Podcast #223: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and Valiant Ambition| The Art of Manliness

In the history of the American Revolution, two figures stand in stark contrast to each other: George Washington and Benedict Arnold. In the American imagination, Washington is elevated as an example of sterling character, while Arnold is ostracized to the seventh layer of Dante’s hell. But what few Americans know is at the start of the War of Independence, Washington was a blundering general, while Arnold was one of the colonies’ very best. How is it that Washington transformed himself into one of America’s greatest leaders while Arnold ended up betraying his countrymen? That’s what my guest today explores in his book Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution. His name is Nathaniel Philbrick and today on the show we discuss the evolution of Washington as a general and a statesman, Benedict Arnold’s amazing, but often forgotten battlefield exploits for the American cause, and how Arnold’s valiant ambition turned into a vain and treacherous appetite that led to his downfall. Along the way, Nathaniel and I talk about the life lessons we can take from these two eminent revolutionaries. Follow us! https://ift.tt/YAd15k http://twitter.com/artofmanliness