Book Review - Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

James Garfield is largely forgotten today because of his short time in the White House, but in his lifetime he made quite a contribution. I only became aware of him when I visited Mentor, Ohio and saw the museum dedicated to him.

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard is a biography of James Garfield, 20th President of the United States.

The Good

Well Written. This book flows very well. The words don't get in the way, it moves at an entertaining pace, the events are well described, and the information is complete so the reader isn't left wondering about anything.

History. This book deals with a period of history between the Civil War and the beginning of the 20th Century, a period that is rarely written about or explored. There were a lot of important figures, events, and discoveries in this period that were fascinating to read about. That alone makes this book worth reading.

The Bad

Not Dramatic. Often the historical figures and events that get written about do something extraordinary or spectacular in a flashy sort of way that makes one go wow. James Garfield was a great man who did great things, but they were more low key things and not so flashy. If you read many biographies, this one may feel a little anti-climatic because of the smaller more subtle ways James Garfield affected history instead of some dramatic turn in the course of events.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

The anti-captial punishment rant at the end was annoying and out of place. Otherwise this book covered the topic well and in an interesting way.

Overall

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President is a well-written biography about a great man whose contribution to history was more subtle and is largely forgotten today. His accomplishments aren't as dramatic as those of others most people read about, but important nonetheless. This book deals with a period of history between the Civil War and the beginning of the 20th Century, a period that is rarely written about or explored. There were a lot of important figures, events, and discoveries in this period that were fascinating to read about. That alone makes this book worth reading. I give this book 4 out of 5 eReaders.