This month on “Crossroads of Rockland History,” Clare Sheridan interviewed Selene Castrovilla. She discussed her new children’s book, Revolutionary Rogues: John André and Benedict Arnold, a riveting nonfiction picture book that unfolds like a play, telling a story from American history. Gravely injured and with little chance for more military honors, Major-General Benedict Arnold seeks reward and recognition another way. He contacts Major John André, the new head of British intelligence and another man determined to prove himself. Arnold and André strike a deal and use Arnold’s intelligence to take over West Point, the strategic American fort. The plan ultimately fails, leading to André’s capture and death and Arnold’s loss of reward and glory. Ms. Castrovilla and the book’s illustrator, John O’Brien, brilliantly capture the tensions and high drama of these two revolutionary rogues by highlighting their similarities and differences and demonstrating how they brought about their own tragic ends. The book also includes an afterword, timelines of the lives of both men, an extensive bibliography, and a list of key places to visit.
Listen to the podcast here.
“Crossroads of Rockland History,” a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, airs on the third Monday of each month at 9:30 am, right after the Steve and Jeff morning show, on WRCR radio. Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month.
The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.
Leave a Reply