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Dark Eagle: A Novel of Benedict Arnold and the American Revolution
A stirring, dark novel of one of the nation's most notorious traitors traces his rise to prominence as Dark Eagle, a military man both feared and revered by his Indian enemies, and his treasonous attempt to sell out three thousand American troops. Reprint.
544 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 12, 2019
**This review has also been posted to https://edwardrickford.com/ and Amazon**
Benedict Arnold is one of the most famous traitors in all of American history. While I doubt there is any sort of polling on the matter, his attempt to hand over control of West Point to the British has inspired countless books and made him, for a time at least, “the most reviled person in American history.” So infamous is his treachery that some of his most important battlefield victories have been almost completely forgotten by the general public. I picked up John Enson Harr’s Dark Eagle because I wanted to gain a fuller understanding of Benedict Arnold as a historical figure and I am glad I did.
Harr’s story begins long before Arnold turns traitor. To be specific, the story starts June 18, 1776. At this time, the declaration of independence has already been issued but the war is not going well for American forces. The Patriots have just lost a key battle with the British and are being forced to make a humiliating retreat. Brigadier-general Benedict Arnold has been tasked with defending the rear guard and to the surprise of many, he excels in the role. Owing to his many military contributions to the Revolution—the seizure of Fort Ticonderoga, the tactical victory at Lake Champlain—Arnold comes to believe he has earned the respect of his countrymen. The men who serve under him certainly respect him—the men he serves under are less keen on him. Washington extends him a great deal of respect but many of the other prominent generals in the Continental Army, such as Schuyler and Gates, are more reserved in their opinion. Members of the Continental Congress are downright hostile toward him and many refuse to honor his many battlefield victories with a promotion. Following a particularly stinging rebuke from the Continental Congress, Arnold decides to resign his commission. Nonetheless, he is unable to just stand by as the British attempt to invade New England and rallies local forces to the defense of Connecticut. The British forces suffer some humiliating losses at his hands, but Arnolds suffers a serious injury that leaves him with a debilitating limp. Despite the injury, Arnold re-enlists and the Continental Congress grudgingly honors his many victories.
As far as Arnold is concerned, it is too late and too little. He has bankrupted himself to help support the Revolution and has nothing to show for it besides an empty title and meaningless accolades. His actions in the Battle of Saratoga proved instrumental in securing victory, a battle that ultimately helped turn the tide of war in the Revolutionary War, but none of that seems to matter to the Continental Congress. Determined to improve his financial situation, Arnold decides to use his position as military governor of Philadelphia to gain much-needed income. That would he use his official position to requisition items for personal profit is not especially unusual and, truth be told, it would have been surprising had he declined to do so. Washington was famous for not taking a salary during the Revolutionary War but that did not stop him from taking advantage of an expense account of epic proportions.
All the same, some of the more radical members of the Continental Congress considered Arnold’s conduct to be nothing short of shameful and subject him to an intense campaign of harassment and intimidation. Had he a thicker skin, or perhaps just more money, Arnold may have simply gritted his teeth and pretended the many slights of the Continental Congress caused him no hurt. Instead, he opted to share his grievances with his wife. In ordinary circumstances, this would not have been all that noteworthy. His wife, however, is no ordinary woman. His wife is Peggy Shippen and she just so happens to know John Andre. Owing to Andre’s position in the British military, Arnold is in a unique position to defect to the British cause.
Convinced that he will never be given his just due if he continues to fight on behalf of the Continental Congress, Arnold turns traitor and agrees to provide Andre information regarding West Point’s defenses. The intelligence, however, never reaches British command as Andre is captured before he can deliver it. Andre is hung and Arnold escapes to British territory. Still very much in possession of his wits, Arnold expects that he will command British forces and is heartbroken to discover that high command wants little to do with him.
Ultimately, Arnold gains little by throwing in his lot with the British and continues to be reviled to this day. I think most people who read Dark Eagle will find it difficult to muster a strong antipathy toward Benedict Arnold. I hope that readers who enjoy Dark Eagle will also reflect on why Arnold inspires so much hatred as compared to other traitors. Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jackson killed far more Americans and did far less for their country while they still served in uniform--why do they have military bases and elementary schools named after them when Arnold does not? To be fair, Lee and Jackson did both serve in the Mexican-American war before turning traitor but even by the most charitable estimation, all they did was help expand American territory. Benedict Arnold, on the other hand, helped America gain independence from Great Britain. Moreover, considering Lee and Jackson fought to preserve the institution of slavery, it is especially noteworthy that they are honored with so many monuments. Whether or not readers consider this worthy of contemplation, I think Dark Eagle will appeal to anyone who enjoys well-written battle sequences and military politicking.
