Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Staff Review by Patricia Covley:
Destiny of the Republic does more than tell the dramatic story of the assassination of James Garfield. It does give us a new appreciation of a little studied American President.
Garfield was the embodiment of the American Dream. Born dirt poor, he became a teacher, a Civil War hero, a congressman and a senator. A dark horse candidate, he beat the odds and became President. But this is more than just the history of President Garfield. It also tells us the story of Charles Guiteau, a deluded office seeker who thinks God wants him to kill the President. Interestingly enough, Guiteau's shot does not immediately kill Garfield. Garfield becomes not only Guiteau's victim, but also the victim of a medical establishment that has open disdain for antisepsis.
In a fascinating side story, Millard describes Alexander Graham Bell's desperate attempt to invent an implement that would help doctors to identify the location of the assassin's bullet in Garfield's body.
Destiny of the Republic is a great read for history lovers or anyone who enjoys a good story.
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Very good read. Garfield could have been a very interesting president. He kind of comes across as the Bobby Kennedy of his time, you can only wonder what if...
Read "Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell for an entertaining tale about Charles Guiteau's interesting time on the commune.