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A review by erinnh
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson
4.0
The Demon of Unrest does not disappoint. Those already familiar with Erik Larson will find all the stuff they love about his work here, and new readers are sure to be enchanted as well.
While the book follows several key players, I found the chapters focused on Major Anderson most compelling, especially because he was not someone that my primary education focused too much on. Larson has a real talent for immersing readers in the atmosphere of the times he is writing about, and while there is A LOT of granular detail here, I feel like most of it added to the narrative rather than detracted from it. But if you’re someone who wants more of a minimalist account when reading history, it is something to note. But this was definitely an interesting and timely read given the parallels with the current political atmosphere.
Overall, I enjoyed it and I learned a lot. I would certainly recommend it to readers of narrative nonfiction and American history.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the eArc in exchange for an honest review!*
While the book follows several key players, I found the chapters focused on Major Anderson most compelling, especially because he was not someone that my primary education focused too much on. Larson has a real talent for immersing readers in the atmosphere of the times he is writing about, and while there is A LOT of granular detail here, I feel like most of it added to the narrative rather than detracted from it. But if you’re someone who wants more of a minimalist account when reading history, it is something to note. But this was definitely an interesting and timely read given the parallels with the current political atmosphere.
Overall, I enjoyed it and I learned a lot. I would certainly recommend it to readers of narrative nonfiction and American history.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the eArc in exchange for an honest review!*