On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln won a tight presidential race amidst a deeply divided nation. Southern pro-slavery extremists were pushing towards secession, and Lincoln struggled to prevent an inevitable war. The narrative focuses on the chaotic months leading up to the Confederacy's attack on Fort Sumter. Drawing on diaries, secret communiques, slave ledgers, and plantation records, Larson details the forces that led America civil war —a dark reminder that we often don’t see a cataclysm coming until it’s too late.

Dark magic (a note to readers)A boat in the dark Part 1. The best of all worlds (1807-1860) Part 2. Treachery in the wind (November 1860-January 1861) Part 3. Precipice (January 1-February 11) Part 4. Journey (February 11-March 4, 1861) Part 5. Coercion (March 4-March 29, 1861) Part 6. Collision (March 29-April 9, 1861) Part 7. Fire! (April 10-April 23, 1861) Epilogue: A toast Coda: Blood among the tulip trees.