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Book Review of The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
eadieburke avatar reviewed on + 1639 more book reviews


Erik Larson offers a gripping account of the chaotic months between Lincoln's election and the Confederacy's shelling of Sumterâa 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 âso great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them.â
I enjoyed reading the account of Lincoln's election and the first five months of the Civil War. I have read every book by Erik Larson and have enjoyed them all. It was a fascinating book and showed how much Lincoln tried to stop the war from happening but was not successful at all. Last May, I visited Charleston and took a tour of the city so I knew about all the places of interest and enjoyed reading about them too. I am now looking forward to the next Erik Larson book as I do love his writing. If you love history then you would love to read this book. Highly recommended!