The Demon of Unrest - Erik Larson

 Sub-title:A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War 

I really enjoy this author.  He takes facts and quotes from historical documents, diaries, newspapers, and memoirs and weaves them into a coherent, compelling story of a time and place.  I've read previous books of his: In the Garden of the Beast, Dead Wake, and The Splendid and the Vile.  They are long and I skip some of the details to get on to the action.  

This book tells the story of the build-up to the U.S. Civil War.  The animosity between the North and South and their clashing cultures escalates around Fort Sumter in the bay of Charleston, South Carolina where it was controlled by the U.S. The initial southern states that form the Confederacy after the election of Abraham Lincoln demand that the Fort be turned over to them.  The politics of the time eerily mirror some of today's issues, with passions running high.  

Larson is a great storyteller.  He shows how the Southern lifestyle revolved around a belief in slavery being a role of benevolent caretaker and the North (and the rest of the world) condemning it as inhumane.  The sections of the book use the chivalry rules of dueling to contrast the attitudes and beliefs of each side.  It's an eye-opening lesson from the past.

Published: 2024  Read: October 2024  Genre: Historical