Cry Havoc

Charlottesville and American Democracy Under Siege

De: Michael Signer

Narrado por: Michael Signer, Corey Carthew

The former mayor of Charlottesville delivers a vivid, first-person chronicle of the terror and mayhem of the August 2017 "Unite the Right" event, and shows how issues of extremism are affecting not just one city but the nation itself.
The deadly invasion of Charlottesville, Virginia, by white nationalist militias in August 2017 is a microcosm of the challenges facing American democracy today. In his first-person account of one of recent American history's most polarizing events, Michael Signer, then Charlottesville's mayor, both tells the story of what really happened and draws out its larger significance.
Signer's gripping, strikingly candid "you are there" narrative sets the events on the ground-the lead-up to August's "Unite the Right" rally, the days of the weekend itself, the aftermath-in the larger context of a country struggling to find its way in a disruptive new era. He confronts some of the most challenging questions of our moment, namely how can we:

• Reconcile free speech with the need for public order?
• Maintain the values of pragmatism, compromise, even simple civility, in a time of intensification of extremes on the right and the left?
• Address systemic racism through our public spaces and memorials?
• Provide accountability after a crisis?

While Signer shows how easily our communities can be taken hostage by forces intent on destroying democratic norms and institutions, he concludes with a stirring call for optimism, revealing how the tragic events of Charlottesville are also bolstering American democracy from within.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"[D]eeply introspective... [Signer] offers a thorough analysis of the 'shortcomings' of First Amendment law and the failures of policing. He emerges as a well-intentioned, proactive figurehead... A complex, disturbing, valuable tale of racial disharmony, government failure, and one man's frantic attempts to save the day."—Kirkus Reviews

"[O]ffers a first-person chronicle of events that dramatically pits the First Amendment (free speech) against public order. How are they reconciled? That to a great extent is Signer's story. His narrative adds a much needed depth and perception... stress[ing] where American democracy stands in light of Charlottesville and continuing racial events of today."—The Daily Press

"A valuable case study for civic government and ethics collections."—Library Journal

"Highly Recommended."—Buzzfeed News

"A reflective insider account ... Michael Signer, then mayor of Charlottesville, worked mightily, as his book Cry Havoc makes clear, to try to avert the white supremacist standoff that took the life of Heather Heyer and tarnished the name of his town. ... Signer grapples with the limits of the First Amendment and ... raises thoughtful questions with no easy answers. Should provocateurs be given demonstration permits when their objective is to provoke? Signer offers a long rumination on his efforts to stay true to a freedom he holds dear while not giving energy to people who repulse him. ...The mayhem on the streets of Charlottesville bruised the idealism of Signer, who had grand ambitions of remaking the normally tranquil college town into a capital of the resistance against the politics of President Trump."—New York Times

"Mike Signer had a unique vantage point on one of the inflection points of our time: the white-supremacist rallies and violence in Charlottesville in 2017. In this important new book, he explores where we've been, where we are, and--most important--where we should be headed if we can summon our better angels."— Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America

"Fascinating."— Michel Martin, NPR's "All Things Considered"

"Michael Signer's Cry Havoc goes behind the scenes as neo-Nazis descended on Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, transforming a small college town into an international flashpoint of extremist hatred and racial confrontation. The former mayor recounts, from his firsthand vantage point, the events of that tragic and dramatic weekend. This well-written, disturbing volume serves as a warning about what may be coming in America's increasingly divided society. We would be wise to heed the lessons of Charlottesville before one small city's dreadful conflict becomes the blueprint for violence from coast to coast."—Larry Sabato, director, UVA Center for Politics

Leadership in Crisis

A thought-provoking and personal analysis of leadership, decision-making, and the structure of local politics during the Charlottesville: Unite The Right Rally. Be warned, strong language and violence.

Couldn't put it down

I don't usually go for non fiction and memoir type books but I decided to take a chance on this one. It reads like a Greek tragedy for the Trump era and I couldn't stop listening.

At the same time heart wrenching and reassuring, the book is an intimate look at what lies beneath the viral video of a car ramming into a crowd of people, what we know as #Charlottesville. It tells the story of a well intentioned but bumbling mayor trying to work within a system that seems custom built to protect the "free speech" and gun rights of the hundreds of the alt right, neo-nazi and white nationalists that invaded a college town with guns, shields, and flag pole spears. Most important, it finally answers the question of why state and local police just stood by--did absolutely nothing-- as people rioted in the streets and injured women and men begged them for help. A warning: the answer is not pretty.

Somehow the author manages to put his personal story-- one of struggle and suffering, of painful political missteps, and desperate but ultimately failed attempts to stop the rally from happening-- in the context of the greater struggle of American democracy in this unprecedented time.

Great review and understanding of this periodThe

Although the information provide was sometimes overwhelming, it was necessary for thorough understanding of all the competing factions and personalties involved. It provide a good background, insight, and necessary facts. It also helped me with a review of termology that I need for abetter understanding of these circumstances and current times. Thank you Mike Signer for bring tnese facts to our attention.