Candice Millard's Destiny of the Republic is (as the subtitle states) "a tale of madness, medicine, and the murder of a president." Madness- of Charles Guiteau, the insane man responsible for the shooting. Medicine- of Dr. Bliss and Alexander Graham Bell, who raced to save the President with both commonly-held medical techniques and cutting-edge technology. Murder- of President James A. Garfield, the man who took the nation's highest office reluctantly- indeed, he didn't even want to be nominated for the Republican ticket. Here, the tale of these men are woven together in a way that's both interesting and informative. Guiteau, Bell, and Garfield are covered in the most depth, and each man is fascinating in his on right. Taken together, the tale is wonderfully done, if horribly sad.
I really enjoyed this work. Perhaps most telling is that the medicine of the time- or, at least, of Dr. Bliss- was probably more responsible for the President's death than the bullet. Millard tells a good story, and weaves interesting bits of 'fringe' history in to make it even more enjoyable. One final comment: Millard's portrait of Garfield is entirely favorable. I don't know enough history of this era to validate her claims, but Garfield (according to her) certainly seemed like a great President. His selflessness and integrity seems like the relic of a bygone era. As was typical of the time, he didn't even campaign for himself. Can you imagine? It reminds me of a quote by Davy Crockett, who vowed never to seek, nor refuse, office. We need leaders like that . . . always.
Rating: A
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