24 Hours in Charlottesville: An Oral History of the Stand Against White Supremacy

Release Date: July 18, 2023

Pre-order now!

Read an excerpt in POLITICO Magazine here

“At last, a narrative that pulls together unheard voices and events from Charlottesville’s Summer of Hate, giving insight, warts and all.” Susan Bro, mother of Heather Heyer

“Nora Neus has given us a grand gift: the definitive inside story of the historic Charlottesville neo-fascist event in August 2017! We have yet to emerge from under its ominous shadows”. Cornel West, Union Theological Seminary 

“Astonishing new details on an event that might very well be considered a turning point in our American century. I walked away in awe over how much I learned about Charlottesville.  This work by Nora Neus feels like something people will both need and want to read.” CNN anchor John Berman

“This is the account we needed of what happened in Charlottesville. The swirl of violence and political chaos left details hard to come by and reflection nearly impossible, and Nora Neus delivers on both. The book also raises questions that still need answers if we’re to avoid ‘another Charlottesville’ from happening again.” Charlie Moore, Executive Producer, Anderson Cooper 360, CNN

“As time passes, historical events like Charlottesville naturally tend to fade in our collective memory. But with this remarkable and important work, Nora Neus brings Charlottesville roaring back to life, with all the vivid detail and unflinching attention it deserves. This book puts you right in the middle of that fateful day, as told by the people who lived it, and it reminds us — by clear-eyed reporting, not by preaching — that hate remains a potent threat to our survival.” Elie Honig, CNN Senior Legal Analyst and bestselling author


A gripping oral history of the white supremacist riots that shook the nation and signaled the arrival of a polarizing new era, told from the perspectives of the anti-racist activists who fought back.

On August 11 and 12, 2017, armed neo-Nazi demonstrators descended on the University of Virginia campus and downtown Charlottesville. When they assaulted anti-racist counterprotesters, the police failed to intervene, and before the end of the day, a white supremacist had murdered counterprotester Heather Heyer.

This extraordinary account from Emmy-nominated CNN journalist and former Charlottesville resident Nora Neus provides:

*The drama, suspense, and pacing of a thriller

*Dozens of original interviews conducted with activists and politicians who were there

*Never-before-disclosed information, including new statements from then Charlottesville mayor Mike Signer and Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe

*6 maps of key areas in Charlottesville illustrating the geography of the events depicted