Content warning, this episode contains discussion of murder.

When we think about assassinations of American presidents, we tend to think of quick and

sudden events.

The killer pulls the trigger of his weapon, and the lives of men like Abraham Lincoln or

John F. Kennedy get snuffed out.

But it doesn't always happen like that.

And that's certainly not how it occurred for President James Garfield.

He was shot over 140 years ago.

But the times he lived in were full of the same sort of political unrest we see today.

And though no one could have predicted it, his suffering and death helped to bring

the country together.

The attempts to save him also spurred scientific advancements and inventions that we still

use today.

The air conditioner, for instance, was originally developed in an effort to help make the wounded

president more comfortable.

To get the full story, we turn to C. W. Goodyear.

He's just released a terrific new book, President Garfield, from a radical to unifier.

This biography does an amazing job making Garfield and the people he knew seem alive and vibrant.

We highly recommend it.

And of course, his book ends with the story we are telling today, the story of the death

of a president.

My name is Anya Cane, I'm a journalist, and I'm Kevin Greenley, I'm an attorney.

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