A vivid firsthand account of the historic first trial of a president and a cri de coeur for American democracy, from a New York Times bestselling author and presidential historian

For 23 days, Jonathan Alter sat just feet away from the most dangerous threat to democracy in American history, watching the spectacle of the century: the felony trial of Donald Trump. Highly publicized but untelevised and thus largely hidden from public view, this landmark trial signaled the beginning of real justice in the wake of a grueling eight-year national ordeal, even as the Supreme Court was ruling in favor of presidential immunity, and foreshadowed the drama of the 2024 presidential election.

As one of the very few journalists allowed in the courtroom, Alter shares everything he witnessed, from eviscerating takes on the colorful characters in attendance to the chilling legal ups and downs, to offer a one-of-a-kind chronicle of the trial and 2024's political and emotional landscape. Alter also draws on his unmatched experience as a Zelig of presidential journalism—having interviewed nine of the last ten American presidents and endured bracing, unpredictable journalistic relationships with political giants like Jimmy Carter, Bill and Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and John McCain—and examines the trajectory of American politics and the perilous future of democracy.

Deeply personal yet widely felt, American Reckoning is an eye-opening book from a journalist perfectly poised to comment on the chaotic fallout of Trump’s presidency and its tangible impact on American life, offering a troubled yet hopeful look at what lies ahead for the United States.