insignificant events saved America from total destruction in its infancy. It was almost entirely destroyed by one man who always believed himself to be right.
It's a very good cautionary tale about pride, but also a very interesting life and story overall. Such a hero turning into the most infamous traitor in our country's history.
Fantastic retelling Steve. 4.5/5, rounded up to a 5.
There were a lot of historical things I didn't know about Arnold. His past, his reasons for doing what he did, and eventually, WHAT he did that made him so infamous. Seeing as this is a YA book, it was a fast read, but at the same time, construed the information of his life very well without seeming like the author was paid $1 for every word he used that no one has said in one hundred years.
The author, in a dated format, managed to put together a list of events that shaped Benedict, allowing the reader to understand him, and while, not agreeing with him, see his angle and where he was coming from. In the end, it DID all boil down to selfishness, but it's always good to see the background and why something happened.
I honestly enjoyed this book very much and it gave me useful information such as how only a few tiny seemingly insignificant events saved America from total destruction in its infancy. It was almost entirely destroyed by one man who always believed himself to be right.
It's a very good cautionary tale about pride, but also a very interesting life and story overall. Such a hero turning into the most infamous traitor in our country's history.
Fantastic retelling Steve. 4.5/5, rounded up to a 5.