That Controversial Trump Tell-All Sold Out At A D.C. Bookstore In Just 20 Minutes

Despite attempts from Donald Trump to prevent the publication of a controversial tell-all book about the inner workings of his White House in its first year, columnist Michael Wolff's exposé was not only released four days early, but it is already on its way to becoming a bestseller. Within minutes of its midnight release, Fire and Fury sold out at a D.C. bookstore, and seems to be impossible to find for many would-be readers.

Fire and Fury first made headlines earlier this week when a New York magazine excerpt of the book drew heavy criticism from the White House, and the president himself, who sent a cease and desist order to Wolff and his publisher demanding they stop publication. The excerpt included several damning comments and accusations from White House staffers, including former advisor Steve Bannon, who called a meeting between the Trump team and Russian officials "treasonous."

Originally scheduled to go on-sale on Jan. 9, Fire and Fury's release date was pushed up to Jan. 5, "due to unprecedented demand," according to publisher Henry Holt & Co who saw interest for the book soar as a result of the released excerpt and the attention it generated. Fire and Fury is already listed as a #1 bestseller on Amazon, and it now seems that booksellers are having a hard time keeping up with demand. Rather unsurprisingly, one famous bookstore in the nation's capital, just a mile from the White House, sold out in under 20 minutes.

Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff, $20.98, Amazon

Kramerbooks & Afterwords, one of Washington, D.C.'s oldest and most famous independent bookstores, hosted a midnight release of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House. Within 20 minutes, the bookstore was sold out, according to BuzzFeed News' Chris Geidner, who shared the news on Twitter. The bookstore also confirmed via a tweet that they were sold out of Fire and Fury, but promised to restock by Monday.

Photos and videos from the Kramerbooks release of Fire and Fury prove that readers can't wait to get their hands on a book that promises to tell "the inside story of the most controversial presidency of our time." Despite the freezing cold temperatures, dozens of people lined up for a chance to buy a copy. "The last time I went to a book release was Harry Potter," one shopper at Kramerbooks told the Huffington Post. She was just one of the many hopeful readers who dressed for the cold and made the trek to the bookstore at midnight in hopes of getting a chance to read one of the juiciest, and most sought after, books of the year.

According to Huffington Post senior justice reporter Ryan J. Reilly, who was at the Kramerbooks release, many of those in line for Fire and Fury worked for the federal government. Most patrons at the store expressed their belief the book is not 100% accurate, but that it is still an important work worth paying attention to. One woman, an employee of the National Park Service, even described coming out to get the book as "A nice protest."

So, if Wolff's new book is selling out in record time, where can you still get a copy of Fire and Fury? Currently, Amazon has three formats still available for purchase — hardcover, audio, and Kindle — but considering it is already a #1 bestseller on the site, physical copies are likely going fast. Barnes & Noble has a digital format available for sale and lists the hardcover as "Temporarily out of stock," but promises a restock for January 10. If the complete depletion of Kramerbooks' stock is any indication, many local and independent bookstores will be struggling to keep this highly sought after book on the shelves, too.