Erik Larson is an absolutely terrific author. I always look forward to his books and know that the subject matter will be interesting. It doesn't matter if the topic is about something that the reader thinks that they full knowledge on. Larson has a way of weaving in information that was previously not known. Larson said it best:

"Whenever I search for a book idea, I look first for a subject that is inherently suspenseful and lends itself to being told as a story with a beginning, middle, and end. I think of this central arc as a narrative spine, a Christmas tree; the fun part is finding and hanging the shiny ornaments, the revealing details hidden deep within archives, diaries, and memoirs. The search for these invariably becomes a journey full of unexpected surprises and revelations no matter how much a subject has been studied before—because every writer in every time brings to the field a unique lens through which to view the world, formed by his personal experiences and the character of his era."

"The Demon of Unrest" begins with the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency of the United States while the country is at the very brink of Civil War. Admittedly, the Civil War is not a topic that I have done much (or any) reading on. I was also skeptical on whether or not I would even be interested, but, leave it to Larson to make the fall of Sumter interesting and educational. Sorry that I doubted you.

Erik Larson writes in the style of narrative non-fiction, a favorite genre of mine.