24 Hours at the Capitol: An Oral History of the January 6th Insurrection

by Nora Neus

The 24 Hours in Charlottesville author offers a minute-by-minute account of the January 6 riots through the never-before-heard stories of those who were there

Neus’s progressive lens goes beyond mainstream reporting to reveal important truths about racial justice and the US white nationalist movement

Drawing on the collaboration and support of Tim Heaphy, chief investigator of the U.S. Congress’s January 6 Select Committee; on exclusive access to the United States Capitol Historical Society’s oral history project on the insurrection; and on her personal contacts on the Hill, Nora Neus reconstructs what it was actually like in and around the Capitol during those 24 hours. Her narrators include high-profile politicians and maintenance workers, Capitol Hill residents and White House photographers, police officers who defended the building and insurrectionists who have since disavowed their actions.

Police officers recall the insurrectionists screaming at them and calling them traitors. Staffers remember “walking over pools of blood” as they ran for their lives. A young Asian-American staffer recalls locking herself in a room just feet from the rioters, mentally preparing to be raped. A mostly Black janitorial staff began cleaning the blood of insurrectionists off the marble floor on the Capitol before the building was even officially secured.

January 6 was a well-planned attack coordinated largely right out in the open, the threat of which lawmakers and government officials underestimated in part because it was coming from white people. Neus will examine the underlying racial implications of not only the attack itself, but also in the planning and coordination of the response.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Politics, True Crime

240 pages, Hardcover

Published December 30, 2025

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember watching the January 6th insurrection happen on a live stream instead of working. I was talking with a coworker when the “rally” started to head toward the capitol building, and we continued watching for a long time, horrified and shocked, but not surprised.

Those words have been the default feeling that I have had basically every day of Trump’s presidencies.

Anyway, I remember watching live news coverage of the day. I remember watching all the speeches immediately following the day - the pretty words from Republicans who would so quickly lose the even the wet noodle they had managed to find where their backbones should be. (Trump must have some really juicy goods on them all. Either that, or mean tweets must be excruciatingly painful. I wouldn’t know, I’m not on Twitter.) And finally, I remember watching the J6 hearings.

And then I remember watching a whole lot of fucking nothing happen after that.

A while back, I listened to Michael Fanone’s book Hold the Line: The Insurrection and One Cop's Battle for America's Soul, which was really good - recommend it highly.

This book adds additional perspectives, and tells the story through a mosaic of first-hand accounts stitched together to create a narrative timeline of the day. Oral histories have become a favorite of mine, and I didn’t know that this author had also written one about Charlottesville as well. I will have to pick that up.

I really love the way that these individual stories all link and blend together to create a full picture of the event. It does so much to really make the reader (or in my case, listener) feel like they are there. Of course, I have as much history and knowledge about the day as background as I could have without having actually been there, or one of the investigators directly. That does help, and I was able to picture the faces and scenes being described as they were playing out via audio. Officer Hodges being crushed in the doorway, screaming for help. Officer Goodman leading the rioters away from the Senate chamber. So many scenes are viscerally imprinted on my brain from the footage of events that day, and this book added still more context and detail around them.

And it added details that I had shamefully overlooked. Like the focus on the elected officials being brought to safety (and their families), but staffers and assistants and other regular employees being told to barricade themselves in and hide. I cannot imagine how scary that would have been, to just be abandoned and left to fend for one’s self while armed and murderous insurrectionists are storming the building looking for “the enemy” - which was apparently anyone not actively aiding their cause.

As I write this, it is a little after 1am on January 11th, 2026. Less than a week after the 5 year anniversary of this day. Trump is president again. His first day in office, he pardoned every single person convicted of insurrection from January 6th.

