Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President (Doubleday, 352 pp.), Candice Millard’s account of President James Garfield’s assassination brings vividly back to life a tragic but engrossing interlude. Monitor reviewer Erik Spanberg calls this book “a fascinating look into a period of neglected American history.” (CSMonitor.com, 9/13/11)