American Scoundrel: The Life of the Notorious Civil War General Dan Sickles

by Thomas Keneally

Hero, adulterer, bon vivant, murderer and rogue, Dan Sickles led the kind of existence that was indeed stranger than fiction. Throughout his life he exhibited the kind of exuberant charm and lack of scruple that wins friends, seduces women, and gets people killed. In American Scoundrel Thomas Keneally, the acclaimed author of Schindler’s List , creates a biography that is as lively and engrossing as its subject.

Dan Sickles was a member of Congress, led a controversial charge at Gettysburg, and had an affair with the deposed Queen of Spain—among many other women. But the most startling of his many exploits was his murder of Philip Barton Key (son of Francis Scott Key), the lover of his long-suffering and neglected wife, Teresa. The affair, the crime, and the trial contained all the ingredients of melodrama needed to ensure that it was the scandal of the age. At the trial’s end, Sickles was acquitted and hardly chastened. His life, in which outrage and accomplishment had equal force, is a compelling American tale, told with the skill of a master narrative.

Genres: History, Civil War, Biography, Nonfiction, American History, American Civil War, War

416 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2002

About the author

Thomas Michael Keneally, AO (born 7 October 1935) is an Australian novelist, playwright and author of non-fiction. He is best known for writing Schindler's Ark, the Booker Prize-winning novel of 1982, which was inspired by the efforts of Poldek Pfefferberg, a Holocaust survivor. The book would later be adapted to Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Often published under the name Tom Keneally in Australia.

Life and Career:

Born in Sydney, Keneally was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, where a writing prize was named after him. He entered St Patrick's Seminary, Manly to train as a Catholic priest but left before his ordination. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist, and he was a lecturer at the University of New England (1968–70). He has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books.

Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name. He is most famous for his Schindler's Ark (1982) (later republished as Schindler's List), which won the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film Schindler's List (1993). Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style.

Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (based on his novel) and played Father Marshall in the Fred Schepisi movie, The Devil's Playground (1976) (not to be confused with a similarly-titled documentary by Lucy Walker about the Amish rite of passage called rumspringa).

In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure.

He is a strong advocate of the Australian republic, meaning the severing of all ties with the British monarchy, and published a book on the subject in Our Republic (1993). Several of his Republican essays appear on the web site of the Australian Republican Movement.

Keneally is a keen supporter of rugby league football, in particular the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the NRL. He made an appearance in the rugby league drama film The Final Winter (2007).

In March 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's Lincoln biography to President Barack Obama as a state gift.

Most recently Thomas Keneally featured as a writer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, Our Sunburnt Country.

Thomas Keneally's nephew Ben is married to the former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a previous life I used to teach college level American History. Often, when applying for new jobs, the interviewers would ask me who was my favorite American. I would reply, with as much a straight face as possible, that Dan Sickles (pre Civil War) and Warren G Harding (after CW) were my favorite Americans. We will not dwell on Warren(though a President who drank, played poker and chased women can not be all bad).

Here is Dan in all his glory. Shooting his wife's lover, and getting away with it; almost losing the Battle of Gettysburg for the Union, and getting away with it; embezzling from the fund set up to place a monument at Gettysburg to his regiment, and getting away with it. A great American!

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The truth is often stranger than fiction, and the life of Dan Sickles is no exception to this rule. He is as interesting an American as you are likely to find. Diplomat, playboy, lousy husband, beloved general, congressman, leader, murderer, good old boy....all these things describe Sickles.
I became interested in him during a recent trip to Gettysburg. I picked up this book in the Visitor Center book store and I am glad I did. Interesting, easy to read, well written, this book is well worth your time.
You can't make up a life like the one Dan Sickles led. You need to read this book to find out why. You won't regret it.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read about a controversial man who led an extraordinary and very long life during a period of enormous change and upheaval. Like all of us, he had his faults, and it seems he found it difficult to be a good and faithful husband and father. But he was apparently a charismatic, capable and loyal man in many ways, and he appears to have had the good of his country foremost in mind throughout his public life.

The events leading up to the death of Barton Key and the subsequent trial are covered in somewhat lengthy detail. There is also a large part of the book devoted to Sickles' varied roles in the lead-up to, during, and after the Civil War. Keneally has obviously done a significant amount of research. I appreciate that Keneally has tried to remain relatively impartial, and he touches on some of the differing attitudes and judgements on Sickles' actions from various sources and historians.

Overall, an interesting and enjoyable read.

