Valiant ambition : George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the fate of the American Revolution / Nathaniel Philbrick.
In September 1776, the vulnerable Continental Army under an unsure George Washington (who had never commanded a large force in battle) evacuates New York after a devastating defeat by the British Army. Three weeks later, near the Canadian border, one of his favorite generals, Benedict Arnold, miraculously succeeds in postponing the British naval advance down Lake Champlain that might have ended the war. Four years later, as the book ends, Washington has vanquished his demons and Arnold has fled to the enemy after a foiled attempt to surrender the American fortress at West Point to the British. After four years of war, America is forced to realize that the real threat to its liberties might not come from without but from within. "Valiant Ambition" is a complex, controversial, and dramatic portrait of a people in crisis and the war that gave birth to a nation. The focus is on loyalty and personal integrity, evoking a Shakespearean tragedy that unfolds in the key relationship of Washington and Arnold, who is an impulsive but sympathetic hero whose misfortunes at the hands of self-serving politicians fatally destroy his faith in the legitimacy of the rebellion.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780525426783
- ISBN: 0525426787
- ISBN: 9780143110194
- ISBN: 0143110195
- Physical Description: xix, 427 pages, 32 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps, portraits, black and white ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition
- Publisher: New York, New York : Viking, 2016.
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 329-403) and index.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- Preface: The Fault Line -- Part I: The Wilderness of Untried Things -- Chapter One: Demons of Fear and Disorder -- Chapter Two: The Mosquito Effect -- Chapter Three: A Cabinet of Fortitude -- Chapter Four: The Year of the Hangman -- Chapter Five: The Dark Eagle -- Chapter Six: Saratoga -- Part II: Secret Motives and Designs -- Chapter Seven: The Bite of Rattlesnake -- Chapter Eight: The Knight of the Burning Mountain -- Chapter Nine: Unmerciful Fangs -- Chapter Ten: The Chasm -- Chapter Eleven: The Pangs of a Dying Man -- Chapter Twelve: The Crash -- Chapter Thirteen: No Time for Remorse -- Epilogue: A Nation of Traitors.
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Available copies
- 76 of 79 copies available at NC Cardinal.
- 2 of 2 copies available at Onslow County Public Library. (Show)
Holds
- 1 current hold with 79 total copies.
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| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sneads Ferry Branch Library | 973.382 PHI (Text) | 36015001202585 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Swansboro Branch Library | 973.382 PHI (Text) | 36015000969291 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Andrews Public Library | 920 PHI (Text) | 80605000867407 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Ashe County Public Library | 973.382 PHI (Text) | 50503300411495 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Avery County Morrison Public Library | NFIC 973.3 PHI (Text) | 31111002809679 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Beaufort Main | 920 PHILB (Text) | 34208203117402 | Adult Nonfiction | Checked out | 08/25/2026 |
| Black Mountain Library | 973.382092 PHI (Text) | 0020511066522 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Bordeaux Library | 973.382 P (Text) | 31781064178070 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Braswell Memorial Main Library | 973.3 PHI (Text)
Digital Bookplate:
Braswell Memorial Library copy was made possible by a donation from Jean P. Smith.
|
540191011087057 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Camden County Library | 973.3 PHI (Text) | 39488900142243 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Accessibility Features
Summary:
In September 1776, the vulnerable Continental Army under an unsure George Washington (who had never commanded a large force in battle) evacuates New York after a devastating defeat by the British Army. Three weeks later, near the Canadian border, one of his favorite generals, Benedict Arnold, miraculously succeeds in postponing the British naval advance down Lake Champlain that might have ended the war. Four years later, as the book ends, Washington has vanquished his demons and Arnold has fled to the enemy after a foiled attempt to surrender the American fortress at West Point to the British. After four years of war, America is forced to realize that the real threat to its liberties might not come from without but from within. "Valiant Ambition" is a complex, controversial, and dramatic portrait of a people in crisis and the war that gave birth to a nation. The focus is on loyalty and personal integrity, evoking a Shakespearean tragedy that unfolds in the key relationship of Washington and Arnold, who is an impulsive but sympathetic hero whose misfortunes at the hands of self-serving politicians fatally destroy his faith in the legitimacy of the rebellion.
