The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson

#1 New York Times Bestseller — From the author of The Splendid and the Vile comes a masterful account of the five tumultuous months between Abraham Lincoln’s election and the start of the American Civil War.

On November 6, 1860, Lincoln emerged as the unlikely victor in a divided nation. As Southern states moved toward secession, a storm gathered around a lonely fortress in Charleston Harbor—Fort Sumter—the flashpoint that would ignite the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history.

In The Demon of Unrest, Erik Larson transforms history into a gripping narrative, revealing the chaotic mix of fear, ambition, and betrayal that drove the country to war. Through the eyes of figures like Major Robert An