The Demon of Unrest

My second book for August was The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson. Wallen mentioned the book while I was in Bremeraton in June. It fits nicely into my long term project to read books about all of the presidents.

In The Demon of Unrest, Erik Larson chronicles the chaotic five-month period between Abraham Lincoln's election in November 1860 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in April 1861. The narrative centers on the escalating standoff over Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. It illustrates how political miscalculations, enflamed Southern pride, and deep national divisions drove the country toward catastrophe.

There are several things that I found particularly interesting. Seward initially thought that he was going to be the driving behind the Lincoln adminstration; I didn't get that perspective from other books like Teams of Rivals. More than other books, it seems like it took Lincoln some time to get his arms around everything.

I have read a lot about southern politics up through the LBJ adminstration. I still struggle with how the South felt it was their God given right to hold slaves.

Finally, I also read "The Worst President--The Story of James Buchanan" two years ago. As highlighted in Larson's book, Buchanan just didn't want to have to make any hard decisions...

I enjoyed the book. It is very readable. As I said when I read "The Splendid and the Vile," I enjoy Larson's writing style. [Note to self], texting with Wallen after I finished the book, he recommended Jon Meacham’s book on Lincoln, “And there was Light." He said it also carries the theme of Lincoln growing into that guy!

One footnote. Sharon and I visited Charleston and For Sumter in March of 2015.