Awards

• Winner of Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title 2012

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."

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9780767929714

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Reviews

<p>A New York Times Notable Book <br> Crisp, concise and revealing history. . . . A fresh narrative that plumbs some of the most dramatic days in U.S. presidential history. <br>-- The Washington Post <br> <br> A spirited tale that intertwines murder, politics and medical mystery. . . . Candice Millard leaves us feeling that Garfield's assassination deprived the nation not only of a remarkably humble and intellectually gifted man but one who perhaps bore the seeds of greatness . . . splendidly drawn portraits. . . . Alexander Graham Bell makes a bravura appearance. <br>-- The Wall Street Journal<br> <br> Fascinating. . . . Gripping. . . . Stunning. . . . The haunting tale of how a man who never meant to seek the presidency found himself swept into the White House. . . . Millard shows the Garfield legacy to be much more important than most of her readers knew it to be. <br>-- The New York Times <br> Destiny of the Republic displays Millard's energetic writing and rare ability to effortlessly educate the listener. <br>-- USA Today<br> <br> A staggering tale. . . . Millard digs deeply into the turmoil that got James A. Garfield elected, the lunacy that got him shot and the medical malfeasance that turned a minor wound into a mortal one. <br>--Janet Maslin, Top 10 Recommendations for 2011 <br> One of the many pleasures of Candice Millard's new book, Destiny of the Republic, [is] that she brings poor Garfield to life--and a remarkable life it was. . . . Fascinating. . . . Millard has written us a penetrating human tragedy. <br>-- The New York Times Book Review <br> Brings the era and people involved to vivid life. . . . Takes the reader on a compelling fly on-the-wall journey. . . . Millard takes all of these elements in a forgotten period of history and turns them into living and breathing things. <br>--Associated Press <br> Think you're not interested in James Garfield, our 20th President? Millard's action-packed account of his life and tru

Author Information

Candice Millard, the New York Times-bestselling author of The River of Doubt, is a former editor and contributing writer at National Geographic magazine. She lives in Kansas City with her husband and children.

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