This is not normal. This cannot be allowed to be normalized. This is very bad. We cannot act like this is politics as usual. We cannot allow Trump and his gestapo of ICE murderers/kidnappers/bullies to scare us into silence. We have seen this before. WE FOUGHT A WAR AGAINST THIS. Get involved. Canvass. Write postcards. Poll watch. Drive voters to the polls. Talk to your friends and neighbors and family and colleagues. If we value the democracy and constitution we claim to love, we need to fight to keep it at the ballot box.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y'know what?

Holy fuck.

Vital resource, instant recommendation to anyone curious about the event. Fantastic interviews, organized and edited to flow like goddamn fiction.

I knew what any layperson knew about Jan 6--the motivations (well, maybe a little more than any layperson on that, considering I got so fascinated by QAnon), the storming, the iconic photos, the one?two?idk? deaths. This really brought every detail into perfect clarity. Terrifying, honestly.

And immensely frustrating. The hundreds of weapons confiscated by security who didn't choose to, yknow, be concerned? The tips ignored? The amusement park level security and barricades? Dude. The cops just lost in that crush. Genuinely surprised not more people died on the scene, and that of all of them, only one was from gunshot. Seemingly the only gun fired.

The interviewees mentioned repeatedly that the law enforcement response was in stark contrast to BLM protests the summer before. I would have appreciated something more than just "I think" and "I believe" statements on this, but that probably would have broken the format. Reason is that I just like facts, speculating is unhelpful, and also, I do think the police were right to not start shooting or using lethal force. They were right to say they were wary of starting a shootout. I guess it also exposes that the protests got so violent because of, not in spite of, how little threat the protesters posed. It was safe to bring out the rubber bullets because they knew no one would fight back.

Sigh. Exhausting book, but a fantastic one. Will definitely be looking for Neus's other book in this format.

[Laney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew it was bad but I didn’t know how bad it actually was. I don’t usually rate non-fiction books, but I think this one needs to be read and seen by everyone.

[Sam Wescott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A difficult book to review because by the end of it I was too angry to think straight. The complete lack of accountability doomed us. I cannot believe this wasn't the end. He's back in the white house and the people who condemned him are back licking his boots. Records are being purged and the narrative is being white-washed. I think having an oral history like this is indescribably important in a country where half the population barely shares reality with the other half. It's all so scary and I'm just so angry still. Last week was the five year anniversary and I didn't hear a peep.

[Dana L · Rating 5 out of 5]

O my goodness! I knew it was bad but not that bad. This book is so important for us to hold close to remembering the truth of what happened. Jan 6 was jaw dropping and after this book I’m still so astonished and speechless. The book said it best, “if the rioters were black there would have been hundreds dead.” But instead white people rioted, destroyed the capital and even smeared feces on the wall and black people clean it up. January 6 should not have happened.

[thewanderingjew · Rating 2 out of 5]

