The destiny of the republic
by Candice Millard · first published 2011
67% recommend33% neutral
James A. Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired reformist congressman. Nominated for president against his will, he engaged in a fierce battle with the corrupt political establishment. But four months after his inauguration, a deranged office seeker tracked Garfield down and shot him in the back. But the shot didn't kill Garfield. The drama of what happened subsequently is a powerful story of a nation in turmoil. The unhinged assassin's half-delivered s
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I'll give you my 3 favorites of the year: - The Destiny of the Republic, by Candice Millard. The shooting of Garfield is the framing of this book. It covers a time period I knew such little about (~1880s), so I learned so much reading it. Just a crazy, interesting story in…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2017?” ↗Candace Millard's book "the destiny of the republic" covers this and is pretty good. Garfield seemed like the type of person who could have done great things in office, given his apparent intelligence and humble upbringing. I also think the journey of…
on “A President Felled by an Assassin and 1880s Medical Care” ↗If the second paragraph of "A Short Biography" is at all interesting, then you should definitely read The Destiny of the Republic. It covers Garfield's unexpected rise to president, his assassination, Bell's attempt to save him, the nutter who shot him, and more. For me it was also an interesting coverage of a time period I knew…
on “Mathematical Treasure: James A. Garfield's Proof of the Pythagorean Theorem” ↗…the Empire” (about Winston Churchill) and “River of Doubt” (Theodore Roosevelt) are both interesting looks at important historical figures in situations we don’t often prescribe to them. Her first book “Destiny of the Republic” (James Garfield) is also good but the other two are superior. “David and Goliath” by Malcolm Gladwell.
on “Ask HN: What are the best audiobooks you have ever listened to?” ↗…with TR in general. The author, Candice Millard, has two other books which I also enthusiastically recommend: "Hero of the Empire", about Churchill's escape from a POW camp during the Boer War, and "Destiny of the Republic" about the assassination of President Garfield.
on “Ask HN: Non-sci-fi fiction recommendations?” ↗…Maybe I'll try Sapians it give Yuval another try. My recent list: The Half Known Life Born a Crime American Prometheus Operation Mincemeat Leonardo Da Vinci Powers and Thrones The Icepick Surgeon Destiny of the Republic The River of Doubt Red Famine Under the Banner of Heaven In Order to Live The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream Homo Deus The Confidence Men The Bomber Mafia Calypso Termination Shock Red Platoon:…
on “Neanderthals hunted dangerous cave lions, study shows” ↗…successor felt obligated to carry out, an accomplishment that recently came under particularly heavy attack. Netflix just came out with the miniseries about him, 'Death by Lightning,' based on the book 'Destiny of the Republic.' His earlier life is featured prominently in '1861: The Civil War Awakening' by Adam Goodheart. There are a few great C-SPAN/Book TV videos by some of the authors that tell the story concisely and…
on “Garfield's proof of the Pythagorean Theorem” ↗