Willard Sterne Randall, in American Heritage (Sept.-Oct. 1990), 60 Fifth Ave., New York, Benedict Arnold N.Y. 10011.
In grade school, every child learns about the treacherous Benedict Arnold, who coldly sold out his country for �£20,000 But Randall, a historian at the University of Vermont, writes that Arnold's treason can be explained, if not excused, a "long fuse of bitterness."
Arnold's vanity and brashness made him an outsider throughout his military career....