Stolen Honor

by Clint Lorance

The captivating account of how Clint Lorance, a soldier who became a scapegoat for a corrupt military hierarchy, was falsely charged with war crimes, imprisoned, and eventually pardoned by President Trump.
While out on patrol in Afghanistan, Clint Lorance learned that two men, both suspected suicide bombers, were speeding toward a crowded city on motorcycles. Lorance couldn't see them, but his men on the ground had clear shots. After a split second, he gave the order to shoot, killing both men.
In the months that followed, Lorance was arrested by the military and put on trial for war crimes. Prosecutors claimed that the order he gave constituted an act of premeditated murder, and they sentenced him to twenty years in prison.
In Stolen Honor, Lorance finally tells the story of this event and the trial it led to -- how the prosecutors declined to admit clear-cut evidence that would have exonerated him, how the men in his unit turned on him, and why he still believes he was right to give the order to shoot.
It is a story that stretches from small-town America to the deserts of Afghanistan, from the White House to the tiny jail cell where Lorance spent six years waiting on his exoneration, which finally came when President Trump pardoned him in 2019. The book also discusses Lorance's plans to attend law school and help reform the broken military justice system.

288 pages, Hardcover

Published September 22, 2020

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. As a wife of a veteran I always like learning about things like this. I actually wasn't aware of this story at all. I do wish the book went into more detail about the charges and his life in prison. There was a lot of build up of his military career and then hurry up to what happened and then his imprisonment. I felt like the "meat" of the story was rushed or even skipped over. I just would have liked to learn more about that.
Regardless, I think stories like these are always important to read for everyone.
This book comes out September 22, 2020. Thanks to Edelweiss for my advanced ebook copy.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of memoirs/autobiographies and I have read quite a few. I think I was expecting more from this book. The actual event that led up to his imprisonment took up so little of the book, and I didn't really feel connected to it in the way that I should have. Most of the book seemed to be how he survived in military prison and took leadership there, along with the changes made. I found it interesting, but maybe it was the writing style that I could not connect with. The very beginning and end were a little too political for me.

He absolutely was made into a scapegoat for the government, and he deserved to be pardoned. I applaud him for getting his story out there and shedding light on the dark side of the military. I understand why he would be a Trump supporter, and why he would have a bad view of the Obama administration. I just felt like it was a political plug that detracted from the story for me.

[Brent Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up Stolen Honor hoping for a powerful, introspective memoir about redemption and accountability. Instead, I got a self-aggrandizing account that repeated itself constantly and lacked meaningful detail—especially about the events that led to the author’s imprisonment. Clint comes off less as a humbled man seeking redemption and more as someone obsessed with portraying himself as a heroic leader behind bars. His unwavering support for Trump feels more like gratitude for a pardon than genuine belief. Even though it’s a short read, I can’t recommend it.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another - and "another" is the key word - story of how people in the government look out for themselves at the expense of real Americans. In this case it's about a story wronglfully accused of war crimes so politicians can make themselves look better.
Lots of good details in this story where needed, with over-burdening the senses.
A good read. Hard to put down.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

A tremendous story, but I wasn’t a fan of the writing style or tone of the book throughout. I felt the message was confused at times (three directions?). I want to be clear, I am glad he is free and spreading the word about this, very needed, just wasn’t a fan of the writing/as a book.

[heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Really enjoyed reading this book to hear his story heartbreaking to see the state are military is in really a must read

[Kevin Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, just not what I expected. It just seemed, to me, to be a summary of what happened. I glad that the wrong was finally "righted" though.

[Abigail]

read for work