[Theo Logos · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dan Sickles, the notorious scoundrel of this book's title, appears to have gotten away with so many of his sins because he was colorful, resourceful, and charming. Unfortunately for the reader, the same cannot be said of Thomas Keneally's writing. Keneally tells us what a colorful character Sickles was, but never really shows us or makes us feel it. One is left with the thought that Sickles must have been a fascinating and complex man, and the hope that someone will someday write a decent biography of him that will truly capture those qualities.

Despite the fact that Sickles is best known as a Civil War general, this is not a book for Civil War buffs. Keneally's writing on the war is superficial at best, and sometimes nakedly erroneous. (He states more than once that Gen. Stonewall Jackson was shot dead at the Battle of Chancellosville, when of course, even a casual student of the war knows that the general only received a wound in the battle and lingered on for some time, dying of pneumonia while recovering from his wound.)

The intended audience of this book, which is reflected in the writing style as well as content, instead appears to be those who loved following the O.J. Simpson trial in the tabloids. The bulk of the book is devoted to Dan's amorous affairs, his young wife's affair, and his murder of his wife's lover and subsequent trail and acquittal. He writes extensively and floridly on these subjects, without managing much real illumination. I must admit that I was only able to make it through the endless trial material by resorting to skimming the text. However, if you are captivated by tabloids coverage of celebrity trials, this book may suit your tastes.

There were germs of interesting facts in this book. Sickles led a fascinating life, from his notorious service in the diplomatic corps, his machinations as a Tammany politician, his work to help create New York City's Central Park, and his controversial service as a Union general. It outlines these fascinating facts of Dan Sickles' life, yet because of its sadly disappointing execution, I cannot recommend it.

[Julie Yates · Rating 2 out of 5]

How can you possibly make a book about Dan Sickles boring?! Yet this author manages that unbelievable feat, and he mangles the information so badly I don't even want to learn more. I ended this book with a lot of details, but no further understanding of who Sickles was. The reader is left with Details but not insight. The author doesn't even make him into that much of a scoundrel - meanwhile Sickles serially cheats on his wife, leaves his wife in America to take his prostitute mistress to meet the queen, kills his wife's lover while printing his wife's forced 'confession of adulty' in the press, almost loses the civil war for the north and literally embezzles the funds his regiment raises for their Gettysburg monument. Yet for all of these facts Sickles comes across as a man simply lead by his emotions - he just can't help not being faithful, the author gives no indication scheming or ambition or even intelligence. He's supposed to be this charismatic man but none of this shows up in the writing. For the love of God read something else.

Boring Boring Boring.

A major annoyance: we are repeatedly told Dan is womanizer - but instead the author devotes pages and pages to Teresa's affair. I don't think what SHE was doing is nearly as important as what he did after (kill her lover Key and destroy Teresa in the press for his "temporary insanity" defense.) Yes, Sickle's lawyer is very clever, but there wasn't any sense of horror over premeditated murder and Sickle's further decision to utterly destroy his wife in the process.

Second jaw dropping moment: The Author tries to blame the Gettysburg loss on Longstreet being "mean" and willing to kill off all his men to "teach Lee a lesson" (Yes, he really writes this!) This book should be a one star simply for that line.

Another good review of this work by : Mike Collins

[Richard Moss · Rating 3 out of 5]

That Dan Sickles was a scoundrel is in little doubt. His brutal murder of a love rival, coupled with his own serial unfaithfulness soon establishes that.

He also had an incredibly colourful history. Apart from a murder that he managed to avoid being convicted of, he served as a Civil War general with some distinction, suffering life-changing injuries, while also pursuing a long career in politics.

Yet there are long sections of this book that Kenneally contrives to make crushingly dull. The build up to the killing is drawn out, but there is at least some tension to be had, and it's easily the strongest part of the book. But both before and beyond it, Kenneally insists on putting in every single piece of his research.

No fact is discarded, and that makes what could have been a truly fascinating tale, sporadically turgid. Kenneally's prose also struggles to enliven the narrative, leaving it seemingly stuck in the 19th Century period it covers.

There is still some pleasure and fascination to be had in this account of a life that spanned such a pivotal moment in American history, but I kept wishing I was in the hands of a more economic and skilled historical writer.

There is though another problem that perhaps a better-written account might also have solved. Sickles is such a scoundrel, it's hard to care about his fate or have much investment in him. His victim disappears with the gunshot that killed him; and his wife becomes a rejected, ghostly character, with little agency, even if Kenneally to his credit makes sure she isn't forgotten.

I stuck with this to the end, but I would find it hard to recommend what towards the end became a weary slog.

[The Logophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting telling on the fascinating life of Dan Sickles. If you are like me, the first 1/3 of the book is slow, but once it picks up, it's hard to put down. Civil War history buffs will enjoy this book without question, but Sickles was a part of so many things anyone interested in the 19th century will be entertained.

