SUNDAY BOOKS & CULTURE: The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson
Published two years ago, the book remains relevant today.
By Penny A. Parrish
BOOK REVIEWER
THE DEMON OF UNREST
by Erik Larson
Published by Crown (April 30, 2024)
Paperback $16.48
Audiobook $14.99
The subtitle of this book is “A saga of hubris, heartbreak, and heroism at the dawn of the Civil War.” It covers the period from the election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency on November 6, 1860 through the shelling of Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12, 1861 and the aftermath. The book is 500 pages of compelling stories, actions, mistakes, and personalities.
Published two years ago, it remains relevant today. Larson was working on the book when the events of January 6, 2021 occurred. “As I watched the Capitol assault unfold on camera, I had the eerie feeling that the present and past had merged. It is unsettling that in 1861 two of the greatest moments of national dread centered on the certification of the Electoral College vote and the presidential inauguration.”
While our country remains polarized, with “No Kings” demonstrations, Virginia redistricting maps facing a vote, and midterm elections just down the road, this book is a reminder of what can happen when civil discourse is replaced with armaments. Chapters go back and forth between the major players. Lincoln, his election, and the threat of assassination before he ever got to Washington. President James Buchanan whose only goal was to get away from the White House before war broke out. Major Robert Anderson, the commander of Fort Sumter desperate for guidance from Washington. William Henry Seward, the crafty politician who served as Secretary of State. James Chestnut and James Henry Hammond, the rich planters and owners of enslaved people in South Carolina. And for those of us who live in the Fredericksburg area, the obsession of Edmund Ruffin whose life’s purpose was to ensure the civil war happened. Driving down Route 2, I have often seen the signs for Ruffin’s Pond or Ruffin’s Preserve. His words and actions helped to drive our country into the abyss.
My copy came from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library and will be returned in a couple of days. Larson’s research and writing are both amazing, making this almost impossible to put down. For anyone interested in both history and current events, I highly recommend this riveting read of our country in turbulence.
Penny A Parrish is a local writer and photographer. You can see her pictures at PennyAParrishPhotography.com.
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