The Demon of Unrest

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The #1 New York Times bestselling author brings to life the crucial five months between Abraham Lincoln's election and the onset of the Civil War—a crisis that ultimately divided the nation. On November 6, 1860, Lincoln emerged as the unexpected victor in a contentious presidential race. The country was deeply divided; Southern extremists were increasingly determined to dismantle the Union, with states seceding one after another and Lincoln feeling powerless to intervene. While slavery was at the core of the conflict, the focus intensified on Fort Sumter, a solitary federal fortress in Charleston. Master storyteller Erik Larson delivers a compelling account of the tumultuous period leading up to the Confederacy's assault on Sumter, characterized by tragic missteps, personal betrayals, and ambitious egos. Lincoln himself reflected on the overwhelming challenges of these months, stating that he would not have believed it possible to endure them. Central to this narrative are Major Robert Anderson, the conflicted commander of Sumter; Edmund Ruffin, a radical inciting secessionist fervor; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, grappling with her own contradictions regarding marriage and slavery. Amidst this turmoil, Lincoln contends with his duplicitous Secretary of State, William Seward, as he strives to prevent a war he fears is unavoidable—one that would claim 750,000 lives. Drawing from diaries and historical records, Larson presents a po