[J.S. Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating nonfic portrait of an American raconteur who stumbled into a role as a Yankee general despite little or no military training. His relationship with his wife, and numerous other women, gets grimly detailed. Keneally's warm voice and grasp of both quotidian and large-scale history make this, as ever, enormously fine reading.

[Mike Connell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keneally’s thesis is that Sickles was dissolute in his personal life, but as a public figure, he did many great things. His sources include letters and papers found in various archives and libraries. He produced a fairly detailed account of Sickles’s life, and when he doesn’t know something, he lets the reader know, such as the mystery as to why Sickles had a permanent falling out with his first daughter, Laura. I believe he goes a little too easy on Sickles, whom he refers to as “Dan” throughout the book. He is especially misleading when it comes to Sickles’s role in the battle of Gettysburg. Keneally does try to show his wife’s viewpoint in the book, although it is nearly all speculation. Finally, he is somewhat selective in how he describes events in the book. For example, he mentions a massive rally in Dec 1864 where Sickles spoke to Democrats for Lincoln. After quoting the speech, Keneally states “and so Lincoln was reelected,” overlooking the significance of the taking of Atlanta and Mobile.

He includes a great quote from George Templeton Strong, the New York lawyer, who made famous commentaries on leading figures at the time: “One might as well try to spoil a rotten egg as to damage Dan’s character.”

His early days were spent working for Tammany Hall in NYC, where he served as a lawyer and became quite connected. These connections helped him to be elected to the NY State Assembly where he fought to get funding for Central Park in NYC, which many businesses in the city opposed. He was then appointed as a minister under James Buchanan who served as the US Ambassador to Britain (during the administration of Franklin Pierce). Although Sickles as married, he left his young wife and daughter in NY but took a famous prostitute, Fanny White, to accompany him to Britain. He even got an audience with Queen Victoria for Fanny by pretending she was someone else. While in Britain, he worked unsuccessfully to get Spain to agree to sell Cuba to the US. Slave owners in the South particularly wanted to obtain Cuba where they could set up more lucrative slave plantations.

Upon returning to the US, Sickles was elected to Congress as a representative from NYC. Here as elsewhere he ran up large debts due to his extravagant lifestyle (including expensive homes in DC and NYC and supporting various mistresses and prostitutes) and due to his generous offers to help out supporters with money. His young wife was quite popular in DC and began an affair with Barton Key, the son of Francis Scott Key. She knew about Sickles’s many affairs. Although it became quite well known in the city, Sickles did not find out about the affair until he received a letter from someone with the initials RPG, who may have been a woman jealous of Teresa’s affair with the sought after widower Key. Sickles investigated the claim and confronted his wife, who was forced to sign a full confession one evening. The next day, Sickles saw Key trying to signal to his wife with a handkerchief. Sickles was with a friend, Sam Butterworth, who was with Sickles at that moment and implied Sickles should challenge him to a duel. Then, Butterworth left and walked toward Key and engaged him in a conversation until Sickles came up wearing an overcoat, despite the unseasonably hot weather for Feb. The overcoat concealed two pistols. Sickles drew a derringer and fired, but only hit Key’s hand causing a contusion. Barton grabbed Sickles, forcing the derringer to fall to the ground, but Sickles drew a second pistol and hit Key in the upper leg about two inches from his groin. Key threw a pair of opera glasses at Sickles and screamed “Don’t murder me” prior to this second shot. Sickles moved closer to fire again, but after a misfire and more screams from Key not to shoot and that this was murder, he fired a final time and hit Key below the heart, which ultimately led him to bleed to death. This assault took place in front of several witnesses on Lafayette Square within sight of the White House.

Sickles was arrested for murder, and his trial became the trial of the century. He had an extensive legal team made up of several friends from Tammany Hall, Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s future Secretary of War, and Thomas Meagher, an Irishman who had escaped from a British penal colony after being sentenced for protesting against British policy during the Irish potato famine. [Meagher later commanded the Irish Brigade from NYC that suffered horrendous casualties in the war.] Stanton was a particularly effective lawyer, who put the prosecution on the defense, and Meagher gave rousing speeches about Sickles’s defending his honor. Although his wife’s confession was not allowed in evidence at the trial, the defense had it published in the newspapers, completely humiliating Teresa. The prosecution, however, was unable to introduce evidence of Sickles’s infidelity, since the confession was not admitted. Ultimately, the jury agreed to find Sickles not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. However, he remained viewed as an acquitted killer until he made a name for himself as a general in the war. Keneally makes the point that women were held to a double standard with regard to marital fidelity, because men’s affairs were often overlooked while unfaithful wives were condemned.