24 hours at the Capitol: An Oral History of the January 6th Insurrection, Nora Neus author; Amara Jasper, narrator
I did not believe that any respectable journalist would ever write such a one-sided book with preconceived conclusions and call it history. At the very least, a fair presentation should have been offered. The author announced that the book was going to be one-sided, in the first few pages, but I wanted to hear a complete story, not a biased one. January 6th was a day that turned out to be a disaster for all involved, due to the lack of law enforcement, the incompetence of some of the Capitol officers, the manipulation of the situation in the media, and the Democrat’s Nancy Pelosi who could not disregard her politics and so refused to activate the National Guard to control the unruly mob that was incited by the rhetoric on both sides. Still, President Trump did tell those who came to his rally to march peacefully to the Capitol, although that was never fully explained by the press controlled by the left. They wanted to push a more radical and violent narrative to condemn Trump and his followers for questioning the election results. They immediately labeled the event an insurrection, because it completely aligned with their playbook.
When Al Gore contested his Presidential election, the Democrats were only too happy to postpone the certification until a full investigation was conducted. Had they been willing to do that this time, when so many appeared before Congress to attest to the underhanded election tactics that they had witnessed, the hoaxes they were forced to endure, the lawfare and the false accusations that were thrown at President Trump, the outcome might have been different. That is my opinion, and like the author, I am also entitled to express it. Agreeing to air the complaints in court, instead of denying them on procedural grounds, would have stopped this event from ever occurring. We have learned, unfortunately, that there is Democrat justice and it is not applied equally to Republicans. If J-6 was an insurrection, surely the current and past protests we have witnessed since the “Summer of Love”, coupled with the left’s push to disregard the immigration laws by promoting sanctuary cities, would be far worse. An investigation might have proven the results of the election were actually accurate, but it would have also exposed the shameful behavior of the left that was used to influence it. They actively worked to accuse the other side of their very own heinous behavior. Was it a stolen election? We will never know now. The investigators did not preserve any evidence garnered from their investigation unless it agreed with their purpose, much like the author of this book. One viewpoint was allowed, the version approved by the Democrats. Justice was denied.
Trump’s comments are often silly, even terribly immature and petty sometimes, as he exaggerates for emphasis, but they are never meant to incite violence. He always wants to negotiate. His offensive remarks are often his version of humor, and sometimes we dislike someone’s humor. I dislike the partisan humor of Saturday Night Live, but I don’t march in the street or attack the performers. Today’s violence is caused by the inflamed rhetoric that is coming out of the mouths of the Democrats who call Trump and ICE, Nazis, fascists and other reprehensible labels that have no basis in truth and reduce them to a state of being “less than”. They are not now, nor have they ever been like the Gestapo. Today, the left is cheering on the ICE rioters as they break our laws. The protests are growing more obstructive and violent. Yet, even so, there is the sound of silence from journalists like this one, regarding this left-wing behavior. The legacy media, marches in lockstep with them. They spit out their dishonest messages verbatim, on a repeat pattern. Democrats refuse to perform for Republicans, refuse to feed them or house them. They are even so deranged that they have left the country. How nice that the Democrats who claim to be “representatives of the people”, can afford to do that. However, it is their behavior that is far closer to Hitler’s and his Storm Troopers! Republicans don’t obey only the laws they like. They obey them all.
Some of Trump’s remarks may seem offensive, but they have never been as vile as those spouted today by Mayor Frey and Governor Walz of Minnesota, or by Bill Clinton and the Obamas, who are advising their constituents to resist ICE officers, even though they are legitimately enforcing the laws of our country. That very attitude the left has now, flies in the face of their judgement about January 6th. When it came to the Republicans, they defined the defiance as obedience to their dictator, their chosen G-d, and their white supremacy. They said they staged an insurrection the likes of which they had never witnessed before, but that is not quite true. Remember Rodney King and George Floyd! We witnessed mass destruction and violence on a scale that no one had truly ever seen before. The “Summer of Love” rioters who caused catastrophic business losses and loss of life and property, also caused innocent people to be grief-stricken from the damages and the violence. Because they were the Democrat’s voters, it seems these events didn’t gain the same notoriety. The media did not smear half the population of the United States. The author chose to focus on misleading statements about January 6th and Charlottesville in her books, pretending that she is simply writing exposés, but she has really written hit pieces trashing the Republicans and their representatives.
Suffice it to say, the Capitol police were unprepared on January 6th, but they shouldn’t have been. The National Guard had been requested by President Trump and was refused by Nancy Pelosi. Because they support the Democrats, choosing to disobey the laws they disagree with, groups like BLM, Antifa and other organized left-wing Marxist and Socialist organizations, have been given a pass. The justice system and the IRS were weaponized and used illegally, in many cases, to punish innocent conservatives. January 6th took place over six-hours, Democrat elected officials and democrat lawbreakers have been actively engaged in civil disobedience, conducting marches and protests, obstructing law officers in the performance of the jobs, for months or even years-long. Where are the books about those who took over cities and caused thousands and thousands of dollars of damage and so many injuries/rapes and deaths? Ah, that was not in the interest of Democrat propagandists.
I was so disappointed in this book. I had hoped to learn far more than I did. Some things were new to me, however, like the level of violence perhaps, but the whitewashing of the left’s behavior, passing no judgment on their failure to deal with the information that warned them of an impending major event and their refusal to address it, plus the promotion of unfair labels like racist, Nazi, white supremacist, Gestapo agents, etc., that are promoted by this book and Democrats at large, ignoring the fact that the left falsely painted thousands with that broad brush, made me as nauseated as some of her sources. It could give me PTSD! Shame on the journalists and authors who do this. These are the very same authors and journalists who paint the activists in Portland, Seattle and Minneapolis as heroes.
Today, we are witnessing what the author condemned, civil disobedience and a disregard for laws in many cities. What did the author think happened at our border, I wonder? Are sanctuary cities lawful? She, like those she supports, favor obeying only the laws they like, while disobeying and condemning the others. Democrats control the message, and they do not often tell the whole story! Because they have the microphone, they can accuse everyone else of their crimes, and get away with it. The book is filled with ridiculous dialogue and unproven, outlandish accusations. I cannot offer a summary of this book because I do not wish to repeat or promote many of the ideas that I find reprehensible and shamefully prejudiced. The book was not only disrespectful to President Trump, but while applauding a left-wing party and its opinions, the author also applauded their unlawful. The left’s increased rioting and civil disobedience have been ignored by authors and journalists because of their personal politics, nothing more, and that has blinded half the country. The slightest hint of a controversy provokes and propels these partisans, who can’t think critically, into the street to demonstrate and stir up trouble!
The only two people who actually died on January 6th, as a direct result of the riots, were Boyland and Babbitt, two people who were actually murdered that day by the Capitol police or those working with them. The others died of natural causes, a result of their own health issues. The narrator read the book’s comments with disdain, which tells you all you need to know. Enough said!

