About this episode
Subscribe to skip ads, get bonus content, and enjoy 24/7 access to the entire catalog of 500 episodes.
The Netflix mini-series "Death By Lightning" brings to life a largely overlooked — and troubled — period in American history and one of its admirable figures, a minor president named James Garfield. The Republican Garfield was assassinated by a delusional patronage-seeker named Charles Guiteau only months into his term. The series makes for entertaining television with a terrific cast, but is it sound history? Historian Jeremi Suri is our guest.
Excerpts are courtesy Netflix. Music in this episode is from the soundtrack for "Death by Lightning," composed by Ramin Djawadi.
Recommended reading:
Civil War By Other Means by Jeremi Suri
Democracy of Hope newsletter
Subscribe today to support our important work! Subscriptions begin at only $5 per month.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Get every episode summarized
Each time History As It Happens publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from History As It Happens
Structures of 'Forever War,' Revisited
History As It Happens
Origins of Israel's Lobby
History As It Happens
Meet Roy Cohn, Donald Trump's Mentor
History As It Happens
'The Battle of Algiers' 60 Years On
History As It Happens