Graeme Newell's Reviews > The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

This is one of those books that just pulls you right in. Larson has this amazing talent for making history feel like a grand adventure novel. Instead of just dumping a bunch of dates and events on you, he dives deep into the minds of the people who actually lived through these moments. It’s like you’re right there with them, experiencing everything firsthand.

One of the coolest things about this book is how Larson uses personal journals and diaries. It’s not a history lesson with dry dusty facts; it’s like you’re sitting down for a chat with someone who witnessed it all. His deeply intimate approach makes the story so much more engaging and real.

This book is packed with suspense, almost like a psychological thriller. And the crazy part is, it’s all true! Even though we know how things turn out in the end, Larson’s knack for detail and building tension keeps you on the edge of your seat. I found myself eagerly turning the pages, wanting to know what happened next.

Larson has this great habit of focusing on singular pivotal moments in history. His other books cover events like the sinking of the Lusitania, the Blitz of London, and the Chicago World's Fair. In this one, he zeroes in on the period leading up to the Civil War, especially the drama around Fort Sumter. I remember learning about Fort Sumter in school, but Larson brings it to life in a way that feels fresh and urgent.

What really stood out to me is how Larson captures the uncertainty and indecision of the moment. We often forget that the people back then didn’t know how things would turn out. When Abraham Lincoln took office in 1861, he didn’t know a brutal Civil War was on the horizon. He was trying to navigate all the passions and conflicts threatening to tear the country apart. Larson does an incredible job of showing just how high the stakes were and how the way forward was a bewildering maze of frightful choices.

The book introduces us to a bunch of fascinating characters, each with their own take on what’s happening. For example, take Mary Chesnut. She’s a socialite and the wife of a secessionist general. We get to see the events through her eyes as she listens to the shelling of Fort Sumter from the streets of Charleston. Her diary entries are filled with anxiety, anticipation, and even a giddy joy at the violence. They give us a real sense of what it was like to be a civilian caught in the middle of this conflict. For those of us looking back, Mary is a quaint historical figure, but Larson turns her into someone who might live next door to you. We see her uncertainty and the terrible choices she faces. All the paths forward were so daunting.

Then there’s Major Robert Anderson, the Union commander in charge of Fort Sumter. He’s faced with this impossible decision: does he start a war by defending the fort, or does he swallow his pride and surrender with hope of avoiding bloodshed? Larson brings Anderson’s internal struggle to life, showing just how much blowback a level-headed person gets when passions boil over.

We also get to hear from William Seward, Lincoln’s Secretary of State. He’s bitter about being passed over for the presidency, and his scheming and ambition add another layer of intrigue to the story. His personal diary entries reveal a man constantly plotting to increase his power within Lincoln’s administration.

And then there’s James Henry Hammond, a disgraced South Carolina politician desperate to redeem his reputation after a scandal involving an affair with underage girls who were his relatives. He sees the conflict as an opportunity to use the violence and hatred to regain his status and prove his worth. It brings a tragic edge to the political maneuvering of the time, highlighting how personal failings and ambitions were an ever-present part of these landmark historical events.

“The Demon of Unrest” is a fantastic read because it does such a deep dive into the real people who were both major participants and observers of these watershed moments. Larson’s ability to humanize history, combined with his talent for building suspense, makes this book a great read for most any literary taste. It’s a great reminder that history isn’t just a series of events but a tapestry of human experiences, dysfunctions, and emotions.

Erik Larson has once again proven his skill as both a historian and a storyteller. If only all history could be told in such a compelling way.