Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President

by Millard, Candice
ISBN: 9780767929714
4.9 (9)
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Used - Trade Paperback - 9780767929714

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Overview

A Booklist Notable Book of 2012

The extraordinary New York Times bestselling account of James Garfield's rise from poverty to the American presidency, and the dramatic history of his assassination and legacy, from bestselling author of The River of Doubt, Candice Millard.

James Abram Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, a renowned congressman, and a reluctant presidential candidate who took on the nation's corrupt political establishment. But four months after Garfield's inauguration in 1881, he was shot in the back by a deranged office-seeker named Charles Guiteau. Garfield survived the attack, but become the object of bitter, behind-the-scenes struggles for power--over his administration, over the nation's future, and, hauntingly, over his medical care. Meticulously researched, epic in scope, and pulsating with an intimate human focus and high-velocity narrative drive, The Destiny of the Republic brings alive a forgotten chapter of U.S. history.

  • Format: TradePaperback
  • Author: Millard, Candice
  • ISBN: 9780767929714
  • Condition: Used
  • Dimensions: 7.90 x 0.90
  • Number Of Pages: 432
  • Publication Year: 2012

Customer Reviews

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5 ★   89%
4 ★   11%
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4.9
9 Ratings

11

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1 Recommendations

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  • Great read and very interesting and informative

    Vincent B. - 7 months ago

    This book was so well written it almost read itself. Excellent insight on a little know President

    Tags: Page Turner

  • Excellent

    Would Recommend
    Scott S. - 9 months ago

    Interesting portrayal of the situation of president Garfield and the politics surrounding him in that era

  • Much more than a Presidential biography

    Steve L. - 5 years 4 months ago

    Candice Millard has made a specialty of Presidential bios that are actually gripping tales that feature a President in a role that doesn't directly involve politics. In River of Doubt (2005), Theodore Roosevelt had center stage, but it was not as President; it was as intrepid Amazon explorer. Destiny of the Republic is a story of President John Garfield, but as victim of an assassin, and as victim of antiquated medical practices that couldn't save even the leader of the United States. Alexander Graham Bell plays a role, too. Millard knows how to tell a tale, and keeps things clear and increasingly engaging to the end.

    HPB Staff Review

  • Great book

    Michael R. - 5 years 10 months ago

    A fantastic story very well-told. Captivating from the first page. A great story.

  • The most significant Garfield

    Bill H. - 6 years 4 months ago

    #SummerReading. Destiny of the Republic rescues James Garfield from obscurity. Garfield was a Union general, classical scholar, college president, congressmen, and president, among other things during his eventful life. Unfortunately, his presidency was cut tragically short by an assassin's bullet. But this book is much more than a Garfield biography. Millard examines the state of medical knowledge and the understanding of mental illness in late 19th century America. Alexander Graham Bell even has an important role! Altogether a very fine book.