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

By Candice Millard

Book Overview

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - The extraordinary account of James Garfield's rise from poverty to the American presidency, and the dramatic history of his assassination and legacy, from the bestselling author of The River of Doubt.

"Crisp, concise and revealing history.... A fresh narrative that plumbs some of the most dramatic days in U.S. presidential history." --The Washington Post

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.

Look for Candice Millard's latest book, River of the Gods.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767929713
• ISBN13: 9780767929714
• Release Date: January 2012
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.1" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Excellent, l Learned Something

This book explores Jame's Garfield's rise to the Presidency and the deepening insanity of the man who shot him. Also how the shooting caused a bad politician, Chester Arthur, to want to be a good President. It lets the reader decide if the man who shot him was truly insane and if the man who ultimately killed him was guilty of a crime.