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Murdering the President: Alexander Graham Bell and the Race to Save James Garfield
Shortly after being elected president of the United States, James Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau. But contrary to what is written in most history books, Garfield didn’t linger and die. He survived. Alexander Graham Bell raced against time to invent the world’s first metal detector to locate the bullet in Garfield’s body so that doctors could safely operate. Despite Bell’s efforts to save Garfield, however, and as never before fully revealed, the interventions of Garfield’s friend and doctor, Dr. D. W. Bliss, brought about the demise of the nation’s twentieth president.
But why would a medical doctor engage in such monstrous behavior? Did politics, petty jealousy, or failed aspirations spark the fire inside Bliss that led him down the path of homicide? Rosen proves how depraved indifference to human life—second-degree murder—rather than ineptitude led to Garfield’s drawn-out and painful death. Now, more than one hundred years later, historian and homicide investigator Fred Rosen reveals through newly accessed documents and Bell’s own correspondence the long list of Bliss’s criminal acts and malevolent motives that led to his murder of the president.
But why would a medical doctor engage in such monstrous behavior? Did politics, petty jealousy, or failed aspirations spark the fire inside Bliss that led him down the path of homicide? Rosen proves how depraved indifference to human life—second-degree murder—rather than ineptitude led to Garfield’s drawn-out and painful death. Now, more than one hundred years later, historian and homicide investigator Fred Rosen reveals through newly accessed documents and Bell’s own correspondence the long list of Bliss’s criminal acts and malevolent motives that led to his murder of the president.
248 pages, Hardcover
Published September 1, 2016
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About the author
Fred Rosen
43 books60 followersAmerican true crime author and former columnist for the Arts and Leisure Section of The New York Times.
Rosen's published works in the genre include Lobster Boy, There But For the Grace: Survivors of the 20th Century’s Infamous Serial Killers and When Satan Wore a Cross.
He is also the winner of Library Journal’s Best Reference Source 2005 award for The Historical Atlas of American Crime, and has written many other works of historical non-fiction including Cremation in America, Contract Warriors and Gold!.
Rosen's published works in the genre include Lobster Boy, There But For the Grace: Survivors of the 20th Century’s Infamous Serial Killers and When Satan Wore a Cross.
He is also the winner of Library Journal’s Best Reference Source 2005 award for The Historical Atlas of American Crime, and has written many other works of historical non-fiction including Cremation in America, Contract Warriors and Gold!.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 12, 2020
I did not quite know what to expect from this book, but I got a lot of history about a lot of folks that I thought was very interesting. The Civil War facts battles, and some of the military men mentioned was familiar. The family history of the main players was well written and documented. The real meat of the story, alluded to in the title, was quite gruesome and almost too unbelievable. I am not sure if it is a history everyone would really want to know. It was almost more than I wanted to know.
March 6, 2023
For some reason I was under the impression that this was going to be an alternate history -- some sort of fiction -- and while reading I was wondering why it was so dry 😅
This is a historical account of how James Garfield didn't die from the gunshot wound but from his doctor's gross negligence. He likely would have survived if the doctor had left the wound alone. My dad always tells me interesting "surprising" historical facts like this one, so it was interesting to learn a bit more about how it unfolded, in addition to what Garfield did during the Civil War. I also learned that during the First Battle of Bull Run, civilians from Washington actually came out to the countryside with picnic baskets and blankets to sit on the grass and watch! (They expected a swift Union victory, but oops.)
Putting my expectations aside, I'm still giving this 3 stars because the narrative digresses often at the expense of the main story, with the focus jumping between too many main players and irrelevant things in their side stories. Garfield wasn't even at the First Battle of Bull Run.
This is a historical account of how James Garfield didn't die from the gunshot wound but from his doctor's gross negligence. He likely would have survived if the doctor had left the wound alone. My dad always tells me interesting "surprising" historical facts like this one, so it was interesting to learn a bit more about how it unfolded, in addition to what Garfield did during the Civil War. I also learned that during the First Battle of Bull Run, civilians from Washington actually came out to the countryside with picnic baskets and blankets to sit on the grass and watch! (They expected a swift Union victory, but oops.)
Putting my expectations aside, I'm still giving this 3 stars because the narrative digresses often at the expense of the main story, with the focus jumping between too many main players and irrelevant things in their side stories. Garfield wasn't even at the First Battle of Bull Run.
