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Valiant Ambition
Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution | Nathaniel Philbrick
From the New York Times bestselling author of In The Heart of the Sea and Mayflower comes a surprising account of the middle years of the American Revolution, and the tragic relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold. 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. As a country wary of tyrants suddenly must figure out how it should be led, Washingtons unmatched ability to rise above the petty politics of his time enables him to win the war that really matters. From the Hardcover edition.
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Just_reading
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Clearly written by someone who has never truly known the despair of depression. #mentalhealthawareness #depression #suicide

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KimHM
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Oh, how my #TBR grows! Jonathan Banks, on the Better Call Saul Insider podcast, was talking about a book he was reading about the complex relationship between Washington and Arnold (that is, between hero and villain) but in the moment could not remember the title. I think this must be it and now I must locate a physical copy. Has anyone here read it?

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DGRachel
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So, I decided to see how I was doing on my various reading challenges (hint: not great). Based on those not-so-stellar results, I've decided to jump on the TBR Bingo bandwagon. This card has all of the books that fit spaces on my challenges. I figure once I get a bingo, I can read anything else I want to (a new release or anything that's calling to me, since I'm a mood reader). There's a lot here I'm not really looking forward to reading. 😕

readinginthedark But there are some great ones! Maybe you could space the difficult ones out with the easier ones? 7y
Zelma Not looking forward to them due to tough topics or just not interested? If the latter reason, don't read them. 7y
DGRachel @Zelma Topics - there are a few that are WAY outside my comfort zone. I know that's the point of these challenges, so I need to at least attempt these books. There are also challenge topics that I still have no idea how to fill, so this bingo card won't solve all my challenge problems, but it gets me a lot closer. 7y
Zelma @DGRachel you should post about your hard-to-fill topics. I bet you'd get a lot of great options. 👍😀 7y
AceOnRoam My favourite thing about challenges is picking the books. I hardly ever finish a challenge :) 7y
60 likes5 comments
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DGRachel
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A sampling of #CampfireRedBooks from my living room shelves. The tagged book is #TBR, but I imagine there are some lessons to #nevergiveup as well. After all, despite terrible odds, the American Revolution succeeded.

Also, please say hi to Armie, the beaded octopus box my mom made me. She's so talented.

#augustlibrary17 #AugustGrrrl

Cinfhen Armie is awesome 😍😍😍 7y
batsy Armie is wonderful and looks like a serious book protector 👍 7y
73 likes2 comments
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EllieDottie
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Some red, white and blue spines!! Happy Independence day America!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 #redwhiteandblue #jubilantjuly #sizzlingsummerreads

66 likes1 stack add
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Amiable
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Oh, look--immigrants have been doing the shit work that nobody else wanted to do and contributing to this country since even before it was a country.

4 likes1 stack add
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yay_books
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Getting ready for the 4th of July with a little history lesson 🎆🇺🇸

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VoraciousReader
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Ready for a new view on history. 😎🙃 If I can stop sneezing long enough!😜

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Currey
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If you like to read history, Nathaniel Philbrick is one of the most readable. In Valiant Ambition he introduces the reader to not only the thinking and emotions of our revolutionary leaders but also the political divides. You come to understand how complicated all history is. One of my favorite lines: "As Great Britain's focus shifted to the French and the ...West Indies, Americans were turning their attention destroying one another".

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Bookwormjillk
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Book 4 in the history/biography category for the #armchairaudies. Like the premise so far- history is never as simple as it seems.

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DBessie
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A certain Broadway musical (coughHAMILTONcough) inspired an interest in Revolutionary War history, and Philbrick's book scratches that itch superbly. One can imagine the heartbreak felt by Americans when their admired hero fell into disgrace and treason. Despite its abrupt and, frankly, kind of unsatisfactory ending, this is a great story, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn more about the creation of our nation.

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LittleMountainLibrary
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Pickpick

This book was fascinating and portrayed historical figures as actual people rather than the one-dimensional characters in a history textbook. Recommended to anyone who wants to know about the Revolution.

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LittleMountainLibrary
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Benedict Arnold was a badass.

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Darthdad
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Hmmm, my to read stack appears to be blocking my view of college footballs opening Saturday. A lot of great stuff to read!

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LittleMountainLibrary
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Library hold came in and I'm looking forward to starting this one.

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howjessicareads
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Enjoying this on audio! Although I'm bound to get it mixed up with ALEXANDER HAMILTON, since Scott Brick narrates both!

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Soscha
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Good morning, fellow readers!

Would you trust this face?

#24in48

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ValentineWiggin
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I missed his lecture last night, but luckily work got some extra copies signed that staff could grab. Added to the pile for the next time I want to read about the American Revolution.

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BethwithBooks
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Packed house for Nathaniel Philbrick talking about his newest book at the American Antiquarian Society this evening! - view from the balcony

MrBook Awesome! 8y
9 likes1 stack add1 comment
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rmlargent
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Great timing with this book's release and the events currently portrayed in AMC's Turn: Washington's Spies.

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GregoryCass
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Heard a great reading from Nathaniel Philbrick's latest.