Whisper House Press

Book: The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

Author: Erik Larson

Publisher: Crown

Publication Date: April 30, 2024

Capone’s Rating: 3 of 5 ⭐s

Normally, if I don’t appreciate a book for what it is, on its own terms, I do not post a review at all. But the truth is that Erik Larson is a phenomenal researcher, writer, and speaker—and he most certainly does not need my help. And I promised a review. So I’m going to be frank about this one.

When I heard Larson was writing a book about the Civil War, I was thrilled. It was a topic about which I knew (and know) far less than subjects like WW1, WW2, and the rest of American history generally, and I’ve come to rely on Larson making every subject he tackles compelling. But he’s managed to write a book about America’s bloodiest conflict that’s downright dull as hell. Part of this failure is the choice of subjects for the book. Focusing on particular leaders rather than common people rendered the subject dry, and the lack of consideration for or focus on the stories of enslaved people (they remained, for hundreds of pages, background characters at best) was jarring in its whitewashing. Larson certainly pays credence, but only token respect, to the greatest human losses of this time period. He also dwells on the backstories of the great men of history whom he’s followed in The Demon of Unrest to such an extent that I felt as though I knew them personally but had no idea why I cared about them. Larson’s best work—In the Garden of Beasts (2011) and The Devil in the White City (2003)—focused on the most interesting possible people (or at least Larson had me convinced he’d chosen the most interesting possible people) from whose point of view to tell their stories. This book simply did not do that, and it was probably doomed from the start for that reason.

In its favor, and Civil War buffs will probably appreciate this: Larson’s research skills are again on display in The Demon of Unrest, despite his lack of perspicacity about the most interesting way to present that research. If you want the details of a given commander’s upbringing and social status, this book is for you. If you’re looking to find the emotional core of America’s bloodiest conflict, you’re better off with Foner or another Civil War historian who writes popular histories.

Do not judge Larson by this book. Go read In the Garden of Beasts or Dead Wake.