Historian and Author Jack Kelly will be in Lake George on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, to discuss his latest work, “God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America’s Most Hated Man.” The event, sponsored by the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance, will be held at the Holiday Inn, 2223 Canada Street, Lake George. The program begins at 11 a.m. in the Prospect Room.
Kelly has published several narrative works of non-fiction centered on the American Revolution and early America. He is a recipient of the DAR History Medal and is a New York Foundation for the Arts fellow in Nonfiction Literature. Kelly’s Substack column “Talking to America,” tells little-known stories of well-known people in American history.
As for Benedict Arnold, he was a hero before he was a traitor. He captured Fort Ticonderoga in 1775, fought at Valcour Island in 1776, and achieved a consequential victory at Saratoga in 1777.
In a press statement, Kelly says Arnold never did anything by halves — “When he fought, he did so with ingenuity, intensity and an almost reckless willingness to risk his own life. When he had a change of heart, he betrayed his country and his comrades in a manner that blackened his name forever.”
“God Save Benedict Arnold” is scheduled for release by St. Martin’s Press on Dec. 5. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the Lake George event. Due to space limitations, those planning to attend are encouraged to reserve a seat in advance by emailing the Alliance at info@lakegeorgebattlefield.org.
Featured image: Colonel Arnold who commanded the Provincial Troops sent against Quebec, through the wilderness of Canada and was wounded in that city, under General Montgomery. London. Published as the Act directs 26 March 1776 by Thos. Hart/ From the Anne S. K. Brown Collection at Brown University