Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President – Candice Millard
James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States only held office for six months before succumbing to infection predicated by injuries from an assassination attempt in 1881.
Even as a decorated major general for the Union Army and elected official for more than 20 years, his mentions are usually a footnote in Reconstruction Era and Gilded Age history and tend to focus more on his untimely death rather than his character.
“Destiny of the Republic” does a fine job honoring his legacy, and Candice Millard took great care to not lose the person behind the tragedy by overstuffing the book with anecdotes and ancillary characters.
As someone that reads a lot of nonfiction, I’ve noticed a fine line between average and great books, but Millard excelled here, weaving her thorough research into a focused narrative that gives the reader enough information without bogging them down with minutia.
When it comes to American politics, there’s no shortage of colorful characters or factoids that would make you a ringer at Trivial Pursuit, but Millard uses them sparingly and only in ways that supported Garfield’s story.
Of the non-politicians highlighted — Charles Guiteau, Alexander Graham Bell and Joseph Lister — each had a natural connection to Garfield. Millard didn’t waste pages on filler about them, but she provided enough information to give you the context needed:
Guiteau was the conman that shot Garfield, believing he was owed a position in his administration that never materialized. Millard gives us a high-level bio to understand his instability, but he’s not given equal billing.
Bell was already celebrated for inventing the telephone, but he developed a primitive metal detector to help Garfield’s physicians find the bullet lodged in his body. Millard has fun showcasing how his life intersected with Garfield, but he’s here to support not detract.
Lister didn’t have a direct role in Garfield’s life, but his ideas could have saved him. A divisive voice in the medical community, he advocated for aseptic technique to limit infection risk during treatment, but most American physicians – including those caring for Garfield – rejected his ideas.
Still, this is the story of Garfield, a person bound by service to others rather than to himself. For all intents and purposes, he had no interest in politics — he never intended to run for president but was nominated by the Republican party anyway — and that makes this somewhat of a Greek tragedy.
In addition to Garfield, another unfortunate person to emerge was Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham, who served as the Secretary of War. He holds the sad distinction of being present at three presidential assassinations: his father’s, Garfield’s and William McKinley’s in 1901.
The audiobook — narrated by Paul Michael — isn’t a terrible way to experience “Destiny.” Michael had fun with the text, infusing personality into the characters through accents and inflection, but the more somber moments felt a little devoid of emotion, a stark contrast to the rest of his performance.
However, the relatively slim length (for a nonfiction book, at least) and streamlined approach would make this a good physical read.
Rating (story): 4/5 stars
Rating (narration): 3/5 stars
Formats: Audiobook (library loan)
Dates read: March 31 – April 3, 2022
Multi-tasking: Good to go. I mostly exercised and did housework while listening.
