President Garfield

From Radical to Unifier

By: CW Goodyear

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

An “ambitious, thorough, supremely researched” (The Washington Post) biography of the extraordinary, tragic life of America’s twentieth president—James Garfield.

In “the most comprehensive Garfield biography in almost fifty years” (The Wall Street Journal), C.W. Goodyear charts the life and times of one of the most remarkable Americans ever to win the Presidency. Progressive firebrand and conservative compromiser; Union war hero and founder of the first Department of Education; Supreme Court attorney and abolitionist preacher; mathematician and canalman; crooked election-fixed and clean-government champion; Congressional chieftain and gentleman-farmer; the last president to be born in a log cabin; the second to be assassinated. James Abram Garfield was all these things and more.

Over nearly two decades in Congress during a polarized era—Reconstruction and the Gilded Age—Garfield served as a peacemaker in a Republican Party and America defined by divisions. He was elected to overcome them. He was killed while trying to do so.

President Garfield is American history at its finest. It is about an impoverished boy working his way from the frontier to the Presidency; a progressive statesman, trying to raise a more righteous, peaceful Republic out of the ashes of civil war; the tragically imperfect course of that reformation, and the man himself; a martyr-President, whose death succeeded in nudging the country back to cleaner, calmer politics.

©2023 CW Goodyear (P)2023 Simon & Schuster Audio

Great bio of Garfield’s political career

A great example of Garfield as a human being with complicated but compassionate triumphs. The assassination is not a large focus which can be read about in other books but overall, this book takes on the character of the man.

Hope the politics of the 1880s resonate today

Excellent biography about President Garfield. From humble beginnings to the White House he sought to better himself and this country.

great biography!

This is a great book. I’ve learned a lot and it was a fun read. The story was balanced and the pace good.

Evan's Review

This book not only a good biography of James Garfield but gives us a good mood of the United States was in during the reconstruction era of American History. Also how the how the spoil system in the Federal Government was a big issue which lead to his death and some of the reform that took place after his death. Another issue I was amazed that I thought after I thought medicine at improved after the Civil War to treat bullet wounds. I strongly recommend this book.

Sad

What might have been. I didn’t know much about Garfield; now I do. We need another Garfield now!

Underrated

James Garfield was like a HOF NFL player whose career was cut short by gruesome injury. This book brilliantly captures the impactful life of our most underrated president. What a great man… what an enjoyable read.

Garfield, untold

This book was good and informative. But, the ending left you wanting more about his legacy.

Excellent

Excellent storytelling, compelling, so compelling - an incredible life made real through masterful writing. As a lover of history, especially USA history, this author leaves me moved by the telling of President Garfield’s life and anxiously awaiting CW Goodyear’s next book. Suffice it say that I wept by the end of the book.
Thank you for this awesome experience.

Very very good!

I have read a couple different books about President Garfield. This one is very well written and very informative to follow. I highly recommend it this is a presidential history buffs type of book!

Must read

So well written and such a worthy subject. Highly recommend this biography we didn’t know we needed.