[Dpalange44 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the type of book that future generations will read and wonder what the hell we were doing. Important read for all Americans.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: The 24 Hours in Charlottesville author offers a minute-by-minute account of the January 6 riots through the never-before-heard stories of those who were there

Neus’s progressive lens goes beyond mainstream reporting to reveal important truths about racial justice and the US white nationalist movement

Drawing on the collaboration and support of Tim Heaphy, chief investigator of the U.S. Congress’s January 6 Select Committee; on exclusive access to the United States Capitol Historical Society’s oral history project on the insurrection; and on her personal contacts on the Hill, Nora Neus reconstructs what it was actually like in and around the Capitol during those 24 hours. Her narrators include high-profile politicians and maintenance workers, Capitol Hill residents and White House photographers, police officers who defended the building and insurrectionists who have since disavowed their actions.

Police officers recall the insurrectionists screaming at them and calling them traitors. Staffers remember “walking over pools of blood” as they ran for their lives. A young Asian-American staffer recalls locking herself in a room just feet from the rioters, mentally preparing to be raped. A mostly Black janitorial staff began cleaning the blood of insurrectionists off the marble floor on the Capitol before the building was even officially secured.

January 6 was a well-planned attack coordinated largely right out in the open, the threat of which lawmakers and government officials underestimated in part because it was coming from white people. Neus will examine the underlying racial implications of not only the attack itself, but also in the planning and coordination of the response.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: A deeply, deeply disturbing book about a searing and fateful moment in US history. No one wants to think about it this way but I'll say it openly: J6 was the Fort Sumter of the white supremacist rebellion. It's approaching a new inflection point with midterms threatening to expose the lies that undergirded felonious yam's 2024 election. We can expect more violence, and with a better prepared kakistocracy in place.

You're a citizen. If you're not, you still have a stake in what happens in the country that holds the planet's future habitability in it silos and missiles. Inform youself so you will know what to pressure your government officials to oppose, prevent if possible, and agitate for serious effort to neutralize.

It was, and is, possible for angry white men to plan and execute a coup attempt and get away with it because unexamined privilege, unacknowledged dominance, is finally being challenged. At this moment, the allies at the top are fumbling issues important to the aptly-named "base" so there is a window of opportunity we can not afford to bungle our handling of.

