Here's another book that I purchased without really knowing what was it about. I do this mainly because I want to be surprised. I believe that the author generally has to plan for revealing the plot and it is best to follow it to get the most impact. Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard is a highly rated book and I set myself to find out why. Not as a mission, but as a journey.
Now, how can I review it without giving too much of it and spoiling it for you? Well, I don't know if I really can, so I'll try to be brief. It deals with Pres. Garfield, one of those presidents from the 19th century that you tend to skip over because you cannot relate to any facts of their presidency. Despite that, his story is interesting in itself. As you can imagine it starts with his youth and early career and then switches to the unexpected way he ended being nominated for president and winning. Parallel to this thread are four other strands, some imperceptible at first, that intertwine and finally pull to different directions until some finally snap. One of those threads, I will reveal as much, is that of Alexander Graham Bell (hint: it's not about the telephone in this book). The others, I will let yourself find out.
A nice, self-contained, well written book. Highly entertaining and informative of the period.
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