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

Duración: 17 h y 18 m

Resumen del Editor

#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).

“Perhaps no other historian has ever rendered the struggle for Sumter in such authoritative detail as Larson does here.”—The Washington Post

“Even history buffs will find much that is new here.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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.

©2024 Crown (P)2024 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Larson, one of today’s pre-eminent nonfiction storytellers, trawls a variety of archives to explore the historically momentous months between Abraham Lincoln’s election and the Battle of Fort Sumter.”—The New York Times

“Perhaps no other historian has ever rendered the struggle for Sumter in such authoritative detail as Larson does here. . . . Few historians, too, have done a better job of untangling the web of intrigues and counter-intrigues that helped provoke the eventual attack and surrender.”—The Washington Post

“The immediacy of the story in The Demon of Unrest—as well as on-the-ground reports from inside South Carolina's Fort Sumter, an early Union bulwark—lend the book vigor.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

You need to read this to understand the Civil War

I can’t believe how little I learned about the essential story of the beginning of the Civil War! I’m eager for more on this story.

Great narration by will Patton

This is another outstanding book written by Erik Larson. I loved the book because I’ve always been interested in the Civil War, but for some reason had never read much about Ft. Sumter, and this account is informative and thrilling at the same time. I highly recommend it.

Surprising and brilliant

A book by Erik Larson is an invitation into the real story, whatever that story might be. As a Southerner, I've spent my life feeling ashamed and guilty about a war fought to defend hideous enslavement. Larson draws pictures of gentlemen and scoundrels on both sides of the fratricidal conflict and, while nothing mitigates slavery, at least Southern men and women come across as rational human beings rather than only ignorant monsters.
The true story of the vanquishing of Ft. Sumter would be farcical were it not the beginning of a terrible tragedy, the wounds from which have never fully healed. A necessary book, a brilliant story, and a history of mythic and deeply sad proportions.

Larson does it again - cracking good yarn

Larson does it again with a cracking good yarn that happens to be TRUE. Historical detail, diary and letter entries, and some flawed and fascinating people are all arranged here like a novel.

Not just for civil war buffs, every American will appreciate the rhetorical carelessness and myth-making that led South Carolina to succeed and fire up a narrative that led to the deaths of over 700,000 Americans. A cautionary tale for our own times that are crammed full of myth, jingoism, and hubris.

Will Patton, whose distinctive voice James Lee Burke fans will recognize anywhere, was a perfect choice to narrate this story.

Outstanding Storytelling

I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed a book more than this!Larson is the consummate storyteller. He takes a story (the start of the Civil War at Fort Sumter) that we’ve all heard since high school history class and breathes new life into it by providing a rich tapestry of personalities, background detail, intrigue, motivations,

Always a great storyteller

Even with stories we think we know Larson makes it interesting and with details we never knew. Master storyteller!

Incredible detail

What a book! I learned more about Sumter and the civil war than I ever knew.

Riveting and educational at the same time

I thought I knew the history of the Civil War, but this book takes you into the intimate lives and letters of the people at the pivotal points that sent everything over the edge. Masterful job of getting inside the personalities that forced the issues and others that were pulled kicking into the fray.

Will Patton's narration gave personality to the reading that fit the character of the topic perfectly.

Interesting

I always find his books interesting and informative with a unique perspective on historic events. Loved this one.

Larson slays again!

Fascinating story THIS War of Rebellion fan had never heard before in such detail, despite extensive reading and visiting Fort Sumter and Charleston. Additionally, the narrator was AWESOME!! Have inhaled most if not all of Larson’s books, can’t wait for the next one…