Ambushed!: The Assassination Plot Against President Garfield

by Gail Jarrow Narrated by Jonathan Todd Ross

Overview

James Garfield has only been the United States president for a few days when a
stranger begins stalking him. Who is this man? And what does he want from the
president? For weeks, the threat to Garfield grows, undetected, until a sudden
violent encounter catches Washington by surprise.
In this gripping thriller, Sibert Honor-winner Gail Jarrow continues her Medical
Fiascoes series by exploring events from the summer of 1881. Anxious Americans
intently follow news reports in the aftermath of the stranger's shocking attack on
Garfield. Can the president's doctors save him? Have their mistakes put him in
new danger? Jarrow uncovers these answers and more in the haunting true story
about a fiasco that changed the course of political and medical history.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Winner of the 2022 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award
Kirkus Reviews Best Book
2022 Grateful American Book Prize Honorable Mention
Texas Library Association Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List

★ "The latest installment of Jarrow’s Medical Fiascoes series dissects the assassination of President James Garfield. With characteristic thoroughness, Jarrow tells the entire story, including details from Garfield’s children’s diaries and numerous other firsthand sources as well as many illustrations. The volume’s attractive design and clear, accessible text make it eminently readable. Garfield’s illness united the country, and his death led to civil service reform and the advancement of germ theory—but readers are left mourning his loss. Invites appreciation of and affection for a president nearly everyone has forgotten." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "This well-researched, engaging second entry in the Medical Fiascoes series recounts the torturous medical treatment President Garfield endured after being shot by an assassin on July 2, 1881. The primary source materials (diaries, letters, interviews) are revealing, and the many historical photos and full-page illustrations from newspapers and magazines of the time appealing. Each chapter’s intriguing last sentence invites continued reading. Readers unfamiliar with this nearly forgotten president will find themselves admiring him for his forbearance and good nature throughout his ordeal. Well sourced and highly recommended." —Booklist, starred review

★ "Jarrow continues her 'Medical Fiascoes' series with a compelling account of the life and death of James Garfield, the 20th President of the United States.  The author has provided a multitude of primary sources to enhance the immediacy of her writing. The ramifications of each medical decision are reviewed and placed in their political and the historical contexts. The slow, lingering death of James Garfield in the summer heat of Washington, D.C., the anger of the American people, and the mental instability of the assassin all combine to make this an unforgettable book. Back matter includes glossary, time line, more to explore online websites, author’s note, source notes, extensive bibliography, index, and picture credits. Highly recommended." —School Library Journal, starred review

School Library Journal

★ 11/01/2021

Gr 4–9—Jarrow continues her "Medical Fiascoes" series with a compelling account of the life and death of James Garfield, the 20th President of the United States. Clearly presenting the figures of Garfield and Charles Guiteau, Jarrow's analysis of the lead up to the assassination and its aftermath is a mesmerizing read. Readers, who most likely already know the outcome of the July 2, 1881 shooting, will be rooting for Garfield's survival along with the nation as it receives daily updates from the president's medical team. The author has provided a multitude of primary sources to enhance the immediacy of her writing. The ramifications of each medical decision are reviewed and placed in their political and the historical contexts. The slow, lingering death of James Garfield in the summer heat of Washington, D.C., the anger of the American people, and the mental instability of the assassin all combine to make this an unforgettable book. Back matter includes glossary, time line, more to explore online websites, author's note, source notes, extensive bibliography, index, and picture credits. VERDICT Highly recommended for fans of medical nonfiction. Works by Mary Roach and other titles by Jarrow.—Susan Catlett, Green Run H.S., Virginia Beach

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2021-08-18
The latest installment of Jarrow’s Medical Fiascoes series dissects the assassination of President James Garfield.

A dark horse presidential candidate selected on the 36th ballot of the Republican convention as a compromise between warring factions of the party, Garfield nonetheless came from a solid background: The last president born in a log cabin, into a hardscrabble Ohio farming family, he rose to graduate from Williams College, served as an officer in the Civil War, and spent 17 years in the House of Representatives. In his first months as president, he deplored the political patronage system that left him responsible for filling thousands of jobs. One of those who was convinced Garfield owed him an appointment was Charles Guiteau, an itinerant swindler with grandiose delusions. On July 2, 1880, Guiteau shot Garfield in a D.C. train station—but it took 80 days of medical mismanagement for Garfield to die. With characteristic thoroughness, Jarrow tells the entire story, including details from Garfield’s children’s diaries and numerous other firsthand sources as well as many illustrations. The volume’s attractive design and clear, accessible text make it eminently readable. Garfield’s illness united the country, and his death led to civil service reform and the advancement of germ theory—but readers are left mourning his loss.

Invites appreciation of and affection for a president nearly everyone has forgotten. (glossary, timeline, websites, author's note, source notes, bibliography, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175456388
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	05/10/2022
Series:	Medical Fiascoes , #2
Edition description:	Unabridged

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