An amazing, compelling book that far exceeded what I expected. I had seen Mr. Fanone in television interviews and testifying before Congress; he was brave, articulate with a calm authority that I admired. The book details his early years as a Capitol police officer before tackling the January 6th insurrection. I'm glad he included his seventeen years on the force, because that added some context to his bravery on January 6th. Stepping into a dangerous situation without regard for his personal safely wasn't "new behavior" for Mr. Fanone, it's what he;d been doing for his whole career. It's shocking to think he didn't get the support of all of his fellow officers, after the event. Hard to imagine that they wouldn't support a brother in arms who acted so valiantly. Mr. Fanone was left with serious medical issues,including PTSD and a traumatic brain injury, that persist to this day. All we can say is "Thank you for your service." Everyone in this country owes him a debit of gratitude. Please buy this book right now. It is riveting.

This was a wonderful book by an American hero. This guy shows more guts in one day than most people display.ay in their lifetimes.

This was difficult to read, knowing the dichotomy between reality and pain versus the alternate version that the right-wing media has spun. I really enjoyed hearing from Officer Fanone and the authors did a great job using his "voice". There were some things I wouldn't normally agree with him on, but hearing his background and life experiences, as well as his experience during the insurrection, led me to a fuller picture of his worldview.

This is an honest and raw portrayal of some of the atrocities that occurred on January 6th. It is shameful that we as a country have not given him and the other officers they deserve. I recommend this book to every American citizen.

The Insurrection was such a traumatic experience for so many people, but the horror of that day has often been shallowly exploited or overwritten by false and damaging narratives that attempt to validate the terrorists who committed crimes that day. Reading Fanone's account of that day and the resulting re-traumatization by individuals who tried to gaslight or co-opt his experience was heartbreaking. The fact that so many people have been disinterested in hearing his perspective only to turn and deride him for speaking on platforms where his voice was welcomed...To me, this illustrated the fact that so many people are unwilling to initiate hard conversations with each other. Fanone's experience and effort to talk about those experiences reminds people of conflicts that exist within our country that feel very big and very scary. Shutting him down is a way to protect themselves against the cognitive dissonance that would be required to address these problems.

Fanone's perspective was especially intriguing. He speaks from a perspective that allows for understanding of the individuals who fell for Trump's rhetoric, having grown up working class in a more rural area. Yet, he doesn't fit the bill for some of the stereotypes painted on people from these areas. He voted for Trump in 2016, but was quickly disappointed when Trump showed his true colors. These perspectives are invaluable, in my opinion. Though I may not agree with Fanone ideologically on many things (just as he doesn't agree with his friend Don Lemon), I can respect his experiences and perspective.

As someone who has also been diagnosed with PTSD around the same time, Fanone's description of struggles and the sensitivity to rejection of our lived experiences hit hard. Thank you, sir, for including the passage about the journalist who was also struggling and how her experience was just as valid.

It is sad that this book will be seen as political when it is the story of a capital police officer. It is his life up to and becoming that capital police officer. It is stories of his career as that officer. (Truthfully, some of these I felt detracted from the book). And it is about the worst day of his time on the job. I thank Michael Fanone for writing this book. I thank NetGalley and the publisher.

Officer Fanone's gripping first-hand account of the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol and the brutal attack on himself personally (<i>"Kill him with his own gun!"</i>) recounted here was hard to read but impossible to put down. He puts you in his shoes, in the center of the battle for both our Constitution and his own life, and the feelings - both physical and emotional - are visceral.

Equally infuriating and terrifying is his police department and union reactions both to the attack on the officers at the Capitol and to Fanone's and other officers' choice to speak out about it: instead of support, they froze him out. I shudder to think what that means for the future of this nation.

I do wish that when talking about some of his decisions and thoughts in the aftermath he had given a bit more insight into his reasoning (for example, what was it about Don Lemon that led to that friendship?)

I applaud Fanone for his openness, vulnerability, willingness to confront uncomfortable truths, and bravery in putting himself in the public eye during an incredibly dangerous time.