Prior to the outbreak of war, Sickles was in league with James Buchanan, who was willing to tolerate slavery to keep the Union together. He even felt peaceful secession was allowed under the Constitution as a last resort. However, when the seceded states began to seize federal arsenals and other facilities, Sickles felt that was going too far and ended up supporting Lincoln’s view that the South was in rebellion and war was necessary. He returned to NYC and raised a brigade and, through political connections, was confirmed as a brigadier general, even though he ran up huge debts to feed and equip his army. He was only released from those debts when his brigade was federalized and the US government took over responsibility. There was obviously a lot of graft and profiteering in the North in terms of supporting the war effort. He became close to Mary Todd Lincoln, who was related to pro-Southern relatives, including a half-sister who was married to a Confederate general and who stayed at the White House during the war for a time. Mrs. Lincoln also described as controversial because of her melancholia and her overspending on White House decorations and furniture. Unlike Lincoln, she cared about what people said about her.

Sickles participated in the Peninsular Campaign under McClellan and was promoted to division commander when his division commander, Hooker, was promoted to corps commander. Later at Fredericksburg, his division was held in reserve and never fought. Again he was promoted to corps commander when Hooker took over the whole army. In the Chancellorsville action, he helped hold the Union line after Howard’s men were routed by Jackson along with Pleasanton at Hazel Grove. However, he had opened up a gap with Howard earlier when he launched a forward attack, leaving his position in the Union line. Finally, at Gettysburg, Sickles’s decision to move his men forward is not fully explained. In particular, no mention is made of his leaving Little Round Top vacant, which only timely action by Warren prevented from becoming a disaster. Keneally also argues Longstreet purposely delayed his attack on the second day to make Lee look bad and to lose the battle on purpose! Thus, Keneally portrays Sickles in a much more favorable manner than most histories of the battle – a clear bias in favor of Sickles. As far as his losing his leg, Sickles had his leg amputated in the rear, and the doctor doing the operation was using a new technique. It was the doctor who decided to save the amputated leg as an example of the procedure to be sent back to Washington. Sickles later claimed that Meade wanted to retreat, but he urged the Union to fight at Gettysburg. Also, there was a letter signed Historicus in the New York Herald that gave Sickles credit for the victory on the second day and criticized Meade. Later, Sickles obtained federal control of the Gettysburg battlefield to preserve it instead of just having individual states put up monuments at different points. Sickles also became a friend to Longstreet after the war, when Longstreet became a Republican.

After being wounded, he lobbied for a return to the field, but Meade fought his reinstatement. Meade allegedly said he would have court-martialed Sickles if he hadn’t lost his leg. Sickles liked attention and praise. He often used crutches rather than his prosthetic leg to gain sympathy and to remind observers of his role in the war. Sickles was sent on a mission by Secretary of State Seward to Greater Columbia (as the federation of Columbia, Panama, and Costa Rica was known). His mission was to gain permission to resettle freed slaves in Columbia, but nothing was accomplished. Sickles did bring back some fauna and animals for the Bronx Zoo. He was then put in charge of the military occupation of South and North Carolina as governor where he had to deal with Southern resentment of the policy of treating freed slaves as equals. There was a precursor of the KKK known as the regulators who attacked Union soldiers and Southern collaborators with the North. His wife died while he was in the South, and he returned to attend the funeral and was apparently hailed as a great man who was the “love of her life,” even though he ignored her for the most part and carried on with other women. Teresa died of consumption (or tuberculosis) and made connections with the Bronte sisters who also suffered from this disease. He noted it helped encourage a vivid imagination.

His last major assignment was as the US Ambassador to Spain where he again unsuccessfully lobbied for the sale of Cuba to the US. He was also declared persona non grata when he ignored instructions from the State Department and insulted the Spanish by closing the US Embassy after some Americans were captured and executed for aiding rebels in Cuba. Sickles also carried on numerous affairs, including with the deposed Queen of Spain, who was also married. Sickles had married for a second time in Spain to a Spanish lady who bore him two more sons. However, she discovered his philandering ways and lived separate from him for the rest of his life.

While the author is not entirely objective with regard to Sickles, it is a fascinating and disturbing tale.

[CJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating look at a person who could either be considered a national hero or an irredeemable asshole.

