As always Erik Larson has written a comprehensive and extremely well researched story of the tensions and unrest that led us into the Civil War.

Concentrating on the commander of Fort Sumter, Major Robert Anderson, a man torn between his belief in slavery but loyal to the United States and his new commander in chief, Abraham Lincoln, the details and missteps that led us into conflict that wrecked havoc upon our nation.

If we ever wonder how feelings can become inflamed and carried to the breaking point, one really needs to look around and see the havoc that is being wrought today. Even as Lincoln desperately tries to hold the union together the forces of people, the press, and language attributed to him and was never uttered, set our nation ablaze.

Sen hundred, fifty thousand men perished in this war, and its aftermath is still felt to this very day. A tragedy that might have been averted is the question. It always lingers in the minds of those left behind as well as the people of today.

Thank you to Erik Larson, Crown Publishing, and NetGalley for a copy of this book published in April.

Minute by minute Erik Larson takes us through the very start of the American Civil War, one of the most significant events in our nation’s history. Known for his attention to detail, extensive research and character analysis, he has framed the subject in an unusual format. "Rules of engagement whether personal or other wise were expected to follow “ the Code of Honor or Rules for the Government of Principals……. also known as the Code Duello. Lack of anticipated reponses on both sides ,North and South, inadequate communication and confusion created the chaos at Fort Sumter. In each section the author traces the events and responses that lead to the start of this great American conflict.
Slavery, economics, political, cultural, and social differences all contributed to the war. The primary goal of the South was to leave the union, while the North wanted to maintain “ the United States”. How does this compare to the January 6 invasion of US government buildings? What were their goals?
Every author and reader has a different interpretation or point of view. I think Mr. Larson has presented a unique approach to this subject leaving the reader to decide the role Fort Sumter played in the war.
A must read for every American History devotee.

A great novel of the events leading to the start of the civil war. The author makes the point the war was fought over slavery and not state rights as so many will tell you. The individuals involved were intent on starting the war because of this issue. A great and informative read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the 3rd book I've read of Larson's, and I don't think it will be the last. The level of research that must go into his writing is impressive, to say the least. I consider myself to have a pretty decent vocabulary, but this book made me thankful for the dictionary access on Kindle. I definitely have a new perspective and understanding of the weeks and months leading up to the start of the Civil War. Anyone interested in history and specifically that time period in US history should put this on their reading list ASAP.

I am not a civil war buff. Most of what I know about the civil war is what everyone knows - the major battles, the generals, Lincoln's role, and so forth. I picked up this book because I've admired Erik Larson's other books and wanted to know how he would approach this issue. I was not disappointed.

Larson's book is different than other histories for two reasons, First, the bulk of the book takes place in the years, months and days leading up to the battle of Fort Sumter. Second, he tells the story from the point of view of various people involved using primary sources like diaries, letters, telegraphs and first hand accounts. These two factors together give the reader an angle that is much more visceral, much more personal, and much more informative of the process. Given where we are in this country today, it was very interesting reading about the arguments about states' rights vs. slavery, the attempts to assassinate Lincoln, and the possibility that the electoral vote would not take place. Similar issues are swirling today. Does that mean we are close to revolution? Perhaps.

I learned so much from this book and highly recommend it. Many thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for offering me the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Erik Larson is a favorite author among Moon Lake Library’s nonfiction fans. The Devil in the White City, Isaac’s Storm, and The Splendid and the Vile are just a few of Larson’s nonfiction bestsellers. His latest, The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War, explores the lead-up to the American Civil War, as Union troops at Fort Sumter find themselves in the crosshairs of South Carolinians determined to initiate an attack that will trigger war.

The author’s extensive historical research into well known and less familiar characters always makes the past come alive for readers. Demon of Unrest is no exception. Major Robert Anderson, commander of Fort Sumter, recognized his troops’ precarious position but hoped it would not come to a war with the South. He was well known around Charleston, had grown up in Kentucky, and was married to a woman from Georgia. Although Anderson was not an abolitionist, the politics surrounding slavery frustrated him, and he was determined to fulfill his oath to the Union.