If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would. Michael Fanone deserves every bit of praise, not necessarily for his prose or writing skills, but for his ability to bravely tell his story in his own words of what happened on January 6th, 2021. Reading this was like reliving that nightmare of a day again, but from the other side of the body camera footage and newsreels. This story starts out in Kevin McCarthy's office and Fanone doesn't mince words (or hold back his emotion) in describing his feelings of disappointment and betrayal in the year+ following the insurrection. He manages to tell this story while maintaining a fairly bipartisan / neutral political stance (he's actually a Republican, is a harsh critic of the "Defund the Police" movement, and voted for Trump in 2016) - he is a right-leaning career law enforcement officer who heard a distress call from fellow officers at the Capitol that day and voluntarily showed up to assist in defending our democracy against attack and was tased and beaten nearly to death with a "Blue Lives Matter" flag pole. He was left with physical and emotional scars that may never heal. He had a heart attack during the beating, possibly from being tased at the base of his skull multiple times. The initial portion of this book is auto-biographical in nature - Fanone describes the history of his career in law enforcement and you get a sense of his character. He then moves on to describe, in detailed chronological account, the events of January 6th and the aftermath. He didn't show up at the Capitol that day to defend Nancy Pilosi or Democrats. He was doing his job. He was defending the Capitol and every single member of Congress. And he was betrayed by many of those Congressmen and women he fought to save that day, as well as many of his fellow officers. I highly recommend every single American (and anyone else who has an interest in political history, the history of democracy, or studies how great nations fall) read this book - regardless of political affiliation. This is an important primary source document of US History. I received a free e-copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (all opinions are my own), but I immediately went out and bought the hard copy to keep in my library. I believe this will become an important record of our history. And finally, many thanks to Michael Fanone for his bravery that day and in the months that followed in standing up for democracy. And thank you to the other officers who stood beside him and the ones who gave their life that day, and the others who later died as a result of the too great emotional toll this day took on them, and to their families for their sacrifice. Please read this book - for all of them.

In our current climate with midterms approaching and the Jan 6 hearings airing on TV, I really appreciated how this book brought a lot of context to the political upheaval going on in the United States.

Michael Fanone's experience in his own words is so so powerful and I definitely would recommend this to everyone who intends to and more importantly does not intend to vote this coming November.

Michael Fanone is an American Hero!!! But if you ask him, he will just say he was doing his job on January 6th when he self-deployed to the US Capitol. Fanone, a 2016 Trump supporter, fought with other officers at the Capitol on January 6 to help save our Democracy!! In this book, Fanone shares details of his life before he entered law enforcement, his experience on January 6, and the aftermath of that day. If you don’t read any other book this year, you NEED TO READ THIS ONE!!!

I have watched Michael Fanone do several interviews on television, so I was excited to read an early copy of his memoir which was co-written by John Shiffman, a journalist for Reuters. This memoir was a fast read for me because I could not put it down. The memoir is divided into three parts: Before, During and After. We learn about his family’s immigrant background, his divorced parents. His mother was a social worker who worked with traumatized teens and his father was an alcoholic lawyer. They divorced in the 1980s. Most of his career, Fanone worked Vice. He worked with Leslie, a Black trans sex worker who made drug buys. Though Michael appears to be a tough guy he has a soft side and was concerned about the training police receive.

The second part of the book was harrowing as he relives January 6 and his recovery period. The courage the officers had, the trauma suffered, his recovery as he started doing interviews…..in Part IiI After, Michael talks about policing and his ideas how to make it better. You will not want to miss reading Hold the Line. My thanks to Atria and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

This book is a powerful condemnation of the traitorous, seditious insurrection committed against the people and government of the United States of America by Donald Trump and his cohorts. Michael Fanone ran towards the violence, and got beaten, tased, suffered a heart attack and unconsciousness for his trouble. A former Trump voter, Fanone did his duty and more on January 6, 2021.