This is the story of Dan Sickles, a native New Yorker who was brought up through the Tammany system. Although not well-remembered today, Sickles was a dynamic, popular, and very gossip-worthy figure of his time. His connections to Tammany Hall were definitely not entirely honest, but he often used them to accomplish good things, like the establishment of Central Park, and many years later would head the effort to preserve the battlefield at Gettysburg.. He served in the US government, and became friends with many powerful people, including the Lincolns. Sickles was also (as mentioned in the title) a general during the Civil War, fighting on behalf of the Union, despite his pre-war Southern sympathies. His actions at Gettysburg--moving his troops ahead of the planned position and onto higher ground--could have resulted in Union disaster but instead led to victory. However, the most dramatic episode in Sickles's life came when he went on trial for shooting down his young wife's lover (son of Francis Scott Key, the anthem writer) on a sunny Washington street. His trial would be the first time "Temporary Insanity" would be used as a legal defense in the USA.

The life of Dan Sickles is packed full of adventure and heroics, but the author never turns away from showing the downside of Sickle's personality--his tantrums, his philandering, his arrogance, and his neglect of his family. It seems to be a relatively fair description of the man, with many details pulled from historical record. However, I found the style slightly lacking. It often felt sort of "And then this happened. And then this happened. And we think this happened, but we can't be sure." Sometimes it felt more like a report than a story. However, on the whole I enjoyed it. I love finding out about forgotten historical figures. I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in Civil War history.

Fun Fact: Sickles had his leg horribly injured by a cannonball at the battle of Gettysburg. The leg was amputated and the bones sent to the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington D.C. He visited the leg for many years on the anniversary of its removal, and kept a photo of it in his home until his death. The leg is still on display at the museum for public view.

[Florence Buchholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Sickles, the Scoundrel of the title, was either an American Civil War Hero or an infamous criminal and insubordinate military commander. It's not easy to decide which. His modest fame has not survived the years. Early in Dan's life he was appointed to represent the United States at the court of St. James in London, serving with his friend, James Buchanan, who would later become fifteenth President of the United States. Leaving his teenage wife and infant daughter at home, he was accompanied by Fanny White, a prostitute and former brothel owner. He actually presented Ms White to Queen Victoria. (Her profession was surely unknown in the royal court.) Dan went on to serve in Congress, to commit a notorious crime, and upon the outbreak of civil war he became a military commander, dedicated to the Union cause. His life is filled with so many twists and turns, it is dizzying, and makes for a titillating and provocative read.

[Dergrossest · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly delightful book about pre-Civil War New York, the politics which led to the Civil War, the war itself and the aftermath of same, all told through the unbelievably colorful life and loves of Daniel Sickles. While undeniably self-aggrandizing, selfish, corrupt and of questionable personal ethics, he was nevertheless simultaneously brave, loyal, patriotic and extremely enterprising. An attorney, a Congressman, a serial adulterer, a murderer, a General and an Ambassador, Sickles' story is populated by Tammany Hall bosses, Irish gangs (of New York), nymphomaniac Queens, all the great American politicians of the day and travels from Manhattan, to London, to Washington, to Gettysburg, to Bogota, to Madrid, to Paris and back. I couldn't put this down. A must read.

[Amber Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a quickly paced book, this book seemed to drag a bit. Oddly it rushed through the battlefield sequence at the round tops where he is accused of leaving the high ground in a foolish maneuver. I took a tour of Gettysburg before reading this in which our guide talked about Sickles and the bad maneuvers he made in that battle as well as apparent attempts he made later to improve his reputation at the cost of others'.
I felt direly sorry for his first wife and daughter, but their personalities were never more than shadowy and I felt the book should have included photos of the general, the battlefield, his wives, lovers and children.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the great self-promoters in US history. There's very little likeable about this fellow but it's a very interesting book. Supposedly a hero of Gettysburg and winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, but he came very close to throwing away the battle and his award was approved well after the war by his many political allies. The temporary insanity plea was invented by the attorney for this man at his murder trial for his wife's lover, although he was himself a notorious philanderer. But if you love NYC, you can also blame this man for the existance of Central Park. Well worth a read.

[Jonathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

250 pages of padded research followed by a fine 100 pages of history. THE 100 pages was not enough to make me like the book.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abandoned on page 7 of 356. Hated the writing style.

[Greg Giles · Rating 1 out of 5]

How can a fascinating subject make for such a dreadful book? The writing here is breathless to the point of ADHD, and Keneally's envious admiration for Sickels is nauseating.

