James A. Garfield, His Assassin, Front and Center in “Death by Lightning”
Mike Makowsky spent months obtaining government approval to examine the original materials behind his new Netflix limited series. Unsurprisingly, “Death by Lightning” opens with a detailed re-creation of Charles J. Guiteau’s story — the man who assassinated the 20th president, James A. Garfield.
The four-part series explores two intertwined lives: President Garfield, whose home in Mentor is now preserved as the James A. Garfield National Historic Site, and Guiteau, his unhinged killer whose actions ended Garfield’s presidency prematurely in 1881.
Makowsky based the screenplay on Candice Millard’s acclaimed 2011 book, Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President. The series stars Michael Shannon as the steadfast Garfield and Matthew Macfadyen as the disturbed Guiteau.
“Death by Lightning” tells the story of ambition, delusion, and tragedy that shaped a turning point in American history.
Author’s Summary
An insightful look at the intertwined fates of President James Garfield and his assassin, portrayed with intensity in Netflix’s historical drama “Death by Lightning.”