Another central figure in The Demon of Unrest is diarist Mary Boykin Chesnut whose husband was a Senator from South Carolina up until secession. Her diaries told the story of the plantation system and the war itself from the perspective of the upper class, though she herself was critical of the slave system that sustained her family’s wealth.

In contrast, “fire-eater” Edmund Ruffin of Virginia was a proponent of slavery and insistent that his home state secede. He is said to have fired the first shot of the war and would eventually commit suicide when the South was forced to surrender. He was a friend of Mary Boykin’s uncle, James Hammond, who as governor of South Carolina became involved in a sex scandal that would cause even citizens of the twenty-first century to blush. Despite the furor over his private life, he would later become a Senator himself, until he too resigned in the lead-up to secession.

Larson has a gift for striking a balance between military and biographical history so that readers who are less knowledgeable about military strategy can grasp the essentials and stay engaged. Historians have described “the fog of war,” and readers will discover many examples of how uncertainty and miscommunication played a role in the events of the attack on Fort Sumter. It was impossible not to reflect how American history might look very different if nineteenth century elected officials and military officers had had access to telephones and email! The relatively small battle of Fort Sumter would loom large in our history, and Larson’s account of the people, places, and circumstances involved in it shines a spotlight on many of its lesser known aspects.

Slow moving but interesting historical account of the events leading up to the Civil War. If you like either Erik Larson or Civil War history, you will love this. Reads almost like fiction so kept my interest throughout.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

First, I did not finish The Demon of Unrest. Erik Larson writes this book as if the last 20 years of Civil War history has not happened. His usual (successful) approach to a historical epoch, using a focus on a few characters to illustrate the larger picture, doesn't work for me in this. There's too much focus on the white men who have always been focused on in Civil War history and a disappointing lack of attention paid to ordinary folk. I am in the minority here, I'm sure, but I have read too many books and articles on the Civil War to read another history of a few white guys on each side duking it out.

Larson is such a master at breaking a huge topic down into the small stories that helped lead to the huge thing and this book chronicling what built up and lead to the attack on Ft. Sumter, and thereby the start of the Civil War, is no exception. It is amazing the minutia that Larson finds and weaves into his stories and how he makes you care about so many different characters that you have to keep reminding yourself are real people. I will wholeheartedly recommend this book throughout the summer. A big thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the early access in return for my honest opinion. 4.5 big stars

I have read everything that Erik Larson has read, and he has another winner. While not as gripping as some of his previous historical novels (maybe because I was too familiar with this subject), I nevertheless found the book engaging and enlightening.

Larson focuses on the time period between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the firing upon Fort Sumter in Charleston SC. He takes many primary sources to weave together an enchanting tale of a country gone wrong. My hunch we could all learn quite a bit from the story and not allow the "fire-eaters" of our day continue to lead us down some destructive paths.

If I could have given it 4 1/2 stars I would have. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love Erik Larson's books and always look forward to his new releases, so getting this advanced copy was awesome. I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was so well done. I won't say that I felt suspense in the sense that I didn't know what was going to happen, but Larson managed a fraught narrative that adds to the overall history of the opening shots of the Civil War. I did get a little bogged down with the sheer volume of people to keep track of, but Larson kept giving enough context clues that I could keep track. I particularly enjoyed the diary entries of Mary Chestnut. They added an often lacking female point of view to the events surrounding a very male-dominated narrative. Another great entry from Larson!

What an amazing and insightful story that lead to the start of the civil war. A lot to unpack....what I can say is read this book you will not be disappointed

When I heard Erik Larson was releasing a new book, it brought a smile a mile wide. The fact that it is on the topic of the beginnings of the Civil War in the United States and the shelling of Fort Sumter made the news even better. After being given the opportunity to read an advanced copy by the publisher and Netgalley, I am still smiling. What a read! Larson is a master storyteller who has the ability to take the reader back in time to experience events as if we are living them. This book will undoubtedly be on the top of most best book lists at the end of 2024. Do yourself a favor and buy the book, you will not be disappointed.

An engaging and in-depth look at the event that kicked off the Civil War. I love the title of this book because the "demon" could be so many things. The concept of unrest itself, the disagreements between the north & south, slavery, and more.

