Jack Kelly is an award-winning author and historian. In his newest book God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America’s Most Hated Man, Jack offers a fresh exploration of Arnold’s paradoxical career, shedding new light on this gutsy yet enigmatic figure. In this podcast episode, Jack delves into the life and personal letters of Revolutionary War general Benedict Arnold, examining what they reveal about Arnold’s character and legacy nearly 250 years later.
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Learn More about Jack Kelly
• Website: JackKellyBooks.com — https://jackkellybooks.com
• Substack (“Talking to America”): Subscribe for nuggets of history and updates — https://jackkellyattalkingtoamerica.substack.com
• Pre-order his new book, Tom Paine’s War (publishing January 2026):
• Macmillan page: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250331939/tompaineswar/
• Or wherever you get your books
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Letters Discussed in This Episode
1. Letter from Arnold’s mother (Hannah Arnold, April 12, 1754):
https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Benedict_Arnold._A_biography/1
2. Benedict Arnold to the Massachusetts Committee of Safety (Ticonderoga, May 11, 1775):
https://www.fortticonderoga.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/The-Capture-of-Fort-Ticonderoga.pdf
3. Arnold’s angry letter to General Horatio Gates (Camp at Stillwater, September 22, 1777):
https://historianatsaratoga.wordpress.com/2024/09/22/otd-arnold-wrote-gates-9/
4. The Nathaniel Bacheller letter (Oct 9, 1777):
https://www.newyorkalmanack.com/2019/08/a-benedict-arnold-letter-that-changed-history/
5. Arnold’s love letters to Betsy DeBlois (1777–78) and recycled for Peggy Shippen (1778–79):
https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/betsy-deblois-girl-got-away-benedict-arnold/
