I loved this book and although I haven’t read any of his other books before this is definitely going to send me down that rabbit hole. An engaging history of the events leading up to the Civil War, with lots of personality added from diaries and letters. Highly recommend for history lovers or those just interested in learning.

Erik Larson is one of my go-to nonfiction authors; when I see he has a new book out, I'm always interested. This interest began with "The Devil in the White City," which is still my favorite of his. He has a way of making history come alive in a fascinating way. His latest is "The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War."

The book covers the months prior to the firing on Ft Sumter, which began the Civil War. During those six months, Lincoln was elected President for the first time and was inaugurated (which happened in March, at that time). Can Larson write a dull book? Sadly (for me at least), this book proves that the answer to that is yes. There was just so much talk of technicalities of various boats and battery, many MANY characters, etc. I kept reading, hoping it would improve, but for me, it really didn't. The writing is good, but I kept thinking, "This is a guys' book." I think Civil War junkies will no doubt enjoy all this minutiae.

Still, I found interesting bits:

The title comes from a letter written at the time by a professor: "When commerce, manufacturers, the mechanic arts disturbed this condition of things, and amassed wealth that could pretend to more lavish luxury than planting, then came in, I fear, this demon of unrest which has been the utmost sole disturber of the land for years past."

This isn't an objective account, and Larson is clearly negative on the South, particularly South Carolina. I can't think residents of that state will be too fond of the book. Larson compares South Carolina to Miss Havisham in "Great Expectations" ("the perfect embodiment of South Carolina ... she retired from the world, stopped her clocks, wore her wedding dress forever, and even left her nuptial feast in place, rotting on the table." Also references to "South Carolina, a state known for erratic judgment ..." and "South Carolina's radical reputation."

It's always interesting (to me, at least) to read about ideas on the origins of the Civil War. School always teaches that it was all about slavery. My husband is convinced it was mainly over states' rights. Larson falls largely on the slavery side, although he talks some about southerners feeling their honor and pride were hurt by the north's condemnation of slavery (and therefore, southerners in general) as fundamentally evil. He also discusses "cotton is king" and the idea that they felt a lack of cotton could bring the North to its knees.

I often think that Abraham Lincoln must have been a bit of an odd character when seen or talked to in person. That's based not just on this book but others I've read on him. Here we read about his "oddly high-pitched laugh" which he exhibited before saying, "Just think of such a sucker as me as President!" Indeed, Secretary of State Seward and others expressed some shock that such an unrefined character as Lincoln became President rather than more expected types, such as them. A speech of Lincoln's also made me cringe with its big federal power tones: "All the power at my disposal will be used to reclaim the public property and places which have fallen; to hold, occupy, and possess these, and all other property and places belonging to the government, and to collect the duties on imports ..."

President Buchanan, who was in power prior to Lincoln, was thrilled to leave the White House, which seems totally understandable given the country's angst at the time. "If you are as happy, my dear sir, on entering the house as I am in leaving it and returning home, you are the happiest man in this country," he told Lincoln as he left. Often in recent months I've wondered who would honestly WANT to be US President now, with our country in such a mess.

I read a lot about cockades and learned what they are: basically the little rosettes you see now usually on ribbons. At the time, apparently wearing a blue one on your hat identified you as a secession supporter.

I was always a little hazy on what actually happened at Fort Sumter (not "Sumpter," as Larson repeatedly tells us Lincoln spelled it). But after reading this book, here are the basics as I understand them: Fort Sumter was a US fort, just a few miles off the coast of Charleston. The US military held the fort, but as hostilities built up, and South Carolina (among other states) voted to secede, South Carolinians were uncomfortable with the US (thereby the north) occupying the fort. There was a lot of back-and-forth with would the North/could the North send in supplies to the troops at the fort, should they leave the fort, etc. Once some South Carolinians fired on the fort in April, a month after Lincoln became president, soldiers at the fort fired back and the Civil War began.