Benedict Arnold is one of the most famous traitors in all of American history. While I doubt there is any sort of polling on the matter, his attempt to hand over control of West Point to the British has inspired countless books and made him, for a time at least, “the most reviled person in American history.” So infamous is his treachery that some of his most important battlefield victories have been almost completely forgotten by the general public. I picked up John Enson Harr’s Dark Eagle because I wanted to gain a fuller understanding of Benedict Arnold as a historical figure and I am glad I did.
Harr’s story begins long before Arnold turns traitor. To be specific, the story starts June 18, 1776. At this time, the declaration of independence has already been issued but the war is not going well for American forces. The Patriots have just lost a key battle with the British and are being forced to make a humiliating retreat. Brigadier-general Benedict Arnold has been tasked with defending the rear guard and to the surprise of many, he excels in the role. Owing to his many military contributions to the Revolution—the seizure of Fort Ticonderoga, the tactical victory at Lake Champlain—Arnold comes to believe he has earned the respect of his countrymen. The men who serve under him certainly respect him—the men he serves under are less keen on him. Washington extends him a great deal of respect but many of the other prominent generals in the Continental Army, such as Schuyler and Gates, are more reserved in their opinion. Members of the Continental Congress are downright hostile toward him and many refuse to honor his many battlefield victories with a promotion. Following a particularly stinging rebuke from the Continental Congress, Arnold decides to resign his commission. Nonetheless, he is unable to just stand by as the British attempt to invade New England and rallies local forces to the defense of Connecticut. The British forces suffer some humiliating losses at his hands, but Arnolds suffers a serious injury that leaves him with a debilitating limp. Despite the injury, Arnold re-enlists and the Continental Congress grudgingly honors his many victories.
As far as Arnold is concerned, it is too late and too little. He has bankrupted himself to help support the Revolution and has nothing to show for it besides an empty title and meaningless accolades. His actions in the Battle of Saratoga proved instrumental in securing victory, a battle that ultimately helped turn the tide of war in the Revolutionary War, but none of that seems to matter to the Continental Congress. Determined to improve his financial situation, Arnold decides to use his position as military governor of Philadelphia to gain much-needed income. That would he use his official position to requisition items for personal profit is not especially unusual and, truth be told, it would have been surprising had he declined to do so. Washington was famous for not taking a salary during the Revolutionary War but that did not stop him from taking advantage of an expense account of epic proportions.
All the same, some of the more radical members of the Continental Congress considered Arnold’s conduct to be nothing short of shameful and subject him to an intense campaign of harassment and intimidation. Had he a thicker skin, or perhaps just more money, Arnold may have simply gritted his teeth and pretended the many slights of the Continental Congress caused him no hurt. Instead, he opted to share his grievances with his wife. In ordinary circumstances, this would not have been all that noteworthy. His wife, however, is no ordinary woman. His wife is Peggy Shippen and she just so happens to know John Andre. Owing to Andre’s position in the British military, Arnold is in a unique position to defect to the British cause.
Convinced that he will never be given his just due if he continues to fight on behalf of the Continental Congress, Arnold turns traitor and agrees to provide Andre information regarding West Point’s defenses. The intelligence, however, never reaches British command as Andre is captured before he can deliver it. Andre is hung and Arnold escapes to British territory. Still very much in possession of his wits, Arnold expects that he will command British forces and is heartbroken to discover that high command wants little to do with him.
Ultimately, Arnold gains little by throwing in his lot with the British and continues to be reviled to this day. I think most people who read Dark Eagle will find it difficult to muster a strong antipathy toward Benedict Arnold. I hope that readers who enjoy Dark Eagle will also reflect on why Arnold inspires so much hatred as compared to other traitors. Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jackson killed far more Americans and did far less for their country while they still served in uniform--why do they have military bases and elementary schools named after them when Arnold does not? To be fair, Lee and Jackson did both serve in the Mexican-American war before turning traitor but even by the most charitable estimation, all they did was help expand American territory. Benedict Arnold, on the other hand, helped America gain independence from Great Britain. Moreover, considering Lee and Jackson fought to preserve the institution of slavery, it is especially noteworthy that they are honored with so many monuments. Whether or not readers consider this worthy of contemplation, I think Dark Eagle will appeal to anyone who enjoys well-written battle sequences and military politicking.