[Mike Cuthbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Civil War and Thomas Keneally both being longtime favorites of mine, this was a perfect combination for summer reading for me. Add to that the fact that Daniel Sickles was one of the most colorful, engaging characters of the 19th century, both personally and militarily, and this was an incredible read. Sickles is famous for two things, primarily: he killed his wife’s lover in downtown DC and got off on the first known American defense of “temporary insanity.” Following that narrow escape, he narrowly escaped both death and dishonor at Gettysburg when he took it upon himself to place his Third Corps forward of the Union left (southern) flank near the Round Tops, Big and Little, that later became famous. The commanding general, Meade, was allegedly furious at Sickles for exposing a gap in his line that Meade feared would be exploited by the late-arriving James Longstreet, but Sickles’ men held their position, topped the Confederate flanking movement and, by some accounts, if not many, saved the Union to later stand Pickett on his rear end after his spectacular but failed Charge. Sickles was severely wounded in that battle and, sent to the rear, where he lost his right leg below the knee. In Keneally’s eyes, this was only a part of Sickles’ story: the more engaging one was the treatment of Teresa, his teen-aged bride who had cuckolded him with Barton Key, son of Francis Scott Key. Discovering their affair, or, rather, recognizing it, the hardly faithful Sickles armed himself with at least one pistol, confronted Key one Sunday afternoon and shot him three times, in the leg, the groin and, finally, the chest. Key died in what was termed “the Clubhouse.” This was home to the Washington Club and was located on Pennsylvania Avenue. It later became the home of Secretary of State Seward and Key died in what eventually became their parlor. Seward was later nearly assassinated the night Lincoln was killed and recovered in an upstairs bedroom. Teresa became persona non grata to Sickles, as did their daughter, Laura. Mother and daughter remained isolated from Sickles for the rest of their lives. Teresa died at the age of 31 of tuberculosis and Laura several years later of alcoholism and infection. The reason I spent so much space in this review on the females Sickleses is that Keneally spends much time on them. In fact, the last lines in the book talk about Keneally’s attempt in writing the biography, to honor Teresa and her fidelity to a rather rambunctious and totally unfaithful husband. Sickles later marries one Caroline de Creagh after a short affair with the deposed Queen Isabella of Spain and has two children with Caroline, both of whom he also treats with less-than-total devotion. Indeed, Sickles continued his affairs into his nineties, his last being with his caretaker, the forty-ish Mrs. Wilmerding who predeceased him. The personalities of the Civil War, the politics of the times, the colorful life of Sickles all lend to the appeal of this remarkable biography. Its subject was easily the focus of the tale, but his lifestyle and surprisingly effective military experiences and successes make it even more enjoyable to read. Keneally remains one of my favorite authors and scholars of the American Civil War and this book is yet another reason to respect him.

[Bob Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Sickles may not have been the best general in the Union Army, but he maybe was the most interesting.

Keneally, who wrote “Shindler’s List,” chose to focus on a less-than-nice man but a legend nonetheless.

Dan Sickles was loyal, charming, patriotic and brave, but he also was slick, selfish and morally corrupt.

Early on, he got in with the Tammany Hall political machine in New York City that pushed Irish immigrants into the Democratic Party. It’s what got him a series of elected positions… state assemblyman, U.S. congressman, and U.S. senator.

As corporation counsel for the city of New York, he played a role in creating Central Park although Keneally isn’t too clear about this role.

In 1852, he married Teresa Bagioli. He was 32; she was 15. Did the charming Dan marry for political reasons? It was common among the political class of the era but Keneally doesn’t even consider it. What is clear is that Dan pretty much neglected the attractive, worshipful young woman.

Dan was rising in the world. He made friends easily, including then-ambassador James Buchanan who took Dan with him to England.

He left behind his pregnant wife so he could take New York prostitute Fannie White with him to England. He introduced her under another name to Queen Victoria.

A little more creepy?

Well, our hero pretty much abandoned his wife, and child as he carried on affairs. His friend, Philip Barton Key II, son of the author of our national anthem, a widower with four children, grew close with Teresa in Dan's emotional absence.

When Sickles found out about their affair he ambushed Key, shot him three times in front of the White House. The Trial of the Century featured a dream team of lawyers, including Edwin Stanton, who would become Lincoln’s Secretary of War. For the first time in America, the murder defense was temporary insanity…. And it worked. Sickles beat the rap.

Sickles had influential friends. Abe Lincoln and his wife both were fans of Dan. So too was President James Buchanan, who made a point of visiting the trial and, in front of the jury, visiting Dan. Nearly everyone followed Sickles lead and put his wife in social deep freeze.

At the start of the Civil War, Sickles raised his own troops so it’s wasn’t long before Sickles - with zero military experience - became General Sickles.

He led men in several battles, then came Gettysburg.

What happened there is the topic of debate, even today, even among experts. General Meade ordered him to defend the heights - Little Round Top - but Sickles disregarded the orders and sent his men to the Peach Orchard, putting them and the whole battle plan in jeopardy. Sickles claims he saved the day for the union; Meade said he would have been court martialed except for his leg.

A confederate cannon ball smashed his knee, and doctors amputated. Sickles donated his leg to a military museum, and it’s on display today.

