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

by Timothy J. Heaphy

A crucial, clear-eyed assessment of what connects the 2 most influential moments of political violence in recent American history, and where we go from here

An unparalleled firsthand account from the foremost expert on American political violence, crucial for readers of Liz Cheney’s Oath and Honor, and How Democracies Die

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, History, Audiobook

288 pages, Hardcover

Published December 31, 2024

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published December 31, 2024.

DNF at 20%

This book, by the lead investigator into both Charlottesville and January 6 should be an interesting look at both events by a man with a unique perspective but instead it is absolutely soulless, the equivalent of soldiers mapping out a campaign on a foam board. One gets no sense that actual humans with actual lives took part in either of these incredibly fraught activities. There’s a great book to be had here, but this author has no idea how to write it; this is just a dry report, suitable only as the most boring “how to not” for law enforcement, and I wouldn’t even give it to them. It’s certainly not for the real reader. Skip this one.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting, informative, and thoughtful book. It’s the second book I’ve read recently where the core focus is the importance of bringing people together, although this book is completely different in its subject matter and approach. It’s also another book that I fear is preaching to the choir and won’t be read by the people it really needs to reach. I’ll continue to hope.

[Gisela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated 97% of this book. I wanted to get a good understanding of how Charlottesville and January 6th happened and the author excels in that, given that he was part of the investigation committee. I got that, but this is a very white and privileged perspective of “how to change the world and preserve our democracy.” Heaphy fails to understand his privileged position in this country. I’m also sick and tired of people trying so hard to be moderates. F that.

[Jules Billings · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I'm going to be so honest, a lot of this went in one ear and out the other (listened to the audiobook). The author made a lot of great points, and the section on social media use and its increasingly dramatic effect on people's political opinions was engaging and a standout, but overall, the material didn't hold my interest as much as I thought it would.

It was a decent listen in the moment, but I'm not sure it will stick with me for a long time.

[Trudie Barreras · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one of the principal investigators of both the UTR even on August 12, 2017 and the “Save the Steal” coup attempt on January 6, 2021, Timothy Heaphy is the epitome of a highly qualified but also impartial witness. A long-time resident of Charlottesville, a city that he and his family chose for its pleasant location and excellent schools, he had a serious interest in finding out “what went wrong” when the “free-speech and protect cultural heritage” rally devolved into a riot causing loss of life and extreme political polarization in his quiet Virginia city. He was actually not present in town when the violence erupted, having elected to be at a baseball game in which his daughter was a participant. Similarly, when the events of January 6th occurred, he was a law professor at UVA, completely detached from election politics. His successful and well-presented work as an impartial investigator following the first incident was part of what led to his involvement in the work of the January 6th Select Committee in 2021. In both cases, as his narrative documents, he and his colleagues approached the investigations with apolitical objectivity and a commitment to be of service to the community, to follow the law, and provide not only factual insights but also helpful recommendations.

The reports are both clear and factual with regard to the failures of the law enforcement entities which resulted in the escalation of violence. However, the investigations produced ample evidence that such violence was not incidental, but was part of the intent of the instigators, and that ample provocations had been set in place to promote clashes which the authorities were ill-prepared or actually reluctant to counteract. This led to the inevitable speculation on the degree of inherent bias on the part of police agencies, that produced a deficit in preparedness. In both the August 12 and January 6 rallies, since the anticipated participants were supposedly “mainstream”, none of the official enforcement entities were psychologically or practically prepared for the eruption of such extremes. Also, although they had ample intelligence that violence was extremely likely, were they willing to acknowledge the risks.

The author then expands the discussion to include both factual and speculative analysis of underlying factors such as the impact of social media as the main mode of transmission both of factual data and of ideologies and motivations. He discusses the developing ethos of “insider vs. outsider” in our culture, and traces the prevalence of the assaults on our “institutions” to conflicting beliefs about which traditions are valuable and supportive versus which represent tyranny and destruction of personal freedom and societal harmony. This is a well-balanced and researched book that offers a great deal of food for thought.

[Suzanne thebookblondie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome nonfiction and super quotable.

“Silence in the face of hate has historically given it passive credibility.”

“According to a Pew Research Center report published in 2023, ‘Today, half of US adults get news, at least sometimes, from social media. That includes Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. If those platforms promote a link to an article in the Washington Post or a story on NBC News, they will receive that information, but if not, those traditional sources of news are invisible to them. The social media platforms are screeners of information, filtering the news that reaches users based on their own viewing histories, so they are most likely to see items that bolster their passionate engagement, usually in negative ways eliciting anger, disgust, fear, and outrage. The effect of this narrowing and amplification of interests is supercharged by the fact that social media companies cannot be held accountable under current laws for information that is transmitted through their platforms. Traditional media outlets are governed by a set of legal standards and traditions designed to promote accuracy.”

