The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War (Unabridged)
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4.3 • 199 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The 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 in this “riveting reexamination of a nation in tumult” (Los Angeles Times).
“A feast of historical insight and narrative verve . . . This is Erik Larson at his best, enlivening even a thrice-told tale into an irresistible thriller.”—The Wall Street Journal
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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Erik Larson’s epic historical listen looks at a huge turning point: the six months between Abraham Lincoln’s election and the opening barrage of the Civil War, the Battle of Fort Sumter. Larson fleshes out this story by following the lives of individuals—from conflicted Fort Sumter commander Robert Anderson to Edmund Ruffin, a respected agriculturist who became a rabidly pro-slavery political firebrand later in life. Like all of Larson’s exquisitely researched books, it’s filled with surprising details (apparently, baseball pioneer Abner Doubleday was stationed at Fort Sumter), and it moves as quickly as a tightly plotted thriller. Veteran narrator Will Patton is a perfect match for Larson’s rich prose, delivering it with both wit and gravitas. Even if you know your Civil War history, The Demon of Unrest will reveal new facets of the conflict.
Customer Reviews
The book is missing the real Gen Rober E. Lee
I have read all of Larson’s books, and I am a big fan of how he can write a story and take you to that moment in time. I have a problem with the description of General Lee in the book; it shows old ideas and a lack of research. General Lee, in fact, enslaved people, and the point that he saw slavery as a “moral and political evil” is historical revisionism defending a man who ignored the law and the USCMJ by taking some of his slaves to N.Y. when he was sent to run West Point. The argument is tied to the false narrative known as the Lost Cause. Read Ty Seidule's “Robert E. Lee and Me” and check “Gen. Robert E. Lee owned slaves” by Arijeta Lajka for the AP, 12 Jun 2020.
Propaganda
No idea why the beginning of this book was so bad if the narrative held its own water. The actual story and historical context and great and all but you cannot trust anyone who injects their political opinions into the start of a book, says half the country wants to secede from the union, and continues on like nothing happened. makes me feel like some facts were held back for bias sake. literally the exact opposite of what the read was meant to be. But sure, be a famous writer but parroting the nonsense and count yourself free of blame from the political flames. For you are the intelligentsia and there is no way you could ever lead anyone astray.
Great Audio Book!!!
This my first Erik Larson book and I was riveted. I didn’t want the book to end. In addition it is eerily close to where the country is today. Pick your cause (abortion, immigration, LGBTQ,..) and substitute for slavery. History is a great teacher.