Destiny of the Republic

A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President

By: Candice Millard

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

James A. Garfield may have been the most extraordinary man ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired reformist congressman. Nominated for president against his will, he engaged in a fierce battle with the corrupt political establishment. But four months after his inauguration, a deranged office seeker tracked Garfield down and shot him in the back.

But the shot didn’t kill Garfield. The drama of what hap­pened subsequently is a powerful story of a nation in tur­moil. The unhinged assassin’s half-delivered strike shattered the fragile national mood of a country so recently fractured by civil war, and left the wounded president as the object of a bitter behind-the-scenes struggle for power—over his administration, over the nation’s future, and, hauntingly, over his medical care. A team of physicians administered shockingly archaic treatments, to disastrous effect. As his con­dition worsened, Garfield received help: Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, worked around the clock to invent a new device capable of finding the bullet.

Meticulously researched, epic in scope, and pulsating with an intimate human focus and high-velocity narrative drive, The Destiny of the Republic will stand alongside The Devil in the White City and The Professor and the Madman as a classic of narrative history.

From the Hardcover edition.

©2011 Candice Millard (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"[Millard demonstrates] the power of expert storytelling to wonderfully animate even the simplest facts....make[s] for compulsive reading. Superb American history." ( Kirkus)

"Splendidly insightful....stands securely at the crossroads of popular and professional history" ( Booklist)

“Sparklingly alive…[Millard] brings to life a moment in the nation’s history when access to the president was easy, politics bitter, and medical knowledge slight. Under Millard’s pen, it’s hard to imagine its being better told.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Wonderful Reading & Great Story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this to a friend, as it is interesting to say the least, and the reader uses wonderful voices to distinguish the characters without being campy.

Who was your favorite character and why?

James Garfield was my favorite character due to his wonderful quotes and philosophy, a reluctant leader.

What does Paul Michael bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voices are so consistent and he does a great job going back and forth between an honorable leader and president and a psychopathic assassin.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The nomination of Garfield for president when everyone was least expecting it was a particularly moving part.

Any additional comments?

Great pacing and just fascinating!

What a story!

Really well put together story and enlightening story. Even if none of it were true, it would be a great novel, the fact that it's actual history makes it even better.

Millard does a great job of bringing three separate stories together. Each of the three stories are interesting on their own, but she weaves them together very well.

Good history in a great story

Incredible detail in this novel. I was amazed at all the familiar names involved with this tragedy.

A bio in a bio in a bio - that is really good!

I was apprehensive of this book as I read Scott Miller's McKinley bio which mixed the bios of President and Assassin with mediocre success.

Candice Millard deserves high praise for weaving three stories in one and so fluidly that the reader is never disjointed in temporal limbo. Garfield was perhaps the nicest president I've read about who had a bear hug for his enemies as well as his friends. His tragic shooting brought North and South together in post civil war America. While not a full bio of the president, the selection of stories and analysis included paint a clear and impressively full picture of Garfield (in stark contrast to Scott's McKinley). Add the assassin and inventor Alexander Graham Bell who all some how come equally alive and you've got perhaps the most riveting of the multi-biography I've seen. Garfield wasn't Lincoln but Candid Millard is as good as Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals.

Captivating history you never knew

Garfield could have been one of the presidential greats, but his life was cut short in a fascinating series of events. Millard makes this largely unknown story a breath-taking and captivating American tragedy. It's a must for history buffs.

Unbelievably great book!

Wow - I was blown away by this book. It is GREAT. If you're on the fence, get it.

An Unexpected Treasure

What did you like best about this story?

It was so well crafted. The heroes and villians were expertly woven into the story

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

Great voice, Made the characters come alive.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It was one of the best books I've ever heard. Garfield and my daughter were similar souls. Great minds, kind hearts, unfulfilled promise.

awesome book great narrator

What did you like best about this story?

everything

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

i've bought a lot of books paul michael's narrates. he's awesome.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes!!! i couldn't wait to get in my car for the long commute to work to listen to this book.

Any additional comments?

love it!! one of the best audiobooks i've listened to.

Exellent

Part of American history that us often little stuidied, Millard sheds a steady light on for us with this interesting examination of James Garfield, Charles Guiteau, and Bell. The narration is stellar and the book is amzing.

Great book

This book added greatly to my knowledge of American history. The story was compelling and exciting. Definitely recommend this book to anyone!