Storm at the Capitol
An Oral History of January 6th
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
The definitive, unbiased account of the twenty-four hours surrounding the historic January 6th attack on the Capitol
“A riveting account of one of the most consequential days in modern American history.” —Ryan J. Reilly, author of Sedition Hunters
The January 6th insurrection was a stunning and unprecedented attack on the center of American government. Unlike previous national traumas that united the country in the face of turmoil, the siege has only further divided Americans, as many continue to dispute the facts and downplay its significance.
In Storm at the Capitol, Mary Clare Jalonick delivers a deeply reported and definitive account of the violence at the Capitol told through firsthand narratives—from the rioters themselves and the police who fought them, to the lawmakers who fled the violence, and the staff, workers, and reporters who were there that day, including Jalonick herself. Her retelling begins in the predawn hours of January 6th, as Trump’s supporters travel to Washington, some with plans for violence, and ends in the early morning hours of January 7th, after Vice President Mike Pence slams his gavel on the House rostrum and declares Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
A vivid, terrifying, and human portrait, Storm at the Capitol is an essential read for anyone who is worried about the future of our democracy.
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Associated Press congressional reporter Jalonick debuts with a gripping, fast-paced account of the 2020 election certification as it was disrupted by a furious mob of Trump supporters. She follows events through the perspectives of Congress members and their staff, her fellow journalists (Jalonick herself was holed up in the House gallery), Metropolitan and Capitol police officers, and the rioters. The result reads like a surreal nightmare, with senators and representatives running for their lives; Nancy Pelosi's staff hiding as rioters call, "Where are you, Nancy?" like in "a horror movie"; and furniture being used as a "makeshift barricade." The book captures the overwhelming panic and fear, detailing the sounds of rioters shattering glass and pounding on doors ("I could hear that pounding for weeks," says one Democratic staff director). Police officers provide some of the most agonizing recollections as they engage in "hand-to-hand combat" with club- and knife-wielding combatants. With "around 140" officers injured, many recall feeling as if they were going to die. Juxtaposed are responses from the rioters, a number still defiant ("I wanted them to be afraid"). Jalonick spotlights the quick thinking of Senate staff who protected the ballot boxes of electoral votes and the officers who led rioters away from congresspeople ("The main reason rioters didn't harm any member of Congress was because they didn't encounter any," says Rep. Stephanie Murphy). It's a sobering rebuke of those who downplay the deadly serious intent of the January 6 attack.
