American Shield: The Immigrant Sergeant Who Defended Democracy

by Aquilino Gonell, Susan Shapiro, Jamie Raskin (Foreword by)

Overview

“American Shield is an all-American tale of duty and determination—beautifully told by an immigrant, a veteran, and a patriot.” —Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita of the United States House of Representatives

Set against the extraordinary events of January 6, 2021, Aquilino Gonell’s inspirational memoir is rooted in the joys and struggles of the immigrant experience that have long defined the American experiment

Aquilino Gonell came to the United States from the Dominican Republic as a young boy. Although he spoke no English, he dedicated himself to his adopted land, striving for the American dream. Determined to be a success story, he joined the army to pay for college. He saw action in Iraq and returned home with PTSD. Believing in the promise of our government, he focused on healing himself and supporting his family. His hard work paid off when he landed a coveted position with the United States Capitol Police and rose to the rank of sergeant.

January 6, 2021, changed everything. When insurrectionists stormed the Capitol, Gonell bravely faced down the mob attempting to thwart the peaceful transfer of power. The brutal injuries he sustained that day would end his career in law enforcement. But when some of the very people he put his life on the line to protect downplayed or denied the truth of that day, he chose to speak out against the injustice done to him and the country. Chronicling what it means to live a life of conviction, one that adheres to the best ideas of our democracy, American Shield is a bold testament to the power of truth, justice, and accountability from a highly decorated officer and immigrant who exemplifies the greatest aspirations of a grateful nation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781640096677
Publisher:	Catapult
Publication date:	11/05/2024
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	315,439
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

AQUILINO GONELL is a Dominican immigrant, former U.S. Army soldier, and Iraq War veteran. For seventeen years, he was a United States Capitol Police officer and was one of four police officers who testified before the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. He’s been featured on ABC, CBS, CNN, Telemundo, Univision, and NPR, and in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and El Diario. He is a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Citizens Medal.

SUSAN SHAPIRO is an award-winning Jewish American journalist. She’s the author/coauthor of the acclaimed nonfiction books Unhooked (a New York Times bestseller), The Forgiveness Tour (a Jewish Book Council pick), The Bosnia List (an Oprah book of the Week, ASJA award winner and William Saroyan Nonfiction finalist ) and World In Between (A Notable Book for Global Society.) She writes for The New York Times, New York Magazine, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Newsweek, among others.

Editorial Reviews

The Washington Post, A Most Anticipated Title

"Whenever duty calls, Sergeant Gonell answers. His story of service and resilience is uplifting and inspiring. And he's my height, which I also admire!" —Jon Stewart

“Sergeant Aquilino Gonell’s story—of coming to America as a child, of overcoming adversity and discrimination, of stepping forward to defend Democracy, of refusing to stay silent in the face of injustice—is riveting. It was moving to read about his first visit to the United States Capitol as a student, marveling at the majesty of the Dome and in awe of its hallowed halls. Decades later, it was there at the Capitol where he would display extraordinary heroism on January 6th: recalling in raw and harrowing detail how he endured unimaginable brutality and lasting trauma, only to see many of those he risked his life to protect minimize that dark day. Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to Sergeant Gonell for his courageous and continued service, speaking out to ensure that we all remember the truth of the insurrection. American Shield is an all-American tale of duty and determination—beautifully told by an immigrant, a veteran and a patriot.” —Nancy Pelosi, Former Speaker of the House of Representatives

“If you want to know what it was really like to face the mob of insurrectionists on January 6th, and the overwhelming odds facing police that day, this very personal, very powerful memoir is essential reading. And if you want to know what courage looks like—in Iraq, on the steps of the Capitol, or risking it all again by speaking out to millions—it looks a lot like the strong, proud, unassuming, and brave countenance of an immigrant and U.S. Sergeant named Aquilino Gonell.” —Congressman Adam Schiff

"To journey to America and fight for your piece of the American Dream is one thing. To then take an oath to help others in a foreign land get a piece of their own freedom is courageous. To come home from war and take another oath only to find yourself defending that freedom against your fellow Americans is a nightmare—one that some involved on January 6 have not yet awakened from. American Shield is a tale of how to survive the battles we choose and the battles that choose us.” —Roy Wood Jr., The Daily Show

"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 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." —Publishers Weekly

"Powerful . . . 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." —Booklist

"A memorable account of a life of public service." —Kirkus Reviews

“This modern America makes it hard sometimes to find the will to believe. Vicious nativism, worsening radicalization, and poisonous white supremacy confront us every day with real and pressing dangers. But Aquilino Gonell's story is a redemption we probably don't deserve. For an immigrant to defend this nation on January 6th against those very forces, to navigate one American folly after another, is more than enough to rekindle the flames of belief again. Read this book and fight to rediscover faith once more.” —Jared Yates Sexton, author of The Midnight Kingdom

“Sergeant Aquilino Gonell is a national hero and a patriot who put his life at risk in the line of duty to serve our nation and defend our democracy. He took an oath to protect our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic and stood on the frontlines amid the threats of the January 6th insurrection and the direct assault on our Capitol, the Congress, and more importantly, the Constitution. Sergeant Gonell is a patriot and has defended our nation valiantly, and I am honored to call him a friend, a brother, a fellow Dominican, and a hero. I commend him for sharing his story, which is a part of American history, with each of us." —Congressman Adriano Espaillat

“Sgt. Aquilino Gonell's story is that of a true American Patriot. A life dedicated to the service of his country. It was my honor to serve alongside him in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel on January, 6 2021.” —Michael Fanone

From the Publisher

11/20/2023

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.)

Publishers Weekly

10/01/2023

U.S. Army veteran Gonell tells his story with the help of award-winning journalist Shapiro (World in Between). After immigrating from the Dominican Republic as a child, Gonell, unable to speak English, arrived in Brooklyn. He soon learned English and graduated from high school, joining the U.S. Army to finance his university education. His stint in Iraq left him with PTSD, but his strong will and commitment to service led him to a career as a member of the U.S. Capitol Police. Then came the January 6, 2021, insurrection. Facing down a violent mob, he incurred life-altering injuries that ended his career. He also had to face the denials and downplaying of the violence by some of the same politicians for whom he had risked his life. Gonell felt compelled to speak up and expose the lies and hypocrisy of those who sought to suppress the truth, and he became one of four police officers to testify before the January 6 Select Committee. VERDICT This book by an author who exemplifies patriotism will remind readers of the need to expose those who try to subvert democracy for their own benefit.—Gail Eubanks

Library Journal

2023-09-05
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.

Kirkus Reviews