Benedict Arnold is well known as the man who tried to ruin the American Revolution. Less known is that he was a Revolutionary War hero who almost single-handedly made it possible for the United States to win its independence from Great Britain. This book is not an in-depth study of the Arnold, but it's not meant to be. It is, however, an interesting, well-researched overview of Arnold and his times. It contains lots of information about Arnold and some possible reasons for his actions.

Mr. Wilson, a Canadian journalist, has done a remarkable job bringing the little-known aspects of Benedict Arnold to life.

He skillfully describes the political, personal and social factors which made Arnold the man that he was (both good and bad). The focus is on Arnold as an adult, following him through his days as a Yankee trader, as a superb General and leader of men, as a "turncoat", and then as a trader, husband, father and litigant. His years in eastern Canada and England are dealt with in some detail.

Like so many others, Benedict Arnold was, to me, more a symbol than a man. I knew the basic events surrounding the "incident", but virtually nothing else. Thanks to Barry Wilson, this is no longer the case.

Picking the most infamous traitor in American History for a volume in the Revolutionary War Leaders series might seem strange, but there is a certain logic to it. First, the rule of thumb had always been that during the American Revolution one-third of the colonists supported independence, one-third remained loyal to Britain, and the last third pretty much wanted to be left alone. So in one regard Benedict Arnold represents the majority of Americans who, technically at least, did not desire independence. But the second and more compelling reason is that although Arnold's act of treason is usually mentioned in American History textbooks the exact motivation for his action is usually ignored. In this juvenile biography by Norman Jean Lutz young readers will learn why Arnold did what he did.

The young Benedict Arnold was admittedly a coward, who turned this failing into a dramatic impulse to be the center of attention. Although he would later be known as a solider, Arnold made his initial reputation in shipping. However, at the battle of Concord he was a captain of militia and then joined forces with Ethan Allen to seize Fort Ticonderoga. But after the fort was seized, Arnold was outraged when another man was sent to be in command. This sense that he was not getting his due reward would, of course, be key in his decision to betray his new country. Because he was headstrong and reckless, Arnold's heroism in battle was negated by his disobedience to orders. In Lutz's perspective, the desire to be a "hero" again was what ultimately prompted Arnold to offer his services to the British.

Lutz does a good job of keeping the focus on how despite his many successes Arnold was almost always dissatisfied. Feeling that he was not being appreciated, Arnold used his position to try and gain wealth and honor. By the time it was clear to him that he would never be a hero to the colonists, Arnold decided that he would become a hero to the British, although being a spy was never considered an honorable role in war. However, the important thing in regards to this juvenile biography is that Lutz makes it clear from the beginning that Benedict Arnold was a deeply flawed human being. The man loses the reader's sympathies well before he decides to turn traitor. Consequently, Lutz does a nice job of presenting a psychological profile of how Arnold went from hero to traitor.

Fantastic! Casey is perhaps the most under rated Irish historian. Make sure to check out his other books as well!

I heard about this author from a couple of friends who had taken a class from him on comedy and religion (didn't know there was any comedy in religion but there you go). So I looked him up on the net and read samples of his novels and ordered Benedict XVI because it's the only one he's published so far. I'm still laughing. The sample was good but the novel gets better and better and ends up as the best damn comic novel since, you fill in the blank. What sets it off from the standard "bestselling" novel is the characters. Benny Good the charming bastard, Ariel the Southern California airhead, Esther Geld the virginal agent who sets Benny up as pope, Ron Something, whose last name Benny (and the author?) can't remember, Maven Plum, the Barbara Walters of this crazy world-the list goes on and on. Plus the plot. You think you know where things are headed but no, the story takes you in another direction entirely. Breathtaking roll-on-the-floor funny. What we have here is not a failure to communicate, what we have here is an undiscovered comic genius. If you like the Coen brothers you'll love this stuff!

Did I mention the cover is a gas?

Over the past 16 years, I've become personally involved with Benedictine spirituality through regular retreats to the monastic cloister. Kardong's book has given me the historical perspective and linguistic insight into that deep well, "The Rule of St. Benedict", the life source of Benedictine monasticism. Through his scholarly exegesis of "The Rule", I've gained understanding of this way of life, and thus have better lived my own life and faith. I have referred again and again to "Benedict's Rule: A Translation and Commentary" in the writing of my own commentary on "The Rule" for parents, "The Family Cloister: Benedictine Wisdom for the Home". I am currently working on a companion volume, "The Family Cloister Workbook: 52 Benedictine Activities for the Home", and have continually opened the pages of Kardong's book to better understand certain chapters and phrases in "The Rule". Besides the monks themselves who daily live the Rule, Kardong's commentary is one of the most complete expositions of Benedict's Rule I've found.

I read this book within a day and I really enjoyed it. I still flick through it and reread it on occassion. So my copy has become a bit worn.

I had just finished writing "The Christian Family Toolbox" the day the earthquake hit. We don't take earthquakes casually in our coastal village. Our beach town is highly vulnerable to earthquakes and tidal waves. Our beachfront grade school is located just a few feet above sea level, and has the distinction of being the most vulnerable school in the nation to the threat of a tsunami. My children grew up in that school.

The day the earthquake hit, one son was in Middle School (10 miles away), one in High School (12 miles away) and one in college (90 miles away). My wife called to discuss what we should do. "They're in God's hands", I said, trying to sound reassuring. We've always believed our children belonged to God first. I found myself fighting away feelings of fear, wondering what we would do if it were a real emergency, with a 30-foot wave crashing into our village resulting from an offshore earthquake.

I've always been amazed at how many thoughts can crash through our brains in a few short moments: Have we adequately prepared our children for facing emergencies? Have we spent enough time with them? Did we love them enough? Have we successfully given them a solid foundation of faith in Jesus Christ? What could we have done better as parents?

The only waves to break over our coastal village that day were waves of panic and then relief when we heard the "all clear!" signal on the emergency loudspeakers in town. The earthquake was an inland quake, centered 100 miles away. Though the earthquake did cost over $2 billion dollars in damage to buildings and property in the northwest, no tsunami hit our town that day.

That night at dinner, our family joined hands in a circle and prayed together, thanking God for protecting us and watching over our lives even when the earth shook under our feet. Then we talked practically about what we would do in the event of a major earthquake and tsunami.

"The Christian Family Toolbox" provides parents with the type of guidance and encouragement we discussed at our family dinner the night of that earthquake: spiritual foundations and practical tools for building stronger families, families equipped to face times when the foundations begin to shake.

This is a fresh new look at a man who is only remembered for treason. Without Benedict Arnold, the British might have won the revolution, and the author goes to great lengths to prove his point. Even though the book is fiction, it makes you ask the question. Was Arnold a tratior? Or in the end was he acting on behalf of the people of America against what he was seeing develop as a new corrupt government for our new nation? The book is a must read for Revolutionary War fanatics.

I'd often heard that Britain had a tolerance for eccentrics, but I never knew to what extent. Some of these people are really, really weird, and they put more effort into bizzare hobbies, old local customs, and freaky sporting events than you would think possible. Wouldn't it be interesting if Americans spent more time going to blood sausage throwing contests than kid's sports tournaments? Together with Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island", you could spend a extremely interesting vacation in Britain without ever going near any of the usual tourist haunts.