October 23, 2016
Charles Guiteau shot President Garfield, but did he kill him? Very well researched account of how Alexander Graham Bell tried to save the president with his invention of the first metal detector, but was thwarted by the inept and possibly criminal behavior of Garfield's doctor, D. W. Bliss. Great read! A part of history I knew nothing about!
March 10, 2024
As others have noted, the biggest complaint about the book is its subtitle. There is more detail about Garfield’s Civil War exploits than about Bell’s attempt to invent a tool to find the bullet. Other books on Garfield go into much more detail regarding the doctor’s depraved indifference to the treatment of their patient. That said, there were some new details about the lives of the various characters that were interesting, but folks expect a detail recount of what Bell attempted and what Dr Bliss didn’t do, this isn’t the book.
May 23, 2017
For over one hundred pages this profiles President Garfield (Civil War Hero), a glory hound doctor, and inventory Alexander Graham Bell. Mentions Lincoln's shooting and that his son was on Garfield's staff.
The doctor dispenses some punishing treatment that is not pleasant to know as Bell aspires to create a metal detector. Occasional insight as I was unaware, but not very stimulating. Some B/W photos.
The doctor dispenses some punishing treatment that is not pleasant to know as Bell aspires to create a metal detector. Occasional insight as I was unaware, but not very stimulating. Some B/W photos.
June 11, 2023
Garfield didn't run against Winfield Scott in 1880, and Winfield Scott was not the general in command at Bull Run. Neither was Winfield Scott HANCOCK, against whom Garfield ran, and who was not "good at" losing, as Rosen implies.
Pretty stunning errors, demonstrating a total lack of attention to detail and knowledge of the time period, such that I'm not sure I can trust anything else this author says.
Pretty stunning errors, demonstrating a total lack of attention to detail and knowledge of the time period, such that I'm not sure I can trust anything else this author says.
January 23, 2021
Fascinating read. A president who hadn't aspired to be president. A death that didn't have to happen.
September 10, 2016
Alexander Graham Bell’s take on President Garfield’s death.
The assassination of President James Garfield may not be what it appears on the surface. Charles Guiteau shot Garfield in 1881. The wound itself, however, didn’t cause Garfield’d death. Autopsy later revealed that bullet lodged in a place that wouldn’t have been fatal. The infection caused by Garfield’s treating physician, Dr. Bliss, and his unsanitary probes for the bullet, killed the president.
Former New York Times columnist Fred Rosen reexamination of the evidence and newly access documents sheds new light on the case. As the author of numerous true crime and history books, Rosen is no stranger to archival material, and in Alexander Graham Bell’s correspondence, Rosen found a goldmine. Bell invented the world’s first metal detector to locate the bullet in Garfield’s body. Finding the bullet would have spared Garfield the unsanitary probes and surgery. Bell’s correspondence reveals that Dr. Bliss purposely sabotaged Bell’s efforts, slamming the door on a diagnostic technique that could have saved the president’s life. In so doing, Rosen argues, Bliss went beyond medical malpractice and committed second-degree murder.
By presenting history as a true crime case, Rosen not only makes it interesting to the lay person, he makes an important scholarly contribution to the literature on President Garfield's demise.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The assassination of President James Garfield may not be what it appears on the surface. Charles Guiteau shot Garfield in 1881. The wound itself, however, didn’t cause Garfield’d death. Autopsy later revealed that bullet lodged in a place that wouldn’t have been fatal. The infection caused by Garfield’s treating physician, Dr. Bliss, and his unsanitary probes for the bullet, killed the president.
Former New York Times columnist Fred Rosen reexamination of the evidence and newly access documents sheds new light on the case. As the author of numerous true crime and history books, Rosen is no stranger to archival material, and in Alexander Graham Bell’s correspondence, Rosen found a goldmine. Bell invented the world’s first metal detector to locate the bullet in Garfield’s body. Finding the bullet would have spared Garfield the unsanitary probes and surgery. Bell’s correspondence reveals that Dr. Bliss purposely sabotaged Bell’s efforts, slamming the door on a diagnostic technique that could have saved the president’s life. In so doing, Rosen argues, Bliss went beyond medical malpractice and committed second-degree murder.
By presenting history as a true crime case, Rosen not only makes it interesting to the lay person, he makes an important scholarly contribution to the literature on President Garfield's demise.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews