Publisher's Weekly Review
In this stirring debut, former United States Capitol Police officer Gonell details his hardscrabble upbringing and his harrowing experiences during the January 6 insurrection. Gonell grew up in poverty in the Dominican Republic with his mother and two siblings. After Gonell's mother moved the family to Brooklyn, N.Y., when he was a teenager, he became the first member of his family to graduate from high school, and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve to help fund his college ambitions. 9/11 interrupted his plans, and in 2002, Gonell was deployed to Iraq, where he incurred PTSD. After returning to the U.S. and working a string of unsatisfying security jobs, Gonell joined the Capitol Police in 2006. Eventually, he was put in charge of a squad in the Civil Disturbance Unit. It was in that capacity that he squared off against would-be insurrectionists on January 6, suffering multiple injuries and a PTSD flare-up during the struggle. Gonell describes the calamity in goosebump-inducing detail and is refreshingly candid in his disparagement of the attackers who attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election. This dispatch from the front lines of America's political polarization grips. Agents: Meg Thompson and Samantha Wekstein, Thompson Literary. (Nov.)
Kirkus Review
A former U.S. Capitol Police officer recounts the events of January 6, 2021, in the context of his life as an immigrant. Gonell, writes Jamie Raskin in the preface, is "Trump's absolute opposite in nearly every respect." The author lifted himself up from poverty, joined the U.S. Army and served in Iraq, put himself through college, and stood by the Constitution in the course of doing his job. Sadly, it's hardly surprising that, "of the 265 elected Republicans in Congress, [Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger] were the only two who ever thanked me" for standing against the mob on that fateful day. Indeed, writes Gonell, the combat that he saw on January 6 was far more violent than anything he experienced in Iraq, and the damages he sustained required him to retire early, "one of the 20 percent of Capitol Police officers who wound up leaving as a direct result of the attacks." As an up-close view of that combat, Gonell's account both squares with and complements that of Michael Fanone's Hold the Line and Harry Dunn's Standing My Ground. It also resounds with the same righteous anger, for Gonell was one of the first officers to speak before Congress and to the public about the attempted coup. As he notes, bitterly, "Despite the courageous [January 6] Committee's recommendation to prosecute Trump, as of this writing, not one person responsible for planning, instigating, or paying for January 6 has been arrested yet." Legal matters are still unfolding, and one hopes that Gonell's sacrifice will not have been in vain. Among the book's many revelations is that the police were forbidden to use rifles against the "civil disturbances" and that well into the mêlée, senior officers remained certain that Black Lives Matter and Antifa were "our real enemies." A memorable account of a life of public service. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In this powerful autobiography, Gonell describes the experiences of immigrating from the Dominican Republic to Brooklyn, serving in the U.S. Army, graduating from college, serving with the Capitol Police in Washington, DC, defending Congress during the January 6, 2021, insurrection, and publicly testifying about the horrific events of that day. Along the way, he recounts troubles with his family life, the language barrier that hindered his efforts to assimilate into American society, and life-threatening service in Iraq during the height of the violence there. Gonell shares the joy and feelings of patriotism in becoming an American citizen, veteran, college graduate, and decorated police officer. In very personal terms, Gonell, assisted by Shapiro, displays his love for his adopted country through words and deeds and expresses his dismay over those trying to tear it all down, including politicians. American Shield is the moving story of a man overcoming great adversity to become an exemplary citizen, only to suffer terrible injuries while defending the Constitution, democracy, and American freedom.
Library Journal Review
U.S. army veteran Gonell teams up with journalist Shapiro (The Byline Bible) to tell the dramatic story of how he came to be a U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officer on January 6, 2021. Narrator Robb Moreira describes Gonell's early life, as he immigrated to Brooklyn from the Dominican Republic, learned to speak English, and advanced in school. Full of youthful innocence, hope, and a little naivete, a young Gonell enlisted in the U.S. Army to pay for his college education. Moreira nails Gonell's wide range of emotions during his deployment to Iraq--heartbreak after splitting up with his girlfriend, loneliness at being separated from his family, and deep depression that led him to consider suicide. Although Gonell's optimism was restored when he landed his dream job with the Capitol Police, the events of January 6 soon came to pass. Gonell's account of January 6 and its aftermath is riveting, from his terrifying experience with PTSD to the devastating injuries he sustained. His determination to speak the truth before Congress rings with courage and resolve. VERDICT While there are other USCP accounts of the insurrection, this one stands apart, given Gonell's immigrant beginnings and patriotic pride in his adopted country.--Stephanie Bange
