This was a well-written exploration of the Civil War. It got a bit dry in the middle, but it was a good read overall.

Fantastic like his other books. Eric Larson’s writing makes you feel as if you were there. Always recommend his books.

Let me start off by saying that I am a fan of Erik Larson. I first read “Isaac’s Storm” 20+ years ago, and it was so captivating and interesting that it sparked my interest in narrative historical non-fiction. And his recent book “The Splendid and the Vile” was a riveting portrayal of a specific moment and situation in the past that provided a detailed history while always remembering the human side of things. Unfortunately, Mr. Larson’s latest, “The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War”, did not do it for me. I found the details and story quite tedious, boring, and never-ending, to the point where the actual firing on Fort Sumter came as a relief after wading through the buildup for so long.

And it is quite a buildup. Mr. Larson focuses on the five months between the election of Lincoln and the firing upon and surrender of Fort Sumter. We see how the election of Lincoln just about assured the secession of the Southern states, how he was threatened right from the beginning. We see how the Confederacy was whipped up into a frenzy, how they tried to justify the enslavement of people, how they tried to approach Lincoln as if they were representatives of a separate country. We see how members of Lincoln’s cabinet, especially William Seward, went behind Lincoln’s back to support their own viewpoints.

Those were the “big picture” stories, however most of the book was focused on the smaller participants, and their day-to-day choices and activities throughout those five months. This was really where the story dragged. We see Major Robert Anderson, Fort Sumter’s commander, making choices every day about supplies, munitions, and letters going back and forth as he tries to do his duty as a soldier. We have Edmund Ruffin and others, traveling around the South trying to enflame each state to succeed while preening for positions in history and the new country. And we also have Mary Chesnut, a Southern lady who flirts shamelessly and holds dinner parties and drones on endlessly about the state of the South. All of these details were long and drawn-out and interrupted the narrative of this tumultuous time. Maybe these letters going back and forth were critical to the story, but it was quite tedious to hear about them and their responses over and over. When the actual firing on the fort began at the end of the book it was with a sense of relief that the story would be over soon.

As I said above, this book was not for me, however this will not stop me from reading the next history from Mr. Larson. This was a swing and a miss, it took me over 11 months to get through this, a couple of chapters at a time was all that I was able to do. I am sure the next one will be better.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Crown Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

Erik Larson handles history in a way unseen before - with such delicacy and understanding while also placing the reader in the heart of the action.

Erik Larson is consistently one of my favorite writers. I loved his recent books and while this one was jam packed with information, it fell a little flat to me compared to the others. Still loved!

Larson is a powerhouse and the author I absolutely recommend to people who don’t think they like reading nonfiction. Highly recommend all of his works, this being no exception!

The Demon of Unrest

A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the dawn of the Civil War

By: Erik Larson

Publish Date: April 30, 2024

Publisher: Crown Publishing/Crown

Biographies and Memoirs/History

#TheDemonofUnrest#NetGalley

200 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Crown Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own in this review.

Book Review:

I really enjoyed this book and gave it 4 stars. I was a little worried because I didn’t finish his book The Devil in the White City because I couldn’t through some of the over details in that book. This book didn’t have that issue or maybe because the civil war really interests me. This book is about the beginning of the civil war at Fort Sumter. It tells how South Carolina seceded and the other southern states that soon followed. It talks about Lincoln and Buchanan and their personal thoughts about the results of the election. Buchanan really didn’t want to deal with the south and the states leaving in fact he was hoping they would do it after he has left. There is so much behind the scenes of the war that you wouldn’t think of. I learned a lot from reading this book. I like how the author broke it down in parts and the chapter titles let you where you are in the story and who is talking. If you want to learn about the start of the civil war, I suggest you read this book.

Fantastic, detailed information about the lead up to the Civil War. It is fascinating, engaging, and very readable. I learned so much.

Such a well written, well researched account of the events leading up to the Civil War. Engaging and interesting. Great read.

I really enjoyed Erik Larson’s historical nonfiction. His books are always so well researched. I found this book slower to get into than his other books. I found the book informative since I mostly read WW1 & WW2 nonfiction. It was a very detailed and well written account of Civil War events. My favorite Larson book is The Splendid and the Vile.

