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)

James A. Garfield should have lived...

The author did well in capturing my attention from the beginning chapter. Millard did a superb job of intertwining the social, scientific and political worlds at the time of the presidential shooting. Being unschooled about the particulars of the Garfield assassination, it was an intriguing read to learn about the shooter, the doctors and the politics of science.
Perhaps the most interesting parts of the book lay in the details about Garfield's academic life and the role his family played, especially the role of his wife, in many of his political decisions.
Most importantly, Millard explained in great detail the arrogance of physicians and how their limited knowledge accelerated the death of the president. We are also introduced to the black physician who initially assisted the wounded president.
A great read sewn-together nicely. Narration was superb and easy to listen to.

Fascinating story, great reader

An engrossing historical account, beautifully-narrated. All of the personages are memorably depicted, and Millard does a wonderful job of re-creating a lost era of American culture and politics. By turns amusing and tragic, I'm so glad I used a credit for this book!

Very good book; narration...not so much

I was thoroughly engrossed in the narrative, it is an amazing congruence of personal brilliance and madness that would have made a great novel. But I found myself wanting to punch my car stereo each time the narrator broke into a character accent. Listening to Mr. Michael try to do Mrs. Garfield's voice almost made me bail on the rest of the book. It might just be me, but I wish all narrators would realize that the interest is in the book, not their vocal acting abilities. Let the story unfold, don't distract with your vocal prowess.

Nothing prepared me for the greatness within

There is nothing that I can write that would do this story justice. An amazing work, amazing experience, expertly narrated, and worth every moment I stole away from whatever responsibilities I had. I have a newfound respect for James A. Garfield, and a newfound fascination with the late 19th century. Who knew it was filled with such drama? Well...many people, I am sure, but experiencing it through the lens of medicine, invention, politics, and insanity in the 1880s brings a whole new appreciation.

Who knew?

The facts rang a faint bell, the president who was only in office a short time before he was assassinated etc. but I had no idea what a fascinating tale this could be. Interesting personal history, interesting election, great medical story with Alexander Bell thrown in for good measure. Couldn't put it down.

I love it!

I learned a lot about a good president, the age in which he lived and how Alexander Graham Bell tried to save his life after he was shot. For anyone who is interested in US history and the lives of the presidents, this book is a "must listen."

The revealing story behind President Garfield

What made the experience of listening to Destiny of the Republic the most enjoyable?

I did not know much about President Garfield but I was familar with this era. This book also explores other famous people such as Alexander Graham Bell and also it gives a detailed story of the insane man who killed President Garfield.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alexander Graham Bell was really a teacher to the deaf, Inventing was a hobby for him.

What about Paul Michael???s performance did you like?

Very good speaker

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

President Garfield got the presidency by accident. He really did not want the nomination.

Any additional comments?

It is amazing that the medicine during this time really did not help Garfield. It actually hindered him and caused most of his problems with healing.

A well-told story that pulls you in

Very interesting and entertaining. One of those books that can catch your interest if for no other reason than that it is well researched, organized, and presented simply.

The book includes a sort of sidebar discussion of the inventors Morse and Bell. Morse's telegraph faced 60 lawsuits from others claiming credit for the invention. Bell was hit with 600 legal challenges to his claim of having invented the telephone. Such stories flesh out the social and political character of the times.

Nicely narrated.

Great read about a fairly unknown President.

Before downloading and listening to this book I didn't know a lot about James Garfield. I now have a much greater opinion about him and feel for what he and his family had to go through in this situation. I highly recommend this book!

Great story and writing, but mixed narration.

I found the material extremely interesting and well written. Gave just enough background information on the characters to set up the conflict. My only gripe would be about the narrator's accents, which were sometimes a little distracting.