Larson got off to a poor start in my opinion by telling us on page one that he was researching this book on January 6, 2021, which gave him "an eerie feeling that present and past had merged ... I was appalled by the attack ..." etc. Little comments here and there in the book make it clear that he's wanting to equate "good" with the North and today's Democrats, while the digs he gets in at the South are also in his opinion just fine to apply to today's Republicans and especially those rascally Republicans and heaven forbid MAGA voters.

My least-favorite Larson so far; I hope he'll be back on his game with subsequent books.

Thus is the 3rd book by this author I've read , the first 2 was ( The Devil in the White City- which I hated ) and the other one I loved was and is Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, and just Like Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, this book came to live with each turn of the page ,showing that Mr. ERIK Larson knows how to bring to life the very history his written about ,not only the places, the time period, but the people as well.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Erik Larson does it again. I absolutely love his books. Never before have I enjoyed history books so much as when I am reading his books. He turns history into something real that you can connect with and enjoy while learning at the same time. He is the reason why I am able to remember certain historical events, because he makes them so interesting and memorable. You are never reading just facts on a page with a dry commentary, rather Larson gives you actual quotations, stories, and correspondence of historical figures that make the story come alive again.

In other words, if you haven’t yet, pick up this book and all of his other books as well!

This newest book by Larson is about Fort Sumter and the spiral into the Civil War. The book starts at the time right before Lincoln was elected into office and tensions in the South started rising. States start seceding and Fort Sumter is in the midst of the crisis. Most of the book is comprised of direct quotations from the people Larson follows. These quotations come from diaries, letters, memorandums, articles, and other correspondence all written by these various historical figures. Major historical figures that are followed throughout the book include Mary Chestnut, Col. Anderson, Lincoln, William Seward, Edmund Ruffin, and many others. I love that this book was comprised of these historical figure’s direct quotations and direct correspondence.

This book brings alive an area of history that can be widely overlooked. The battles of the Civil War tend to get more attention, but Larson reminds us why Fort Sumter was so important and why the nation progressed to the state of war. I enjoyed this book so much and I will eagerly await the next book Larson writes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the eARC.

No one, absolutely no one, writes history like Erik Larson. I have a BS in social studies education and love history and learned so flipping much in these pages.

I have just completed my read of "The Demon of Unrest," written by Erik Larson and just published by Crown Publishing (who graciously provided me with an ARC for this review). Those of you familiar with Erik Larson's canon will not be surprised that this is a tightly written and well-researched examination of the events surrounding the opening shots of the War Between the States as they worked out in Charleston Harbor following the secession of South Carolina from the Union. Of course, it is common knowledge among those that still do the work to know that Fort Sumter was the lightening rod that focused the failing Union's attention as Abraham Lincoln came to the Presidency. This is not a military history, but rather draws its strength from its focus on cultural and political matters relating to the strains upon the Union as the Whigs declined and the Republicans ascended to power. It is a tale of courage and principle on both sides, of men and women torn between long held beliefs, self interest and foolish underestimation of the evolving consensus in the modern world around issues like slavery. It is particularly useful in examining how both sides came to their partisan views of the "other" without any real clue of the historical and cultural forces fueling events amongst their adversaries. If not particularly the kind of thing I find riveting, it is, nonetheless, thought provoking, especially in the troubled times we presently live in. It certainly belongs in all libraries and in the collections of those fascinated by the American Civil War. Reading this, I kept thinking that it was hard to believe each side could so retreat to their own corners without any real understanding of the underlying beliefs of their opponents and former compatriots. Given everything I see on the nightly news, I suppose I ought not to be surprised. The book is both frightening, enlightening, and profoundly saddening. I recommend it for a slow and patient read; it is well worth it, and you will be surprised how many insights it offers into our present difficulties!

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and Erik Larson for the advanced reader copy of the book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

Erik Larson has a unique way of presenting actual events so they read like a story. His attention to detail may be too much information for some people, but I have been enjoying his work. In the introduction to The Demon of Unrest, Larson states that his research for this book about the beginning of the American Civil War when the events of January 6, 2021, took place. At the same time, there are many common denominators for events that led up to our modern event as well as the secessionist fervor that led up to the Civil War.

