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The Demon of Unrest
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Splendid and the Vile brings to life the pivotal five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War—a simmering crisis that finally tore a deeply divided nation in two.
On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the fluky victor in a tight race for president. The country was bitterly at odds; Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union, with one state after another seceding and Lincoln powerless to stop them. Slavery fueled the conflict, but somehow the passions of North and South came to focus on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor: Fort Sumter.
Master storyteller Erik Larson offers a gripping account of the chaotic months between Lincoln’s election and the Confederacy’s shelling of Sumter—a period marked by tragic errors and miscommunications, enflamed egos and craven ambitions, personal tragedies and betrayals. Lincoln himself wrote that the trials of these five months were “so great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them.”
At the heart of this suspense-filled narrative are Major Robert Anderson, Sumter’s commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardor at every opportunity; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery and seeing parallels between them. In the middle of it all is the overwhelmed Lincoln, battling with his duplicitous secretary of state, William Seward, as he tries desperately to avert a war that he fears is inevitable—one that will eventually kill 750,000 Americans.
Drawing on diaries, secret communiques, slave ledgers, and plantation records, Larson gives us a political horror story that captures the forces that led America to the brink—a dark reminder that we often don’t see a cataclysm coming until it’s too late.
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Reviews
As with all his other books, Erik Larson is a consummate storyteller, weaving a compelling narrative from exhaustively researched history. He never disappoints.
By Oxford Okie
True to Larsen style… you learn not only the the “how” but the “who, what and why” of the start of the civil war. History buffs will appreciate his research.
By DonnieboyT
From my perspective, one of a very best and best interesting historical books ever written. I have told pretty much everyone. I know that this is a must read.
By this app is too hard
I enjoy his books immensely, and “The Demon of Unrest” brought down the house. There is so much to learn in history.
By Cyber_Grunt
What an epic story! Erik Larson is a phenomenal storyteller! His research and way of telling the story is absolutely incredible! I have read many books about the Civil War, but this one tells the story of what lead up to those first shots fired at Fort Sumter. This book is fabulously informative and brings to life many characters whom I had read little about. I love a book that makes me want to learn more about the subject or a specific character and I cannot wait to read more about Mary Chestnut! What a hoot she seemed to be!
By didishooshoo