I encourage you, since you were not there on the grounds of the United States Capitol building on the sixth of January in 2021, to read these first-hand accounts from those who were. Calling this event a riot is inaccurate, diminishing both the intent of the perpetrators and the severity of the impact of their actions. Read about the planning...took place in the open, remember...the execution of this failed Putsch, the actions of the traitors. The awful things done, the horrifying behavior.

Now realize the sitting president, in his last Constitutionally sanctioned term, has issued many pardons for these men.

Do not assume the midterm elections will proceed as usual. Sound the alarm in your community for poll-watchers to be defended...and defended against. Do not sit it out because you're tired, because you don't think "They" would dare to do that.

Did you imagine "They" would dare stage a coup attempt? Because "They" did.

Openly. Without consequences.

[Megan Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair warning - I haven’t fact checked any of this yet. Just finished the audiobook and was gobsmacked by the accounts from multiple sides - quotes from those inside the Capitol calling loved ones and helping each other put on gas masks, quotes from those sworn to protect the elected officials and holding the line until they physically
couldn’t, quotes from “Patriots” and “rioters” (depending on your take) expressing their POVs, quotes from families of January 6th attendees and those working at the Capitol that day, and quotes from photo journalists attempting to document the mayhem.

Listening to the events presented, it was hard to fully comprehend how all of it transpired seemingly out of nowhere … while simultaneously feeling like the writing was written on the wall all along. A ticking bomb.

Super gut wrenching for me - towards the end, the author discussed the suicides of officers who survived the trauma from that day only to be overcome by the guilt, fear, and horrors they experienced. I cannot imagine the endless terror loop that played (and plays) in their heads - seeing your fellow citizens willing to attack you as you try to protect government officials, feeling as though you’re on your own without leadership or backup, and witnessing the pure rage and violence unfold without an end in sight for what seemed like forever I’m sure.

I also appreciated the author including bits about people who expressed they truly were there with nonviolent intentions. It’s easy to paint everyone involved as a raging and violent Proud Boy-type, but the author shared accounts from some who really did go for what they thought was a peaceful and rightful gathering to protect democracy … those weren’t usually the ones with the weapons and tactical gear it turns out 🙄

[Jessica Brainard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of 24 Hours at the Capitol: An Oral History of the January 6th Insurrection
24 Hours at the Capitol is a gripping and sobering account of one of the most consequential days in modern American history. Told through oral histories, the book captures the raw immediacy of January 6th by weaving together voices from lawmakers, staffers, law enforcement, and journalists who lived through the chaos. This format gives readers an unfiltered sense of urgency and fear, while also highlighting the resilience and resolve of those who defended democratic institutions under extraordinary pressure.
What makes the book compelling is its refusal to sanitize events. The testimonies reveal not only the physical danger but also the emotional toll—moments of confusion, courage, and heartbreak. The narrative structure, moving hour by hour, immerses readers in the unfolding crisis, making it feel both intimate and monumental.
While the subject matter is deeply unsettling, the book succeeds in providing clarity without sensationalism. It’s not just a chronicle of violence; it’s a reminder of the fragility of democratic norms and the human cost of political extremism. For anyone seeking to understand the gravity of January 6th beyond headlines, this oral history is essential reading.
Verdict: A powerful, meticulously assembled account that demands reflection and dialogue. Highly recommended for readers interested in history, politics, and the resilience of democratic institutions.

[Matt Vaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a couple of January 6th books now, including Sedition Hunters: How January 6th Broke the Justice System back in 2024. I’m still not sure the definitive one has been written yet, though. This one is clear about its purview, as it’s almost entirely just the day-of, and while that makes sense for a blow-by-blow account of the day, it feels a bit lacking. An oral history that starts with the seeds being planted for a ‘stolen’ election, then election night, then the days leading up to January 6th with more detail would be welcome. As it is, it’s almost more of a thriller/horror movie, with dangerous mobs acting irrationally and police officers who are barely able to defend themselves.

