-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
An Oral History of January 6th
by Mary Clare Jalonick
The definitive, unbiased account of the twenty-four hours surrounding the historic January 6th attack on the Capitol.
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.
"A gripping, fast-paced account… The result reads like a surreal nightmare… [and] captures the overwhelming panic and fear… It's a sobering rebuke of those who downplay the deadly serious intent of the January 6 attack." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A document of central concern to all those concerned with the future of American democracy." ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Thought-provoking… This narrative collection provides remarkable insights while pushing readers to think deeply about what it means to be American in the twenty-first century." ―Booklist
"Jalonick weaves together a riveting account of one of the most consequential days in modern American history, a day that will continue to reshape our country long after the statute of limitations expires. As some try to rewrite the history of the January 6th attack, Jalonick's book is a critical read for understanding the siege on the Capitol straight from those who lived it: law enforcement officers, lawmakers, journalists, and even rioters themselves." ―Ryan J. Reilly, author of Sedition Hunters: How January 6th Broke the Justice System
This information about Storm at the Capitol was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Mary Clare Jalonick covers Congress for the Associated Press, where she has worked for two decades. She has covered politics and policy under five presidents and reported from inside the Capitol on January 6th. She lives in the Washington, DC, area.
If you liked Storm at the Capitol, try these:
by Erik Larson
Published 2026
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Splendid and the Vile brings to life the pivotal five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War—a simmering crisis that finally tore a deeply divided nation in two.
by Scott Ellsworth
Published 2022
More than one-thousand homes and businesses. Restaurants and movie theaters, churches and doctors' offices, a hospital, a public library, a post office. Looted, burned, and bombed from the air.
by Julian Rubinstein
Published 2022
An award-winning journalist's dramatic account of a shooting that shook a community to its core, with important implications for the future
If there is anything more dangerous to the life of the mind than having no independent commitment to ideas...
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Can you name the title?
Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