“Law enforcement seems to continually mis-assess danger in this country depending on the race of the individuals who present a threat of violence. They overestimate the prospect of violence presented by Black men and other people of color; they under-estimate the prospect of violence presented by white men. This pattern persists in both directions and will continue to hamper law enforcement effectiveness unless we acknowledge it. The essence of policing is the exercise of discretion…”

“In particular, our current system of government at all levels is not equipped to bring Americans together and diminish the division that roils our nation. Rather than constructively address the pressing issues facing our democracy, our current system protects incumbency, discourages compromise, and reinforces the cynicism described above. Gerrymandered districts diminish true competition. Unlimited campaign spending protects special interests. The result is an ineffective government that reinforces skepticism and exacerbates the political and cultural differences between Americans.”

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timothy Heaphy was the lead investigator on the teams looking into the Charlottesville Unite the Right 'rally' as well as the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021. In this important book, he isn't attempting to rehash what's already in the existing reports about these events, but explaining what lessons can be learned from them going forward. This is an effort to take a hard look at the issues that led to these events, the failures of law enforcement, political leaders and others, the role of social media in spreading disinformation, and how these failures can be addressed. He is clear-eyed about the difficulties of some things, given the free speech protections in the US Constitution.

While the focus of this book is the two particular events in the subtitle, the issues he describes are far more broad and will no doubt be useful in future. Moreover, some of the failures and lessons learned can be useful to people outside the US. They will have their own specific cultural and societal circumstances, but the social media problem in particular is a global problem. There are no easy solutions here, but Heaphy provides a concise and compelling argument about what has allowed events like these to occur, what issues need to be addressed, and why these things matter now more than ever.

I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a digital review copy.

[Mr. Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can also see this review, along with others I have written, at my blog, Mr. Book's Book Reviews.

Thank you, Steerforth, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Mr. Book just finished Harbingers: What January 6 and Charlottesville Reveal About Rising Threats to American Democracy, by Timothy J. Heaphy.

This book will be released on December 31, 2024.

The author was the chief investigative counsel for the January 6 Committee, as well as leading the investigation into Charlottesville. The book tries to tie the two events together and focuses on their similarities.

The strongest part of the book was the chapter on the failures of law enforcement. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything else in the book that really set it apart. So, while it wasn’t a bad book, the best that I can give it is a B.

Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, a B equates to 3 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).

This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews

Mr. Book finished reading this on November 3, 2024.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, informative book. Heaphy was the lead research investigator for both horrendous incidents in our recent history. He gives a well-documented account of both incidents with insider knowledge obtained through his investigations that clearly show the failings that allowed both events to occur and be handled so badly. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of what happened but even more so for those who want to know how to prevent such atrocities and are in a position to do so. The only disappointment is that the book's story ended before Trump started his 2nd term as president and pardoned all of the January 6 insurrectionists. I hope Heaphy isn't silenced for his work investigating January 6 nor for writing this book that clearly shows how Trump instigated, both intentionally and unintentionally, the riot and attack on the United States Capitol. All Americans should be aware of this and the impact on our precious and tenuous democracy.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The manifold failings of the astonishingly huge, well-funded, and deeply entrenched domestic surveillance industry are laid out in this book.

I was taken aback on how much there was about the surveillance state I was correct to be paranoid about, and how little it did to prevent these acts of political violence from going ahead, or even getting off the ground. This is something that gives me the gravest kind of worry for the US as a still-slightly-functional civil society.

I will not tell you this is the most deft or entertaining read of 2025. It's dry, it's pedantic, it's explanatory not exciting. This being what it needed to be to convey its burden of information...and I use the term advisedly...I won't downrate it for being its proper self. A louder, more emotionally charged voice becomes part of the clangor of 2025's soundscape. I know more now than I did before I read this book about the ways and means used by the rebel forces within the US to bring about their desired repressive, totalitarian replacement government.

Project 2025 should have scared y'all a lot more than it did. I'm guessing most of you won't read this important informative book. Whatever your reasons are, they're not excuses. Very bad things are coming. Resisting them will be a lot of work and involve significant effort.

The option is passive acceptance.

Choose wisely.

[Carol Brusegar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timothy Heaphy was the Chief Investigative Counsel of the House Jan. 6 Select Committee and of the independent investigation into the August 12, 2017 violent demonstration in Charlottsville, Virginia.

In "Harbingers" he tells the inside story of both events - what lead to them, how intelligence leading up to them was handled and how the days unfolded. To me most fascinating was the information about how the investigations were done - how the large teams were put together and how they functioned.