I took advanced placement American History in high school and also covered it briefly on a course in college. Nothing I studied before gave me the understanding I gained from The Demon of Unrest. Although some of the awareness can be attributed to the many books I’ve read on the subject since then, Larson covers the Southern mentality in such a way that I gained a better understanding of what led to the Civil War. Ever since the country was founded, southern slave owners were coddled with the laws that were passed, including the Constitution. Lincoln’s election in 1860 and the swelling ranks of abolitionists struck fear in the hearts of those who were playing at being American royalty and using enslaved people to prop up the illusion.

I’ve often said that most wars happen because the wealthy convince the poor and middle class to fight for them. This is a case where most of the people in the South really had no reason to secede from the Union. The vast majority owned no slaves. However, they were afraid of the races mixing and that motivated them to fight. Larson details how much fear the slave owners and others lived with that one day the slaves and free blacks would rebel. This fear motivated secession as proponents were traveling to state conventions talking about how the North would force their views on the South and allow miscegenation, among other mixing of the races. Whites in the South still saw blacks as inherently inferior and didn’t want them as equals.

Larson’s research includes diaries by those who were in Charleston at the time and who saw the events leading up to the start of hostilities at Fort Sumter from a different point of view than what I was presented with in my studies. It doesn’t excuse the enslavement of a race of people but gives their perspective. Larson has also read through the papers of various politicians and sets the narrative of an ineffective outgoing President who allowed the rebels more latitude than he should have against the conflicting interests of the incoming President. He follows Lincoln on his journey from Illinois to the White House, all the while under threats of assassination, which may or may not have been real.

The depth in The Demon of Unrest is unparalleled. I could see the resemblance to the events of January 6, 2021. It’s also a cautionary tale of appeasement of those who would commit insurrection against the government and what it leads to. I recommend it to Civil War aficionados as well as anyone interested in a better grasp of history.

Erik Larson cements himself as one of the most important writers and historians of our time with The Demon of Unrest. I've been a fan of Larson's other works in the past and was excited to pick this up as soon as it was released. It did not dissapoint.Larson does a fantastic job untangling and humanizing all sides of the Civil War with his knack of pacing and structure. Well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and Erik Larson for the advanced reader copy of the book. I am a huge fan of Erik Larsen and have every single one of his books on my bookshelf. (yes, I will be picking this up too). His attention to detail and ability to tell a TRUE story making this and other novels, read like a fictional time in history NEVER fails to amaze and impress me. Being a huge fan of Civil War History, and American History – Fort Sumter and Charleston has been visited by my family on more than one occasion. That being said, even being there in person does not compare to what I read on these pages.

Eric Larson “The Demons of Unrest” by Erik Larson - 5 stars (Pub Date: Out Now!) is yet another Eric Larson success. As always, Larson does an amazing job of relating history in a narrative way to allow the reader access to the content as if it were fiction. His characterization of not only Lincoln, but also the other key players of the five months leading up to the Civil War is one of my favorite things about reading an Erik Larson book. Historical people are just people, and their quirks, egos, personalities, and strengths are human, not historically human.

Good things: Larson does an excellent job of rendering his main players as real people using quotes from and about each individual allowing you to feel like you actually are speaking with them or listening to them. His research is amazing because the new details that he discovers in the letters and journals of others, really add as much to the specific chronological relaying of the history as the facts and dates.

Opportunities: One of the things I struggle with the most when I read history is keeping dates and people straight in my head but because The Demons of Unrest takes place in a very compact amount of time I’m struggling less with the dates and more with keeping the players straight. It doesn’t help that many of them have very similar names and I find myself regularly reflecting on who is who. A list of all the major people would be very helpful.

Final Thoughts: As always, everything that Eric Larson writes is amazing. I have yet to be disappointed by a single one of his history books, and even after having majored in History in college his narrative storytelling format makes the content much more accessible and allows a wonderful nonfiction entry point for all types of readers.

