Mar 3, 2013
Destiny of the Republic is a fascinating study of the life and presidency of James A. Garfield, his assassination, and the controversial medical efforts to save his life from a gunshot wound. The pages seem to turn themselves, and one cannot resist comparing the events of the 1880s to today’s headlines of gun control, Civil Rights for all races, divisions and behind-the-scenes power within political parties. The reader will likely gain an appreciation of Garfield’s short presidency and feel a sense of loss and the setback the nation suffered as a result of his death. This is a superb follow-up to Millard’s work about Theodore Roosevelt, The River of Doubt.