August 7, 2007
read the book to familiarize myself with Arnold's shenanigans, coding, etc, and found it engrossing. Historical fiction (I discovered) means the author takes liberty to include much dialogue between major characters that may or may not have occurred to move the narrative along. It makes for an easier read for someone who isn't a huge history or bio reader.
Read
July 15, 2021The writing style is either very ingenius or very bad, and I haven't decided which yet. The first 7/8ths of the book are SLOW. The author is very detailed in the locations and movements of troops and in people's clothing and hairstyles, which means we don't even get to Arnold's decision to defect until the last bit of the book. Then things speed up and he gets the whole turn-traitor decision and action done in less than 100 pages, which seems extremely rushed. So it's either brilliant because the initial slowness shows the plodding nature of Arnold's early frustrations and then the whirlwind nature of his traiterous actions (which actually took over 2 years) or he's a bad writer who was concentrating more on details that didn't really matter in the particular story he was telling. Also, the scenes that include dialogue, either internal or external, are few and far between, another thing that makes the book drag.
The behind-the-scenes facts, if they are true (versus made up for the story; I haven't checked), are interesting. Most people know Arnold turned traitor but don't know why. Most people know the Continential Army suffered a lot of hardships but usually don't know what or why. Some people know that the early American government had its problems but usually don't know what. Makes me interested in delving into the situation a bit more.
The behind-the-scenes facts, if they are true (versus made up for the story; I haven't checked), are interesting. Most people know Arnold turned traitor but don't know why. Most people know the Continential Army suffered a lot of hardships but usually don't know what or why. Some people know that the early American government had its problems but usually don't know what. Makes me interested in delving into the situation a bit more.
August 15, 2018
As a lover of American history and a believer in patriotism and honor, I hesitated to pick up this book, being as it is, the story of the man whose name became synonymous with the word treason . The author has fictionalized to some degree Arnold's story, writing in the genre of a novel. The author assures us however that he has taken some "dramatic license," but "in all important respects this account of Arnold's career is painstakingly true."
Arnold is a tragic man primarily although he had great successes during 1776 and 1777, his ambition and ego propelled him to make powerful enemies even among his own staff and Washington's other military leadership.
There is an immense and detailed depiction of the many of the principal military commander's jealousies and weaknesses. Fascinating intrigue and maneuvering plots to win battles and glory. It brings this period of just 2 years during the revolutionary war alive both on the British and the American side of history. Above all, it gives depth and detail to the man and the military genius, however misguided, of Benedict Arnold. Loved the book
Arnold is a tragic man primarily although he had great successes during 1776 and 1777, his ambition and ego propelled him to make powerful enemies even among his own staff and Washington's other military leadership.
There is an immense and detailed depiction of the many of the principal military commander's jealousies and weaknesses. Fascinating intrigue and maneuvering plots to win battles and glory. It brings this period of just 2 years during the revolutionary war alive both on the British and the American side of history. Above all, it gives depth and detail to the man and the military genius, however misguided, of Benedict Arnold. Loved the book
January 12, 2020
Benedict Arnold was not praised sufficiently for his exploits, he had doubts he was on the winning side, and his leg hurt like a sonofabitch. That will get you through the first 80% of the narrative. Necessarily. Once you see through his eyes, see him through the admiring eyes of the troops and fellow officers (the only people whose opinion Arnold cared about), and see him for all his flaws, the finale is quite satisfying.
Washington’s plaintive question, “Whom can we trust now?” Is put in a new light, for me. “Our military stamina is close to zero. Congress treated him like crap, but they’ve treated us all like crap. Who’s next? Will this be a mass exodus?” The reason why he needn’t have worried is played out in a drama unique to the cast of characters.
Washington’s plaintive question, “Whom can we trust now?” Is put in a new light, for me. “Our military stamina is close to zero. Congress treated him like crap, but they’ve treated us all like crap. Who’s next? Will this be a mass exodus?” The reason why he needn’t have worried is played out in a drama unique to the cast of characters.
March 24, 2021
The first 100 pages of this book were a really slow read for me but as we got into the meat of the story it was a fun read. I only really knew about Benedict Arnold through what high school history taught me and that was basically just "He was a traitor to our country and was a bad person" so having a book (even fiction) that dug more into the Revolutionary War and the history focused on his career vs. the overall war gave a bit more insight.
I'd definitely recommend this book if you were in the same boat as me because even though it is fiction, I learned quite a bit for it. It is getting three stars instead of four more because those first 100 pages were quite the marathon but once you get rolling, it turns into a good story.