Thank you #NetGalley, #CrownPublishing, #ErikLarsen and #TheDemonofUnrest for the ebook for my honest review. I am giving it a 4.5 ⭐️

A well-researched collection of accounts on the catalysts that set off the Civil War. Larson is always detail oriented in his books, but this one is stronger in its forward momentum than some of his other bestsellers. The major point he lays out so clearly is how Lincoln's election became the outrage point for the South, and their hysteria could not be rationalized away by compromise. Nor were Anderson's decisions regarding Fort Sumpter really the only way South Carolina would have set off a major secession domino effect. Really, I was grateful to see just how much overwhelming evidence of how slavery was the named reason when we are still fighting a revisionist history in many ways that "state's rights" wasn't just a truncated sentence of "state's rights to own slaves." Necessary and brilliant.

I mean. The man can’t miss, can he. Yet another gold star for Larson and we can keep rubbernecking maritime mysteries and doomed ships (lucky us). Compelling, fascinating, reads like fiction.

Who fired first? This is an intriguing and detailed account of how our nation led up to the Civil War. From the presidential election of Lincoln, his advisors, the military and mood of the country. Erik Larson covers it all in this descriptive true account. The reader feels the tension amongst the players and peers into this historical portal. One gets a real feel on what the country is experiencing in the days before the war.
A fascinating real story that is so important. I highly recommend this book.

The Demon of Unrest is a masterfully researched and gripping account of the tense months leading up to the Civil War. The author brings history to life with vivid storytelling, making complex political and social dynamics feel immediate and urgent. Both engaging and deeply informative, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in American history and the forces that shaped the nation.

Amazing book especially on audio! So well researched and written. As a history major I really enjoyed this book!

Erik Larson is one of those truly gifted writers that welcome individuals into his arena of spellbinding storytelling and yet, you don't feel out of place or lost. His research is astounding and he presents history in a way that isn't boring but absolutely fascinating and you can't help but be sucked in to whatever the journey ahead unfolds to be, even, in this case, civil war. I have always been interested in just how we got to the point in our nation of battling each other, knowing that the tensions ran much deeper than what was taught in history books (thank you American education system, a mile wide but an inch deep). Erik really brings to life the tensions, the undercurrents, the total misunderstanding of each side and the brink of war that creeps closer and closer as each event unfolds. I highly recommend this to history buffs, but also those who aren't. What's more fascinating than truth of our past?
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

Erik Larson has the ability to take specific times in history and summarize all the known information about it and then write a book that is entertaining , while educating. I tend to seek out books by Larson because, I have yet to find one, I didn’t enjoy. The other thing about reading a Larson book, is I think back on it, long after I am done reading it. This subject matter, Fort Sumter wasn’t anywhere on my radar but I didn’t hesitate reading it. I didn’t realize that’s was a few short months between Lincoln’s election and the shelling of Fort Sumter. Within those months so many things built up to ignite rhetoric powder keg that was the fort. The back and forth between Lincoln and Major Robert Anderson and the confusion and miscommunications also did not help the situation. Then Edmund Ruffin, intent on causing discourse, riled up the south and enjoyed the mayhem. We learn about poor Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of an influential southern planter and conflicted between her feelings in slavery and wealth and all the problems that can cause, with her husband. Finally William Seward, who just wants to prevent war at all costs and tried is hardest to get that done but can’t seem to succeed. These are all individual characters who all had different views on war but who all had a lot to say. The trajectory of the war wasn’t theirs to predict but they tried. you can tell but the way the story reads that Larson did a phenomenal amount of research to tell this story. He dug deep and gave different perspectives, than I have read before. I love his style of writing and this book did not disappoint. We know a war was going to happen but I never realized the work done, by some, to avert it. This was a 4.5 read for me. I can’t wait to read the next book. I want to thank Netgalley and the author for my copy for an honest review. It is always an absolute pleasure to read books by this author.

It was alright. Not my favorite, but also not the worst. A good introduction to the author for new readers of the books.

Erik Larson has a knack for making history come alive, and The Demon of Unrest continues this tradition. It's one thing to be told that "history repeats itself"—it's another to live through it. All we're missing are horses everywhere you look. If it weren't so depressing, it'd be hilarious. The Demon of Unrest is a historical document detailing an oft-forgotten period that was pivotal to our history as a nation. It should be required reading.

Thanks to Crown Publishing for gifting me a galley of The Demon of Unrest via NetGalley!

I always enjoy Erik Larson’s narrative nonfiction history books and this one, despite taking me almost a year to read, is no exception. And while I’m not sure this was necessarily his intention, it feels particularly timely given today’s climate. I’m sure there was a time when I was taught about the battle of Fort Sumter but this was a very in-depth and fascinating look at the events (and individuals) surrounding the lead-up to the beginning of the Civil War. As always, Larson brings the scene to life with his descriptive passages and inclusion of historical context. An excellent addition to the canon.