The most striking thing about this book is the lack of citations. Despite being a member of the special House Committee that accumulated hordes of data, nothing is supported. One writes a novel without citations; one writes a revelation with many citations.

It is impossible for any one not to be moved by reading this book. The author was clearly disgusted by the story she tells but what is not clear is what came first: her disgust or the story. Her reverence for the oath she took when she entered the House is clear. As one progresses through the presentation, it is well to recall that Article II, section 4, of the Constitution lists the grounds for impeaching a President: “Treason, Bribery and other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” The first two listed are self-evident and the third is whatever the House of Representatives says they are. Although, over the years, many members have often filed bills of Impeachment, only 4 times have House managers journeyed to the Senate carrying a Bill of Impeachment. Three failed and one was not acted upon. I wish Senator McConnell had allowed the 4th, Mr. Trump’s second, to come to the Floor of the Senate for a trial and vote.

Each crime rises and falls from the immediate actions of the alleged perpetrator. Even so, American justice does try to recognize the environment in which a crime is occurs. This is called mitigation. Cheney’s work successfully avoids any consideration of the environment.

The first argument is Mr. Trump’s denial of the election results in 2020, and that denial took place in a vacuum. It did not. The world was in a pandemic of epic proportions in November, 2020.

Republicans have long held that a voter present him or herself at a polling place on election day during the time the polls are open. Mail-in ballots exist for those who request them in advance. All votes must be in the clerk’s hands before the polls close. The Democrats seek to lessen the majesty of voting by advocating “a time for voting” with the ballots eventually being counted around election day. It is clear, the “election day” thinking of the GOP was inadequate for the chaos of the pandemic. The Democrats took full advantage of the chaos and pushed all sorts of emergency means for folks to vote. The GOP will lose in 2024 if it doesn’t take a broader look at accommodating voters. Even so, the principle of vote by election day must be upheld. The novelties of November 2020 led many to question the integrity of the election. Having grown up in Chicago, I’ve seen all sorts of means used “to get out the vote,” including cash payments by a Democratic precinct captain on election day. Whatever other innovations we attempt, ballots must only be cast by registered voters and received by the clerk before polls close on election day.

The chaos of November 2020 led Mr. Trump to relentlessly question the election results, as was his right. However the votes got there, it is clear that Mr. Biden won that election. Cheney remarks that Mr. Trump has yet to concede his loss but she does not mention that neither has Mrs. Clinton from 2016.

Liz Cheney does not recognize the environmental elements of Mr. Trump’s campaign for the 2016 election or during his entire presidency. It is in this way that she blunts the story she tells.

Moving on to January 6, 2021, it is understatement to say that day was horrid. It must never be repeated. Cheney takes the lofty position that if only Mr. Trump is dealt with January 6 in a definitive way, things would have been far different. I believe this is misguided optimism. One has to ignore the environment that was seeded during Mr. Clinton’s presidency.

An overwhelming majority of the media have gone all-in on the liberal point of view, that is government is our best friend. I proudly admit I am a Republican. I believe in small and decentralized government that permits citizens to make their own decision within carefully crafted but simple laws without being hampered and harassed by a nanny state. It is appalling to me that the Federal government is the third largest employer in the nation. On the national level, neither major political party has been especially frugal. In fact, the notion that we spend more tax dollars to pay the interest on the National Debt than we do on National Defense is nauseating.

As for 1/6/2021, it is clear Mr. Trump did not do everything he could have done to end it as promptly as he could. I do not agree with those, Liz Cheney included, who would have us believe Mr. Trump instigated it or put it into motion. At the same time, I distance myself as far as I can from those who did plan it and put it into motion. Yet, even this is part of the environment for many mob actions since 2016 have not even been criticized to say nothing about punishment for the perpetrators. It is sadly true that outrageous behavior on the right will be resoundingly punished and from the left ignored and even encouraged.

Fortunately, in 2028, there will be two candidates who will be new to us. Maybe that will bring a bright new approach to elections in these marvelous United States. ( )

I swore I was through reading books about Donald Trump’s efforts to overthrow the government. But when my turn came up for the audio book at my library, I decided to listen to it. I watched every minute of the January 6th hearing that Mississippi congressman Bennie Thompson chaired. Liz Cheney was the ranking minority member. She narrated the book. One of the real bonuses of this book is the use of actual audio from the hearing sessions when she was talking about them. That really helped my understanding of the procedures even though I had watched them on television. I really wish every American would read Cheney’s book, but, unfortunately, those who need it the most—Republicans who refused to watch the proceedings—probably would never give a book like this the time of day. I have a good friend who happens to live in Bennie Thompson’s district in Mississippi. When he last visited, I mentioned how impressed I was with the way the congressman ran the January 6th Commission hearing sessions. My friend’s response was, “I didn’t see it.” It’s too bad that most Republicans probably feel this way. One of the most jarring things Liz Cheney said was that she never thought she would see the day when the Republican Party couldn’t be counted on the protect our republic, but that was the case now. This coming from one of the highest ranking Republicans in Congress….at least until she was primaried in the next election. If you are reading this review and you’re thinking, “I don’t want to read another book about Trump’s antics,” at least read (or, better yet listen to) the Epilogue of “Oath and Honor.” That chapter, even if you saw the hearings, is well worth the few minutes it takes to read. Liz Cheney sacrificed her political career to do what she did on the Jan. 6 commission. History will be much kinder to her than it will be to Donald Trump. ( )

Today I watched the first day of former president Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial for election fraud surrounding his hush payments to a porn star. I have read several books about Trump, written mainly by journalists. I bought Oath and Honor to get perspective. I’m a Democrat, but I have voted for the other guys a few times and like to hear all sides of any issue. Liz is one of my favorite Republicans. Her book is a testament to her devotion to her oath of office and her determination to uphold the laws of this country. She meticulously documents the steps and hard work she and the other members of the January 6th committee took to bring the truth to the American people. Trump’s desire to end our republic is a story that is still playing out in real-time. I think many people in our country have been misled into believing lies through repeated propaganda spewed daily by certain news channels and social media. I’m not naïve enough to believe all politicians are truthful. Most measure what they tell the public against what they think they need to say to get re-elected. If you read a lot, you know this is nothing new. But, most members of the Republican party are perpetrating a massive lie to appease Trump. Their behavior is beyond anything we’ve seen in this country. I recommend that anyone concerned about this issue read this book and others and educate themselves so they can make an informed decision at the ballot box in November. ( )

This is a riveting account of the investigation into the Jan. 6 attempted coup in the United States as well as the investigation committee's two-year fight against a disinformation campaign to try to document the truth of what happened. ( )

Excellent audio book read by the author. I follow the political news pretty closely, but I still found this book insightful and informative. To hear the inside story of the last year of Trump's presidency from someone who lived through it as a member of the House of Representatives and then a member of the January 6 committee was very powerful. Highly recommend. ( )