I liked this book, but there are a few flaws in the writing. Keneally can be boring and unclear. He jumps around a lot. Despite the flaws, the history and the biography merge into an entertaining read, and Dan Sickles is wildly interesting.

[JCB · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘American Scoundrel’ is an eccentric, maybe too arcane a story starting off about a Tammany Hall congressman in 1858. That politician turns out to be as unbelievable and unprincipled an American that you probably never heard of. But when you start off reading about a low level antebellum politician during Buchanan’s presidency, you probably will have friends talking about an intervention.

However, the story about this congressman, diplomat, playboy, murderer, rotten husband and father, general, etc will make you wonder why Dan Sickles is so obscure a subject to some. Not only was he all that, he eventually fought at Gettysburg (probably heroically), grew familiar with Lincoln, Grant, Johnson, et. al., before being awarded the Congressional Medal of honor. Along the way, he was well known enough to be gently insulted by Mark Twain; was involved in the creation of Central Park; and was the first defendant to use (successfully as well) the "temporary insanity" defense. And he was a womanizer elevated enough who could count as one of his many conquests the Queen of Spain.

The book was picked up primarily because it was by the author of ‘Schindler’s List’. And although not near as polished or noteworthy as that book, by its conclusion, you do recognize that ‘American Scoundrel’ was well worth your time. It’s definitely a life you can’t make up.

By the end of the book, the conclusion is pretty much that Sickles is not likable or admirable much. It’s mysterious (and not really shown) why he was considered such a charmer, nor why he was generally able to live well his entire life, and not really ever having to have much of a comeuppance for his ‘scoundrel’ ways.

So basically this novel has everything: sex, murder, civil war, reconstruction, Cuba, the NY crime of the century, and the insanity defense. Plus, seeing this Zelig-like character criss cross with so many significant parts of American history was fascinating.

[HarryWales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giving 3 stars for the research involved mostly. Would have been 4 stars if Scoundrel had been edited better (and by someone other than Keneally). Keneally book The Great Shame featured Thomas Francis Meagher. A bit player in that book was Dan Sickles. Keneally said he couldn't do justice to Sickles life story in that book which starred Meagher. Keneally felt he had to write its own book that focused on Sickles. He said this in Author's Note at beginning of this book.
Keneally has over-admiration for the Irish and an unhealthy pathologic for his own roots. He even dedicates Scoundrel to his American cousins. Puke. As others have mentioned, a slow ponderous read. Keneally will dive into 19th Century speke (even when not quoting someone) which I found annoying & childish. This book was written in 1995, not 1858. We get enough 19th Century speke from the quotes attributed.
Only child Sickles was spoiled and not disciplined by his dad, which led to his "I can do whatever I want" attitude that played out his entire life. Like all spendthrifts, paying back debts had little or zero priority to Sickles, which made him a thief. Hey, let's call a spade a spade. Keneally portrayed Sickles as a lovable rogue and was exceedingly light on criticism of this "rogue". The only reason Keneally went light on Sickles was because he was Irish ancestry, just like Keneally. In Keneally's eyes the Irish can do no wrong.
One upside - Sickles did seem to generally care about the New York volunteers he led into battle. That came through quite clearly.

Summary - too ponderous, too much time spent on lead up to Philip Barton Key execution. Keneally did put a lot of sweat into this book. Just didn't show in the end result.

Hey, just tell me where I got any of this wrong?

[Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“American Scoundrel” by Thomas Keneally (2002). Actually my review is closer to 3.5 stars. The overly researched book is pretty tedious and for me was hard to plow through. The first 1/2 was basically a mildly interesting soap opera, that does get interesting as it describes his wife’s affair and the tragic day it ended! Then a trial.

The best part of the book for me was the description of Dan’s part as a leader of the Union army in the Civil War.

Dan was a scoundrel for sure but he had so many friends in very high places he was untouchable.

I’d of rated the book much higher but it went into too much unnecessary detail, and Keneally was in love with his thesaurus. Plus his research had rubbed off on him using a lot of old English tone that he completely lost me many times and I just had to read on. I have never been a fan of the flowery language used in the 19th century. It tries way too hard to impress the reader to the point of feeling it’s in some other code.

