July 2023 MBR The American History Shelf

The American History Shelf

American Traitor
Howard W. Cox
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647123420, $34.95, HC, 392pp

https://www.amazon.com/American-Traitor-Wilkinsons-Betrayal-Republic/dp/1647123429

Synopsis: With the publication of "American Traitor: General James Wilkinson's Betrayal of the Republic and Escape from Justice", Howard W. Cox examines the career of the notorious General James Wilkinson, whose corruption and espionage exposed the fledgling United States to grave dangers during the early years of the republic. Wilkinson is largely forgotten today, which is unfortunate because his sordid story is a cautionary tale about unscrupulous actors who would take advantage of gaps in the law, oversight, and accountability for self-dealing.

Wilkinson's military career began during the Revolutionary War and continued through the War of 1812. As he rose to the rank of commanding general of the US Army, Wilkinson betrayed virtually everyone he worked with to advance his career and finances. He was a spy for Spain, plotted to have western territories split from the United States, and accepted kickbacks from contractors. His negligence and greed also caused the largest peacetime disaster in the history of the US Army. Howard W. Cox picks apart Wilkinson's misdeeds with the eye of an experienced investigator.

"American Traitor" offers the most in-depth analysis of Wilkinson's court-martial trials and how he evaded efforts to hold him accountable. This astounding history of villainy in the early republic will fascinate anyone with an interest in the period as well as readers of espionage history.

Critique: Second only to Benedict Arnold, the story of the equally infamous but lapsed into obscurity, General James Wilkinson, is a particularly timely and relevant study given the contemporary and treasonous behavior of President Donald J. Trump as our Commander-in-Chief and his promotion and enablement of General Michael Flynn in their attempt to overthrow a freely elected government headed by President Joe Biden -- which is currently being played out in a DOJ investigation and the Federal court system.

A fascinating, detailed, and well documented biography, "American Traitor: General James Wilkinson's Betrayal of the Republic and Escape from Justice" by Howard W. Cox is a solid and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library collections. It should be noted for students, academia, historians, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "American Traitor: General James Wilkinson's Betrayal of the Republic and Escape from Justice" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.49).

Editorial Note: Howard W. Cox (https://fedsoc.org/contributors/howard-cox/commentary) is a former trial attorney in the US Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, former staff counsel of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and former federal prosecutor and assistant inspector general for investigations at the CIA.

Arcadia Publishing
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com

https://www.amazon.com/Famous-People-Queens-Images-America/dp/1467109495

https://www.amazon.com/Oklahoma-Music-Trail-Images-America/dp/1467109274

Synopsis: Arcadia Publishing is a unique and premier publisher of American History with each title showcasing a particular community or city in terms of its people and local history. Two newly published titles in their 'Images of America' series include:

"Famous People of Queens" (9781467109499, $23.99, PB, 128pp) by Rob MacKay presents a diverse group of characters and historical eras: actors, athletes, business people, politicians, religious leaders, scientists, singers, war heroes, writers, and famous people who weren't born in Queens but lived in the borough for a long time. Author Rob MacKay is a longtime, award-winning community journalist who has worked for the Queens Economic Development Corporation and operates various social media channels that promote the borough's restaurants, shops, and tourism attractions. His interest in writing this book grew organically (and intensely) after he became a trustee of the Queens Historical Society.

"The Oklahoma Music Trail" (9781467109277, $23.99, PB, 96pp) by Karl Anderson is a pictorial essay that features the music genres, performers, and songwriters of Oklahoma. There are literally hundreds of artists who have made their home in Oklahoma. The cowboy ballads of Gene Autry, Western swing that originated with the fiddle of Bob Wills, the Tulsa Sound of Leon Russell and gospel songs of Albert E. Brumley have paved the way for generations of Oklahoma musicians and performers. This is a unique history of country music legends who have traveled along the Oklahoma Music Trail.

Critique: Profusely illustrated with historical black/white photos, these two exceptionally informative and impressively presented histories and especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library American History collections.

Editorial Note: In their 'Our Images of America Series', Arcadia Publishing is dedicated to publishing creating an experience for their readers of becoming immersed in the wonder and unique flavor of life in their town (or any town) in America. Penned by local experts, each Images of America book weaves the history of a community in stories and rare photos, from its beginnings to today. Simply stated, every place tells a story. A complete listing of their titles is available at https://www.arcadiapublishing.com

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review