As my first narrative non-fiction, I wasn't sure what to expect. I liked how it read like a story, but at times I found myself not caring terribly much about some of the "characters". Did I really need to know so much about the flirtation with Manning?

The sign of a good book is one that makes you want to experience the topic OR grab more books from the author and this one did both!

Erik Larson has once again written an epic non fiction book about the five months leading up to the Civil War with the attack on Fort Sumter. As always this book is impeccably researched and I learned so much about a subject I felt I already knew much about.

I've enjoyed several of Larson's books and was quick to pick up this one. Since I've spent the last couple of years studying the era between America's Revolution and Civil War, this seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, it was a meandering narrative that didn't satisfactorily explain how Americans ended up fighting a horrific bloody war or add to the library of Civil War knowledge already available.

I found it extraordinarily off-putting that Larson began with a comparison of the Civil War to January 6, 2021. Forget that this isn't even the worst event that has happened in Washington DC, it certainly cannot compare to a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people and completely changed the social, economic, & political landscape of the country.

Larson tells most of the story through the eyes of Southerners, who seem specifically selected to prop up the charge that all Southerners were vain, immoral, and violent. Clearly, enough of them were that this war occurred, but still, the narrative was odd and didn't include any voices that one might expect, such as that of the enslaved, abolitionists, Southern unionists, or anyone that wasn't a slaveholder. Mary Chestnut's vapid diary adds little to the story, but we get to hear it rather than the testimony of any black American, such as Frederick Douglass or Harriett Jacobs, or even an abolitionist like Charles Sumner (his caning is mentioned but not his ongoing fight for civil rights).

And if the author called Southerners "The Chivalry" one more time . . . .

This volume just can't compare to fantastic works like James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom. (I also recommend What Hath God Wrought by Daniel Walker Howe that goes back even further, demonstrating how deep the roots of Civil War issues really were.) I suppose some readers may enjoy some of the minutiae that is Larson's trademark, but I don't think the average reader will gain any greater understanding of the Civil War and the failures that led to it.

Mr. Larson has a gift in telling an historical story that you know how it's going to end, but he allows the drama of it unfold in such a way that you still enjoy the journey. As a long time student of this Era I still found out factual tidbits throughout. Like all of his book his method of shorter chapters allows for the story to unfold.

This was a great book! I very much enjoyed it and I look forward to reading the author’s next work! Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

In The Demon of Unrest, Erik Larson chronicles the lead up to the American Civil War through his trademark narrative style that makes nonfiction feel like fiction. He begins the book with Lincoln’s election and, using diaries, letters, and other first person accounts, takes you through all the decisions (and non-decisions) that lead to the shelling of Sumter (or as Lincoln would write: Sumpter) and the start of the Civil War. There is no lack of personal and political drama, making this such a compelling read.

I really, really enjoyed The Demon of Unrest! I am personally a big fan of Erik Larson’s style of writing, and I think he is fantastic at choosing people and events to focus on; this book is no exception. I’m very picky about nonfiction books—I am no longer a student and would love to never pick up another textbook if I can manage it. Never once does Demon read as dry as a textbook; it had me captivated the whole time.

Anyone in close vicinity to me while I was reading Demon was forced to hear a line or two (or five) that I found particularly interesting (martial drama, terrible truths, near-misses, and famous people before they were famous were usually my favorite moments (I’m looking at you, Edgar Allan Poe)). Terrible facts of that time period are mentioned and explained with grace; I think Larson handled all the topics respectfully and while I might have been outraged at the fact itself, never was I upset with Larson’s input.

I recommend The Demon of Unrest to anyone looking to get into nonfiction or wanting to learn more about the lead up to the Civil War. Larson’s writing is really accessible; it’s easy to follow and he often will remind you of why someone is important or if they have already been mentioned (this is really great if you have a hard time remembering names!). I’ve already recommended this to a ton of folks on my bus, so here’s me telling you: read it!

Thank you to Crown Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Erik Larson has a talent for making history interesting. The Demon of Unrest is a deep dive into a niche event from history and unloads fascinating facts. Larson brings to life the start of the Civil War, the first shots at Fort Sumter, and President Lincoln’s election.

Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
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