"Goodyear has given us an eloquent and moving biography of our 20th president.... His lucid prose disentangles the complexities and ambiguities of this story.”
– James McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom
President Garfield
From Radical to Unifier
In this magisterial biography, C.W. Goodyear charts the life and times of one of the most remarkable Americans ever to win the Presidency: James Garfield. Over nearly two decades in Congress during a polarized era—Reconstruction and the Gilded Age—Garfield served as a peacemaker in a Republican Party and America defined by divisions. He was elected President to overcome them. He was killed while trying to do so.
About the Author
C.W. Goodyear is a fresh new voice in the field of narrative biography. A bestselling author and historian based in Washington, DC. he was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and grew up abroad before graduating from Yale University.
News & Reviews
“An extremely timely book. In an era polarized like our own, James Garfield went from being a firebrand to an architect of compromise and healing. Goodyear chronicles his evolution in a meticulously researched appraisal.”
– Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs
“Goodyear relates his subject in fascinating, comprehensive detail...A masterful portrait of a man of great intellect, patience, and ability who should not be overlooked by history.”
– Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Meticulously researched and brilliantly narrated, Goodyear’s account weaves together a fascinating figure of towering talents with the extraordinary times in which he lived.”
– Stanley McChrystal, General, US Army (Retired)
Founder and CEO of McChrystal Group
“Mr. Goodyear has given us an eloquent and moving biography of our 20th president. Born and raised in rural poverty, Garfield raised himself up by his bootstraps, fought as a general in the Civil War, rose to leadership in postwar Congresses…and suffered martyrdom by assassination that launched the beginnings of the end of the system that killed him. Goodyear’s lucid prose disentangles the complexities and ambiguities of this story.”
– James McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom
“A fine first book from an energetic young scholar whose skills enhance every page”
– John Gaddis, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of George Kennan
Media
Goodyear, in 2017, describing an anecdote from his co-author's military career