He then specifically talks about social media, law enforcement and the huge divisions in the country contribute to situations like this and what kinds of things need to change to avoid them in the future.

The concluding chapters are a clarion call to citizens' roles in democracies in the immediate and with future generations. Excellent and helpful book.

[Shannan Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-researched book on Jan 6 and the Charlottesville Unite the Right Rally. He looked at the similarities between these two events and how both have origins in social media groups. The rise of the alt-right in America is fueled by anti-Semitism and racial hate. Our democracy is not guaranteed and even though the nations came together to prevent its loss there is always a chance our great experiment will cease to exist. One criticism I have about this book is that it can sometimes be repetitive. I recommend this book to someone interested in current events, Trump, and the rise of the alt-right movement.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. The book is in part an autobiographical telling of Mr. Heaphy's experience in government and his personal life journey to his position as an investigator for the January 6 committee. He shares personal experience as well as how he analyzed the events leading up to and what occurred during the 2017 Charlotte United the Right rally and January 6 insurrection and riot. He then goes further with viable suggestions how to avoid these type of events happening again. He delves into how social media and law enforcement played into these horrific events. Parts of the book are a dry, textbook type, read, but one that is a must read.

[Lisa M Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books is a good read if you are into procedural type analysis. I realized when I bought it that it would be on the dry side but I was interested in the recommendations for improvement so these types of events would be better managed and lives would not be lost. The book did satisfy my inquiry however it lacks a call to action yet it is a good starting ramp to get there. He is a new author and writes like an attorney which isn’t a negative but go into this book understanding that and it will be an interesting book.

[Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and Steerforth books for this ARC for review. This is very relevant and important information right now as the person who was just reelected was the president who controlled these events. It is also fantastic that it was stated that with both events— it was the fact that the perpetrators were white nationalists that there wasn’t more security present at both events as of course, the fact that they were WHITE meant what exactly?! It would be guaranteed to be peaceful?! Also interesting to read to read that some of those at those events felt “used” like pawns.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t feel like I learned anything new from this book. The author was the one who wrote the report for both events and no surprise, this book felt like I was reading a summary of the reports. There was very little insight apart from facts with a few ideas of what we could’ve done better. Only at the end did the author give any personal reflection about what we could fix, but all of his examples seem to ignore the fact that these were white supremacists and not normal people. I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t like it either and would not necessarily recommend it.

[Ellie Syverud · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointng read. the section on the failures of the law enforcement community were enlightening and frightening - they didn't work together, they had intelligence (about the planned violence) and didn't act on it, they bend over backwords to protect the instigators, (possibly unconscious) racial bias, etc. Section about the negative effects of social media has nothing new and the rest of the book was either 'there are good people on both sides' kind of attitude (blaming "Congress" when it is the R's who are to blame, never mentioning the elephant in the room) or lots of 'shoulds'.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting approach / structure to the topic. The first couple chapters were specifically about Charlottesville and Jan 6 and the Heaphy went into a number of the high level topics that underlies both incidents and no one is to be spared. He talks about voting and social media and cynicism and gerrymandering and ties them back to current political violence in the US. Not what I expected but I liked it and appreciated the structure.

[Leslie K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers context and rationale about the UTR rally, insurrection, and eventual investigations. I appreciated the time spent reviewing the social media impact on both events, the bias and racism that fuels responses (or lack thereof) to protests and other First Amendment activities, and the money that is at work to divide and conquer America. I hope the Constitution wins. I hope we, the people, win.

[Martina Corona · Rating 1 out of 5]

This should have been a DNF. Ughhhhh, this had such potential but it was just so dry. For someone with such a unique perspective, this read like a textbook. I wish the author was more human about both scenarios but unfortunately it felt like he was just reading straight legal documents and investigation reports at you.

[Josh Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very in-depth write up on two of the most important events in recent US History. Definitely written by someone who is used to writing government reports haha. Despite all that, it’s a digestible length.

[Melissa Ramon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Challenging way to start off the new year, but I did like the way that the author laid out these two events, their origins, key players, and what they revealed about modern American society.

[jaycie]

In summary, exercise your right to vote🤍. This audiobook felt like a conversation rather than simply reading text on a page. I highly recommend🎧

[Leah Hortin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, and also hopeful. Heaphy concludes with many suggestions on how to narrow the divide. I can't say I learned anything new about the events in the book but I appreciated his perspective.

[J. Robichaud McMillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read about 3 chapter and decided it wasn't interesting. Had seen much of the material in other sources. Would be a good read for someone to catch up if they didn't follow the ews.....