About a year ago I read “Destiny of the Republic” by Candace Millard. I went into it not really knowing what to expect, but soon found myself mourning for a president of whom I knew very little. James Garfield was shot after only about a month in office, and died of his wounds about two months later. He had shown promise of being a wonderful president, but it is something we will never really know, as he died before anyone could find out. His Vice President, Chester A. Arthur, then became the automatic next president of the United States, just as Lindon Johnson had after the assassination of John F Kennedy in 1963.
Arthur was supposed to have been put on the republican ticket with Garfield to insure that they would win his home state of New York, which they badly needed. As the Vice President, Arthur could make sure politicians and others of the “political machine” of New York, got special favors. Arthur had no desire to be president. He didn’t even really want to be vice president, but when the office of president was thrust upon him at Garfield’s death, all bets were off. He did his best to do what was right for the country, even when it made some of his old cronies pretty mad.
The whole thing makes for a great story, and not wanting to use a tired phrase but not knowing how else to say it, this book reads like a novel. It is beautifully written, and I was totally sucked into it. Again I found myself mourning for a president I had not known anything about. Arthur started out his political career with few friends. But he became one of those rare individuals who tried to do the right thing in spite of knowing it would turn people against him. And for that, he is not well remembered. I’m so glad I read this book! I highly recommend it to anyone who likes US history, or who is just looking for a really good book.