Harbingers What January 6 and Charlottesville Reveal About Rising Threats to American Democracy

by Heaphy, Timothy J.

• ISBN13: 9781586424015
• ISBN10: 1586424017
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781586424022
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2024-12-31
• Publisher: Steerforth
• More Book Details

Summary

A clear-eyed assessment of what connects these 2 calamitous recent events—and where we go from here—from the foremost expert on American political violence

“Tim’s insights can help restore faith in our democratic institutions.” — Barbara McQuade, author of Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America

“Whether January 6 serves as an historic wake-up call will depend on how people of goodwill respond to the challenge. Read his book, and then do your part.”  — Adam Kinzinger, author of Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country

This dramatic, revealing book offers an insider account of the planning and aftermath of the racist riot in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017, and the insurrection at the US. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

As the lead investigator into both tragic days, Tim Heaphy has an absolutely unique perspective. Readers will travel alongside Heaphy as he organized his team and structured the massive investigations they were about to take, as he interacts with politicians and members of law enforcement, interviews planners, perpetrators, and bystanders, gathers and sorts evidence, and compels and records testimony in order to create a record for today’s voters as well as future generations.

In his page-turning book, he shares what he saw and came to understand about what those events say about state of American democracy. He examines how and why they took place with the hope that understanding the contexts of these events will be a crucial and helpful step toward avoiding similar episodes of political violence in the years ahead.

Author Biography

Timothy J. Heaphy was Chief Investigative Counsel of the House of Representatives Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. He also oversaw the independent investigation into the August 12, 2017 riot in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is currently partner at Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP and previously served as the Obama-appointed US Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with his family.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
 
Introduction: Reluctant Expert
Chapter 1: Charlottesville
Chapter 2: January 6
Chapter 3: Social Media
Chapter 4: Law Enforcement
Chapter 5: Division
Chapter 6: “There is No Cavalry Coming”
Chapter 7: “It’s Harder to Hate Up Close”
Chapter 8: Courage and Accountability
Chapter 9: Balloons
Acknowledgements