I'd definitely recommend this book if you were in the same boat as me because even though it is fiction, I learned quite a bit for it. It is getting three stars instead of four more because those first 100 pages were quite the marathon but once you get rolling, it turns into a good story.
June 19, 2025
This book was excellent. Maybe the best use of third person omniscient POV I have encountered.
It was incredibly thorough and refreshing to read history through a fictionalized, narrative version of events.
The only reason I can’t give it 5 stars is that it moved at a glacially slow pace at several points and it took me an inordinately long time to get through it.
It was incredibly thorough and refreshing to read history through a fictionalized, narrative version of events.
The only reason I can’t give it 5 stars is that it moved at a glacially slow pace at several points and it took me an inordinately long time to get through it.
February 15, 2025
It was nice to learn more about our disgraced former military genius. To find out his motives for treason. The book dragged at times and it was tough for me to keep all the military leaders straight, but it was compelling nonetheless.
December 22, 2023
A truly excellent portrait of Benedict Arnold, John Andre and Peggy Shippen, the primary characters in Arnold's infamous treason during the Revolutionary War.
December 10, 2013
I really enjoyed Dark Eagle. Although, like most, I've always associated the name Benedict Arnold with "traitor", I had no idea what was really involved. And maybe it's because of age that history becomes more exciting, but a well written book also does wonders in bringing history and people to life. The story was very compelling and I was totally engaged as it unfolded. I very much appreciate the perspective that Dark Eagle has provided me. - And don't worry, reading this book won't make you a traitor. Read the book to familiarize myself with Arnold's shenanigans, coding, etc, and found it engrossing. Historical fiction (I discovered) means the author takes liberty to include much dialogue between major characters that may or may not have occurred to move the narrative along. It makes for an easier read for someone who isn't a huge history or bio reader.Harr paints a more complete picture of one of the most despised men in merican history. I am a confessed fan of history and historical fiction. Reading the latter is like navigating a cornice, you have to be cognizant that there is fiction entertwined with history. In this case the author seems to have painted an even picture and I found it to be an excellent read. No attempt is made to justify Arnold's actions but understanding the circumstances and his personality that influenced him is necessary to have a better understanding of history. The one thing that, at least indirrectly, Harr does is reinforoce the realization that self-seeking politicians are not a modern day reality.
May 11, 2009
Harr paints a more complete picture of one of the most despised men in merican history. I am a confessed fan of history and historical fiction. Reading the latter is like navigating a cornice, you have to be cognizant that there is fiction entertwined with history. In this case the author seems to have painted an even picture and I found it to be an excellent read. No attempt is made to justify Arnold's actions but understanding the circumstances and his personality that influenced him is necessary to have a better understanding of history. The one thing that, at least indirrectly, Harr does is reinforoce the realization that self-seeking politicians are not a modern day reality.
October 5, 2011
I really enjoyed Dark Eagle. Although, like most, I've always associated the name Benedict Arnold with "traitor", I had no idea what was really involved. And maybe it's because of age that history becomes more exciting, but a well written book also does wonders in bringing history and people to life. The story was very compelling and I was totally engaged as it unfolded. I very much appreciate the perspective that Dark Eagle has provided me. - And don't worry, reading this book won't make you a traitor.
Read
December 12, 2008A little tough going sometimes but what great insight into the early beginnings of our nation. Our forefathers were so brilliant - couldn't we use some of their bravery and insight right now?! Great depictions of battles. Arnold was a complex man with loads of conflicts! If you love history give it a try and stick it out, it's worth it.
February 10, 2011
A fantastic biography written in story form. I don't think I have ever enjoyed a biography as much as I did with this book. Also, a fascinating history on one of the most famous traitors to our country.
May 11, 2012
For all those who didn't realize that Arnold was perhaps our greatest General in the revolutionary war. The book takes great pains to explain, though not excuse, his dalliances and treachery. Entertaining versions of "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne and Peggy Shippen.
August 6, 2007
I really learned a lot about Arnold and also about the Revolutionary war.
Read
November 20, 2014My favorite character is gonna' stinking die!
Read
April 1, 2012I was bummed that I couldn't get into this. I really want to read some fiction based on Arnold's life.
October 6, 2013
An easy read, giving perspective to an important time in America's early history.
October 31, 2013
Well written. An enjoyable read. Gives insight into probable motives for treason. A multifaceted character. I didn't know of the relationship with Gen. Washington.
Want to read
March 14, 2012522 pages.
March 24, 2013
I love this kind of ****
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews