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The Destiny of the Republic

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Randy Kadish
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The Destiny of the Republic

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I had no interest in James Garfield; so I bought this book somewhat reluctantly. (Certainly, the title didn't thrill me.) I’m glad I did as it’s one of the best and most emotion-filled history books I’ve read in a long time. Much of the book is sad; as James Garfield, who never sought the presidency, was truly a Renaissance man, with a strong sense of morality. Had he not been shot by a crazed assassin and then fatally infected by his own close-minded doctor, he probably would have been a very good president.

And yet much of the book is also uplifting, especially the part about Chester Arthur, a political hack no one thought very much of, but who overcame his past and then transformed himself into a good president.

The characters in the book are well drawn and come to life.

There are many different themes to this book. To me the most compelling one is the theme of opposites: Garfield’s humility vs. Guiteau’s megalomania; Dr. Bliss’s stubbornness vs. Alexander Graham Bell’s curiosity. Those opposites clashed and caused tragedy, but later, there are opposites that came together and formed a better nation: The North and South, still deeply divided, becoming more unified because of Garfield’s death, the medical community coming to believe in antiseptics, and then saving many lives.

Ms. Millard tells the story simply, which only adds power to it as she lets the events and characters almost speak for themselves.

My only complaint about this book is that it ended too quickly, but then so did Garfield’s life.
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