I appreciate the opportunity afforded me to have an early read of this story by netgalley and Crown Publishing . The opinions in this review are expressly those of ButIDigressBookClub and are intended for use by my followers and friends when choosing their next book. #butidigress #butidigressbookclub #thedemonsofunrest #eriklarson #narrativehistory #history #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #arc #arcs

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Review Shared on Goodreads - www.goodreads.com/leah_cyphert_butidigressbookclub
Publishing Review 5/7/2024

This is such a dad book. Fascinating, well-researched, and provides a new perspective on a well-known time in history.

Incredible research makes this very dense reading. There is so much detail and so many characters that I often lost track. This is definitely meant for a history buff. I did appreciate how the author managed to create tension in this chronological story. There were also interesting stories about Abraham Lincoln that revealed his personality.

Although he had begun his research during the pandemic, it was the similarities with January 6 that spurred Erik Larson to complete his investigation into the Civil War and most particularly the role that the attack on Fort Sumter played. Once again, he examines a large piece of history by examining the lives of the players behind it, and here the proponents of the Southern secession are given motivations and personalities of their own. Utilizing diaries and correspondence, he casts his historian's eye on those events, delineating ironies and making history come to life.

Erik Larson has such an amazing way of weaving history into an intriguing story. There are moments I forgot I was reading history as I felt so immersed. I find it is rare to read history, especially civil war history, and for it not to be too dry or feel as though it has been told over and over again.
As with so many of his books, he is able to blend suspense into a narrative we feel like we should know. There are individuals I was unfamiliar with who I was intrigued by their role and you can feel the level of research and dedication he put onto the pages as he did his best to stay true to source material such as letters, arguments, and conversations.
I want to give a heartfelt thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I dabble in non-fiction, but when it comes to individuals like Erik Larson and David Grann, I am rarely disappointed in their ability to make history even more fascinating.

This was another great read from Erik Larson. I often struggle to read non-fiction, but the way he writes about historical events always makes me feel like I'm reading a fictional story. I read 'The Wager" by David Grann a few months ago, and this is reminiscent of that. If you enjoyed that, or have enjoyed Larson's other books, I think you'll really enjoy this. I so appreciate when an author can teach me about history in a way that really engages my brain.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Erik Larson knows how to make history fun and interesting and this one is no different. This time focusing of evens month before the start of the civil war. His attention to detail is amazing. Really enjoyed this already ordered a physical copy .

I’m a big fan of Erik Larson - Devil in the White City is one of my favorites and I really enjoyed Dead Wake - so I was very excited for this book. But this felt different from his other work. This book is meticulously researched — it is incredibly impressive how thoroughly he explores this time from every angle. The downside is I think that the book gets weighed down by the excessive detail. I learned a LOT, but I’m also not sure I’ll retain the information as it wasn’t packaged in a as memorable a narrative in the way his past books have been. The story is not quite as captivating and readable as his other books.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 due to the impressive feat of research.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Erik Larson does a masterful job of transporting you back in time. This well researched work makes you feel like your in the room of both the north and south as they battle the issues that will eventually lead to a civil war. I really enjoyed the in depth diary entries that made you really see the the conflict both sides faced. This book is a must read for all American history buffs.

Erik Larson is a master at turning words into a time machine that transports you to the exact moment being described. I felt like I was running through the Bates Hotel with Lincoln in search of his inaugural speech. Larson also uses countless sources to weave a story that feels like fiction, but is in fact real. Mary Chestnut's diary entries in particular were interesting and gave a entirely different perspective of these events. The book overall was well-crafted and extremely fascinating. I look forward to seeing what Larson decides to put under his microscope next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for this ARC.

This is a riveting nonfiction account of the 5 months between the election of Abraham Lincoln in November, 1860, and the start of the Civil War in April, 1861. The author's research is impeccable and accurate, with appropriate notes included. At times I could almost feel the frustration of those remaining in Fort Sumter, SC, awaiting word from someone of authority. The writing is smooth and the choice of characters wide-ranging and fascinating. Thanks to NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and Crown for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.