Standing My Ground

A Capitol Police Officer's Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble After January 6th

By: Harry Dunn

Narrated by: Harry Dunn

The stirring memoir of Harry Dunn, a Capitol Police Officer on duty January 6th, who has become one of the most prominent and essential voices regarding the truth of that day.

Walking the halls of democracy as a Capitol Police officer, Harry Dunn was a man slowly experiencing an awakening. It sparked after the election of our first Black president. It grew as his belief in the bravery and honor of law enforcement was shaken by Ferguson and countless other cases of police brutality towards the Black community. It continued to burn brighter as he watched members of Congress, many of whom he had befriended, lose their way to partisanship, as political extremism intensified. And it exploded into a blaze when he fought side by side with his fellow officers on January 6th, when democracy and their lives were threatened.

Standing My Ground provides a crucial, definitive firsthand account of what happened on that day our country was shocked to its core. But it will also share the story of a man who refused to stay quiet when he learned that some of the men and women he had risked his life protecting, who knew him by name, would deny the horrors they faced. That’s when he chose to speak up and to seek out what his hero John Lewis once termed “good trouble.” Dunn’s ongoing story as a witness willing to meaningfully engage with the media, lawmakers, and the public provides a backdrop for examining the political and racial divide in this country—one that we must overcome in order to demand accountability and preserve our precious democracy.

©2023 Harry Dunn (P)2023 Hachette Books

The prologue alone is a masterpiece.

I don’t say that lightly. Not knowing what to expect I started listening in the car on the way home. The prologue is beautifully written, read with heartfelt emotion, and profound. About three quarters of the way through I found myself welling with tears. That prologue will be read in history and civics classrooms for years to come.

I am so grateful to have purchased the audio version of this book. Who doesn’t love Harry Dunn? It was all the more powerful to hear his story in his own voice.

Finally, I was so impressed by his constant reminder that he was not alone on January 6th - not only mentioning colleagues Edwards, Hodges, Gonell, and Fanone - but everyone who was there. All of his fellow officers are repeatedly credited for their work. And he doesn’t forget legislative staff and everyone who works in (and on) the capitol building.

Very grateful for this book. Now I’m going back to listen to that prologue for the third time.

Outstanding!

From the opening paragraph, I was in tears listening to this book. It is well written and spoken. Officer Dunn is a man I truly respected before listening to this book & now, I feel excited to be able to see what he does next. I especially enjoyed learning about his ideas to help men with their emotional lives — his emotional intelligence is off the charts, so if anyone is capable, it’s officer Dunn. I think his voice is one we need desperately right now & I am so grateful to have heard it. This book is fantastic from the first word to the last. America doesn’t deserve him now, but maybe after he implements some of his ideas, she will.

Standing Your Ground Indeed

Thank you for telling your story, for not shying away from the race perspective. Keep up the Good Trouble!

Thank you Harry Dunn for your service!

Every American needs to listen to this account of Jan 6. Thank you Harry Dunn for your service and your book!

His realness

This book touched my mind soul and heart. Thank you Harry Dunn and all your friends and family.

Essential Book for All Americans

Thank you Officer Dunn. Your book documents the especially unforgivable treatment officers of color endured on January 6. The superhuman strength of character you displayed amazes me. Dunn documents the non-political nature of the Capitol Police department no matter what. It makes me admire the department all the more. Dunn also explores the treatment of people of color our country is guilty of, bringing up one harrowing episode a returning veteran received at the hands of a “sheriff” and his lackeys. We have improved as a nation since then, but still have miles to go. Violence inflicts physical scars, but more importantly, mental ones.

Thank you.

Thank you for bringing up the racial component to the insurrection. I have felt that perspective has been missing in all the commentaries I have watched. I am half white and half Japanese. I have been the preverbal flag to those in my circle as to why any person of color has polluted their supreme whiteness. These were people who called me a friend.

Harry was honest about the after effects of the attack.

excellent book, his ability to tell the facts about what went down was heartfelt and scary about our future.

Enlightening listen

Good for all Americans to know what another hero experienced during that infamous day! Well done Ofc. Dunn ! Thank you for your service!

Thank you!

Thank you to Harry for not only your service as a police officer, but also for your dedication to the truth. This is an important book. A must read/listen.