Although it is somewhat of a cliche, this memoir reads like a novel. It is a page-turner. I was fascinated, and repulsed all at the same time. I was particularly interested to read about the cowardice of that lickspittle toady Lindsey Graham who wanted the Capitol Police to shoot the rioters in the head.

This is an important book with good ideas on how to reform police training, written from the point of view of someone who has been there. It is worth reading no matter what your politics are. Heartily recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

A fascinating and moving biography and memoir by Michael Fanone, a former Capitol Police Officer and a twenty-year veteran and vice cop with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. He was severely injured at the Capitol during the January 6th insurrection and continues to suffer from PTSD, the tasing at the base of his skull, beaten with a Black Lives Matter flag and suffering a heart attack. He was one of the 850 MPD officers who fled to the Capitol to help the Capitol Police officers who were trying to defend the Capitol from the insurrectionists. Beginning with his childhood and advancing through his life, noting the good and maybe not so good, an honest portrayal of the man who begged for his life as the rioters wanted to take his gun and kill him. He recorded many of his conversations which has enabled him to credibly catalog many of the events. He survived that day, January 6, but has the country? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Having not read any books on J6, I knew this would be the one I wanted to read when I saw the author. I have followed Mr. Fanone and his fellow officers and am so proud of the job they did and so very sad for everything they had to go through and are still dealing with.

This is a powerful read, an honest, bare knuckled take on Officer Fanone and his experiences. His story is an amazing one and I cannot wait to see his next chapter!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC!

Michael Fanone’s book,”Hold The Line” should be mandatory reading for all American History classes going forward. “Hold the Line” is an incredibly read read that will make you sad, angry and dismayed about how the brave individuals, who protected the Capitol on Jan6 th were treated for their bravery. You will witness through Michael’s eyes what really happened that horrible day.
You will also learn about how politicians both Federal and local reacted to what really happened.
Besides just telling his story, Through Michael’s insightful wisdom and years of experience as a Police office, he offers advice on how Police departments should better prepare the wonderful Officers that risk their lives trying to protect their communities. This book read like a conversation with Michael Fanone. Some day I hope to thank him in person over a beer for his bravery and his honesty is trying to do the right thing.

Hold The Line by Michael Fanone is a memoir in which he documents his life journey as a police officer, responding to the January 6th Insurrection, and what followed. If you followed the Insurrection hearings, you likely remember his face and powerful testimony. The way he writes is like the way he speaks, honest, direct, and sometimes brash. I really appreciated his view on policing and serving the community. Unfortunately, not all officers have the same perspective on their jobs. His experiences and relationships have shifted his thinking and how he operates as an officer. His accounts of the Insurrection are truly terrifying and event what comes after is so, because of the whitewashing by some politicians about the events of that day. This is an extremely important book, especially right before our midterm elections where so many people who refute the 2020 election results are running for office.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I’ve watched Michael’s interviews on TV. Seen him testify in front of congress and read the articles on him. I’ve appreciated his no nonsense style while feeling worry for his clear struggles from the physical and emotional after effects of January 6th. His story was fascinating. I wasn’t bored reading about what I read about in articles or heard in interviews. His journey from high school dropout to a compassionate and fierce MPD police officer was compelling. His honesty is something sorely missing in todays world. Most of all his thoughtful views and opinions on the state of policing in America are worth the read. Don’t let the no filter guy you see on TV keep you from reading this book. Fanone is an intelligent and thoughtful person and has a story that should be heard.

Hold the Line: The Insurrection and One Cop’s Battle for the Soul of America
Michael Fanone and John Shiffman
Atria Books
2022
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Michael Fanone self-deployed to the Capitol during the Insurrection when he heard officers screaming for their lives. Things were out of hand and the police were outnumbered by the insurrectionists. Fanone was helping to hold the line when he was brutally attacked, beaten with a Blue Lives matter flagpole, and tased in the neck which caused a heart attack. Five people died, four by suicide. He described the violence as medieval, hand-to-hand combat. He had been an avid Trump supporter, but January 6th changed his mind. To ensure no one forgets what happened on January 6th, he has written this book to help others remember that our democracy is at stake and that action is required.

