Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President in DC Public Library

Jun 02, 2012 Jamie Jones Hullinger rated it really liked it

This was such a good read I give it 4.5 stars. I knew nothing of James Garfield before reading this only that he was assassinated. My take away about his character is that he was a genuinely good man and it is a shame that our country was robbed of him before he could really establish himself as president. I think he really could have done some good. I don't want to give away too many interesting facts that came from the book but I will provide a few things. The fact that he was essentially push ...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Allison rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013-reads

President James A. Garfield is a president often forgotten to history. He was assassinated less than six months into his first presidential term, but lived a rather remarkable life before his death. During the times he was a beloved president, and brought the entire country together for the first time since before the Civil War. He was never supposed to be president either. He had gone to the Chicago convention in 1880 to promote the candidacy of another fellow Ohioan, but after numerous rounds President James A. Garfield is a president often forgotten to history. He was assassinated less than six months into his first presidential term, but lived a rather remarkable life before his death. During the times he was a beloved president, and brought the entire country together for the first time since before the Civil War. He was never supposed to be president either. He had gone to the Chicago convention in 1880 to promote the candidacy of another fellow Ohioan, but after numerous rounds of voting, his name was tossed into the ring and he beat out the likes of former President Grant and perpetual candidate James G. Blaine.

Candice Millard's novel is superbly written. The novel narrates the lives of Garfield, his assassin and Alexander Bell, with the rise of modern medicine. It was a very enjoyable read with engaging historical figures.

My first introduction to Garfield came through 1861: The Civil War Awakening. There is a fantastic chapter on Garfield in that book that has really stuck with me. Garfield was an ardent abolitionist, a canal worker, a professor, a General in the Union Army, a U.S. Representative, and finally President, and he died before reaching the age of 50. He was born into abject poverty, and with his father dying when he was a toddler, his mother couldn't afford a pair of shoes for him until the age of four. Despite his humble beginnings, his mother prized education, and he was able to attend school throughout his adolescence. Later he worked his way as a carpenter through college, and eventually became the president of his hometown college. During the Civil War, he helped to save Kentucky for the Union, afterwards becoming a U.S. Representative.

Along with detailing the history of Garfield's life, Millard shows the importance of the rise of modern medicine in the 1880's. 16 years before President Garfield was shot, Joseph Lister introduced the world to antiseptic surgery. However, antiseptics were still not widely used in the United States, and germs were believed to be a myth. The procedures taken by Garfield's doctors are what killed him, not the bullet.

I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in U.S. history and U.S. Presidents. Millard has left me wanting to know more about President Garfield. Great read. ...more

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