by Erik Larson, 2024, Audiobook narrated by Will Patton, Random House Audio

This book is a detailed account of the events that led up to the attack on Fort Sumter which was the start of the Civil War. The author uses diaries, official papers, telegram communications, letters, and later recollections of the various individuals involved to chronologically reconstruct that period of our history. I was surprised at how much information the book contained, particularly about some rabble rousers in the South who were committed not only to secession, but also to the start of civil war.

I learned a couple of things from this book. First, it shows that the Civil War was, indeed, about slavery. Many of the states that seceded explicitly stated that the primary reason was that they feared the end of the institution of slavery in the Union. They felt that the only way to prevent that from happening was to leave the United States. The idea that the war was only about states’ rights just doesn’t hold true.

I was not aware of the extreme hatred that southerners felt toward the northerners, but neither was Lincoln and his Secretary of State, William Seward. Seward is quoted as saying that the states that seceded would quickly reconsider and decide to return to the Union within a few weeks. Lincoln also held that there was much more pro-Union sentiment in the South than was the case. If there had been a better understanding of southern sentiment, the start of the Civil War may have been at least postponed. Note that Andrew Jackson put down a similar insurrection in Charleston in 1830 by threatening to send in federal troops.

The commander of Fort Sumter, Major Robert Anderson, was a true hero. Even though his sentiments leaned toward the South, and he was not well supported by his superiors in Washington, Anderson’s actions held true to his oath, unlike others such as Rober E. Lee who turned and fought for the South.

The book is extremely detailed, and I believe that anyone who reads it should have an interest in the history of the Civil War. Assuming that’s true, the book can be a real treasure.