It was fun to be thrust into those years and feel you are there, but the writing style and the writers over excitement of Dan’s wife Teresa was destracting. We are constantly taken back to wherever she is and what she might of been feeling. Most of the time she is doing almost nothing and no one knew what she was feeling but we got a constant update to how attractive she still was or how she was slowly aging, etc. (That was almost laughable)

I plan to attempt to read more from Thomas Keneally (Next: Schindler’s List) and then I can compare those works to this. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (actually 3.5 out of 5 stars) #thomaskeneally #AmericanScoundrel #civilwarhistory

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

General Dan Sickles was a murderer, a philandering sexist and an absent father. In others words, pretty much like a lot of powerful men in the mid-19th century. And he wasn't actually convicted on the murder charge. He was a genuine war hero at Gettysburg, losing a leg in battle. He was also an effective congressmen and a close friend of Lincoln.

Thomas Keneally, who gained fame as the author of "Schindler's List," presents a fascinating picture of a man much more famous in his time than he is today. His fatal shooting of his wife's lover (Barton Scott Key, son of the anthem-writing Francis Scott Key) and his subsequent acquittal. typified the double-standard of those days. It's not that murder was exactly OK then, but Sickles' lawyers conjured up an early version of the "insanity" defense - which, in this case, meant he was really, really distraught when he shot Key. Being pals with President James Buchanan didn't hurt either.

We'll leave the rest of the details - his fortune-building, troop-leading, Civil War vet-championing and more - to Keneally. This is biographical storytelling at its best, with a relentless narrative that never lets up. Sickles' bad behavior makes it hard to root for the guy, but his constant shape-shifting from really bad husband to killer to hero makes for excellent reading.

[Roger Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book about a controversial Union General from the American Civil War. Dan Sickles is in many ways a scoundrel according to Thomas Keneally but not from his service in the war where he was an intelligent and effective leader though the controversy over his advanced position on July 2, 1863 at Gettysburg will probably be fought over by scholars and history buffs for as long as the Civil War is refought in classrooms and meeting halls. No, his reputation as a scoundrel is honestly earned as a result of his private life, particularly his relationships with women, especially his wife Teresa and daughter Laura and his famous duel with Barton Key, son of the National Anthem writer, Francis Scott Key. In killing Key because of his intimate relationship with Teresa, Sickles was arrested, tried and was very nearly convicted and sentenced to be hanged. He turned out to be a hypocrite as he had enjoyed several relationships with women while married to the long suffering Teresa and again during his second marriage to Caroline. Despite these and other scandals, Sickles was a close friend of several Presidents including Buchanan and Lincoln and made a significant contribution to American life after the Civil War.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sickles was the first person to successfully use temporary insanity as a defense against committing murder after he murdered his wife's lover, Philip Barton Key (son of Francis Scott Key). As portrayed by Thomas Keneally, Sickles was also a spendthrift, womanizer, swindler, Tammany Hall politician, and general scumbag. I gave up on this one both because I could hardly stomach Sickles and because I felt the book, though excellently written, was too much in the weeds. (I also recognize that those issues go hand-in-hand and if I hadn't been so thoroughly put off by Sickles's person, I might have found the additional detail interesting rather than repulsive.)

[Mark O'brien · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book didn't live up to the promise of its jacket blurb about Dan Sickles, a real-life rogue who kills his wife's lover, gets away with it, and then raises troops to fight in the Civil War.
Oh, I don't doubt that these details are in the book, but I gave up on Page 79, exasperated by the rambling prose, trivia about young Mrs. Sickles tending to the valances in their new home, and Sickles's claim that he was vital to establishment of New York City's Central park -- a claim that the author never does verify or debunk.
Stronger readers than I can soldier through this 500-pager to get to the meat of Sickles's story.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you think politics and politicians are crazy today, there's nothing like a little journey to the past to realize that human behavior has always been human behavior and people will always act out of self interest and if one is charming they can get away with murder - as is the case with U.S. Rep. Dan Sickles (D-N.Y) who also became a Union general in the Civil War (with no military background). His story is fascinating and he continues to be discussed in Civil War circles for his actions at Gettysburg.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of Keneally's book grabbed me in but I had no idea what the word "scoundrel" meant until I read this tale of Dan Sickles. He defines the word. A narcissistic murderer, womanizer and politician, as well as Civil War General, Sickles depicts everything you don't want your son to grow up to be. If that's not enough, this little slice of history will also confirm that nothing in politics has changed at all in more than 150 years.

[Jim Stennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I’m giving this book 4 stars out of respect for the research. If you are a student of this era, you need to read this work, but a casual reader might not enjoy it. The author refuses to throw out a single bit of recovered information. If it happened, he tells you. Also, he often becomes a slave to his sources and begins writing in flowery language of the Victorian Age.

[Apryl Sparks · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down

I couldn't get into this book, which is a shame because the topic was interesting. The writing was dry and the book just meandered along--it needed to be tightened up. The tone was also a bit odd--the book has Scoundrel in the title but the author really didn't stick that landing, which should have been easy.