The Demon of Unrest

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

De: Erik Larson

Narrado por: Will Patton, Erik Larson

#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

A PARADE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

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.

Narration was so irritating!

Very glad to hear this story but wish it was narrated by someone else. Patton's attempts at female voices as well as British and French accents were almost laughable if not so irritating.

Too Close To South

The history and storytelling is fascinating. However, I felt he glamorized the successionist south and left out the tragedy of human suffering felt by slaves. So for me as much as I enjoy this author, he shortchanged or maybe it was his editor that shortchanged history by not including more, in detail the cruel punishment by slaveholders. For every writing by this Mary Chestnut you would have found the writings of slaves to include in your chronology. May we learn to live authenticly and harmoniously. May our freedoms be preserved without more bloodshed.

Answered questions about Lincoln and the Civil War that I had not thought to ask.

Somewhat put off by Patterson’s whispery voice. His efforts to convey the speaker’s voice when reading direct quotes were spot on.
Larson’s writing is compelling even though we already know the basic story. The details he provides are impressive and add immeasurably to the historical context.

No Saving Grace

It’s an illuminating story with its focus on Fort Sumter — but so incredibly sad in every way I can think of in terms of human loss on both sides and the abysmal treatment of slaves, even after they were freed. The damage from the Civil War continues to play out today and I wonder if we will escape it. No one comes out looking good in this story, perhaps with the exception of Major Anderson who commanded the fort. The book was hard to stick with despite great research and narrative.

Portending

This might be his best yet. Deep dive into the heart of the beginging of the United States Civil War. Details of Lincoln's election and the intrigue which followed, bear remarkable similarties to recent events intrigue. Time will tell whether today's has a softer landing.