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

I had read a book about President Cleveland and in a discussion of medical care, the shoddy medical care of President Garfield which resulted in his death was mentioned. By chance I ran across a favorable review of Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard and figured I would like to learn more about this. So I requested the book for my local library and waited. (If you are looking for a new book it is much quicker to just buy it.)

Other than a brief mention of President Garfield in high school history and the book mentioned above, I knew little about this President. Millard’s book was wonderful way to fill in that gap. Millard tell the fascinating story of his rise from abject poverty to the presidency, his assassination by a mad man, and the medical care that killed him.

This is not a complete biography of James Garfield. His life before his brief presidency is well told. It is clear that he was an extraordinary man and his assassination only a few months after inauguration was a great loss to the country. The assassin Charles Guiteau is vividly portrayed as he gets closer to the President. As in River of Doubt , you know how this story is going to end but Millard adds considerable suspense while telling this story.

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard is a fascinating account of that era and the sadly short presidency of James Garfield.