A more thorough look at the impeachment that followed (and the conviction that didn’t) and a long look at the hearings afterward would have been welcome, too. This story has a gut punch ending, with Trump’s re-election, and laying the groundwork for that would make it even more impactful.

[Deshinity · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are so deep in the shit right now, it's hard to remember a time when this wasn't our reality. This book is important. Everyone in America should know this and remember this.


"OFFICER FANONE: At one point I came face to face with an attacker who repeatedly lunged for me and attempted to remove my firearm. I heard chanting from some in the crowd, “Get his gun,” and, “Kill him with his own gun.” I was aware enough to recognize I was at risk of being stripped of, and killed with, my own firearm. I was electrocuted, again and again and again with a taser. I’m sure I was screaming, but I don’t think I could even hear my own voice."

[Pennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reconstructs January 6th through firsthand accounts from those inside the Capitol, creating an urgent, ground-level view of a day defined by fear, confusion, and resolve. By letting lawmakers, staff, police, and journalists speak for themselves, the narrative feels immediate and unvarnished.

The strength of the book lies in its honesty. It doesn’t soften the danger or the emotional fallout, instead revealing how fragile democratic systems can be—and how much they rely on ordinary people holding the line under extreme pressure.

[Anna Grace Paulovkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a horrible and sad day. She did a good job of interviewing all kinds of people that were there in the capitol on January 6th, 2021. It is hard to listen to parts of it as lots of the rioters that were there did such horrible things to the staff, police department, and government workers who didn’t deserve what happened to them. It was also heartbreaking to hear more personal stories from the loved ones of those who passed that day and in the days following.

This was a quick and good listen.

[Lori Baxter Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the details in this book aren't new to those of us who made a sincere effort to follow the horrific events as they unfolded, but this may prove to be a very important text in the future as the narrative is reshaped to serve the agenda of a tyrannical ruler. Those who didn't watch the coverage of January 6th by a credible news source will be shocked by what actually transpired at the Capitol...or at least I hope they will.

[Debbie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's absolutely terrifying to witness history and know there are people that believe what we witnessed didn't happen. To hear the stories from the journalists on sight to the rioters, to the police that protected the Capitol, to Congress that hid and still prevail. Are we as a people smarter now? I don't think so, and that's embarrassing.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important summary of the oral histories of Jan 6, 2021. The documentation and stories of the past are changing before our eyes. I do always wish to have a broader oral history of 1/6 and they days before and after it from hotel workers, ride share drivers, Capitol Hill neighbors just to get a sense what it was like for laypeople. For that reason, I removed a star

[Meri · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's well written but very disturbing, particularly considering what has happened since then. She does a good job of gathering different perspectives, including rioters, police, people working in the capitol, and lots of journalists. It's traumatic reliving it through their eyes. Seeing it on the internet was one thing, but being in the thick of it was another.

[Aletha Pagett]

Thank you for this accurate recording of the heart wrenching hours of January 6.
Neus did an outstanding presentation of truth. This should be read by every American.
I received this book from Goodreads.

[Rebecca Klingaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will, in my opinion, be an extremely important historical document in coming years. I’m very appreciative of the context and timeline that were provided leading up to and on the day of January 6. Incredible journalistic work from so many folks, and I am grateful to have it compiled here.

[Sylvia Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting account of the J6 insurrection told by police officers, journalists, congressmen/women and rioters involved that day. Their personal accounts of the attacks were pretty sad and should never happen in this country.

[Pepper Grove · Rating 4 out of 5]

The audio book was phenomenal! 4.5 stars 🌠

[Roger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly boring oral history of Jan 6.

Though the events remain harrowing, this retelling is disappointingly bland.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Already, many of these documents— once freely available online— have been taken down by the Trump administration, making books like this one even more important."