Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Destiny of the Republic

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President
by Candace Millard [364.152 Mil]

This is no ordinary biography of a mostly- forgotten president. Candice Millard brings President James A. Garfield to life. Not only did I learn a great deal about Garfield's early life and short presidency, I was also fascinated to learn so much about his assassin as well as the doctors and scientists who tried to keep him alive. Although I knew how this story was going to end, there were moments of suspense as well. I also was unaware of the part that Alexander Graham Bell played in trying to save Garfield's life. This really was an enjoyable read, and peaked my interest in the medical world at that time. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey also by Millard or Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.] -- recommended by Alyse S. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in downloadable audio and downloadable E-book formats.]

[ official Candace Millard web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

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