Fanone’s book is presented in three parts: Before, During, and After. The epilogue is “Legitimate Political Discourse.” The book is his journey.

(Abe Lincoln created the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in 1861, three months after the start of the Civil War.)

Fanone offers sound advice for police training: Gun training under stress, not just shooting at a static target; showing new recruits how to engage with the public; getting to know a source and treating them with respect and compassion even if you didn’t like them. He writes about White Privilege and Black Lives Matter and how it affects police work. He discusses the impact of the Trump presidency on himself (He voted for Trump’s “law and order” speeches) and the police. He turned his back on the president and voted for Biden. Fanone’s mantra is “See the humanity in the people you will meet today.”

On January 6th, Fanone rose at 6:00 am and had breakfast with his mother. She had CNN on in the background and the reporters were discussing the Stop the Steal rally at 11:00 am where then-President Trump would speak. Nanone suspected that there may be property damage but suspected nothing like the insurrection that occurred. He went about work as usual, planning a drug bust later in the afternoon. He was at the gym and the television was on and the reporters were commenting on the size of the crowd and the anger in the crowd, which was scheduled to walk to the US Capitol after the rally. Back at his mother’s, he heard that the rhetoric coming from the speakers was espousing violence to ensure that Trump remained in power. “…trial by combat…” said Rudy Giuliani. “ We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing…” Trump said, indicating that they should only count the real electors-those who voted for Trump-and that they will walk down to the Capitol together to ensure that happens.

Fanone heard on his radio that riot equipment was to be donned. The crowd was massive and was gathering at the Capitol. This meant the protesters were inciting violence against the police. Next was a call for tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash bang grenades. Things were escalating fast. Fanone decided to go in to assist as the attacks appeared coordinated and planned in advance. At 1:49 pm, the attack was now a full-blown riot.

Fanone and his partner arrive in uniform and riot gear and are heckled by the insurrectionists with chants of, “You’re on the wrong team! 1776! USA! USA! F—- you, traitors!” They headed to the Rotunda where officers had requested assistance. They found a few Trumpers yelling and hanging onto the statutes but there was no violence. They headed out to the West Terrace Tunnel where they met battered and exhausted officers, some lying down while others were keeping the rioters out of the tunnel. It was brutal hand-to-hand combat. Then, Fanone was grabbed by one of the rioters. The guy yelled, “I got one!” You’ll have to read the book yourself to know what happened afterwards. It’s a page-turner.

Fanone and Shiffman have written a minute-by-minute breakdown of July 6th. The narrative is frightening and so well-written that I couldn’t stop reading. Page after page I lived the horror of that day. I am so proud of the police and all the others who helped them get through the insurrection. I am ashamed of those Americans who fought against our law and order. Needless to say, the presidential election certification successfully resumed.

I recommend this book for those who want a first-hand experience of July 6th and the saving of our democracy. It will get your adrenaline pumping as you experience what one courageous cop did when needed. Now, that’s a real patriot.
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Thank you to #NetGalley and #AtriaBooks for the earc. The opinions are my own.

An interesting take on one man's journey from the after effects of Jan 6.
You wouldn't have thought he was a red neck or that he'd actually voted for the previous guy.
But to survive what he went through,well that would have changed anybody and you really couldn't blame them.
A good read that actually held your attention and you learned a few things you might not have known before. So, if you get a chance, pick up a copy and enjoy.

Fantastic book written my a hero. I highly recommend it to any who likes American politics, justice and great people.

The writing, the ‘voice’ of the book is refreshing, and fantastic! Michael Fanone has a very distinctive writing voice, it’s as if you’re sitting on a porch having a beer while he’s telling you his story. I was impressed at how accessible, and how unique the book is. Mr. Fanone may have found a new occupation with this book!