On My Honor

In this memoir by the former attorney general and senator, "Ashcroft tells his own story [and] reflects on the lessons he learned" (Publishers Weekly).

On the first day of his Senate confirmation hearings, John Ashcroft raised his right hand and vowed, "I swear to uphold the laws of the United States of America, so help me God." People who knew him intimately knew they could count on this.


In On My Honor, Ashcroft reveals his personal beliefs on racism, abortion, capital punishment, our judicial system, his faith in God, and more. These beliefs were not designed to answer his political critics or tamp down controversies—they are beliefs he has held for years. Here is an opportunity to judge this extraordinary man from his own words and deeds. As Ashcroft says, "The verdict of history is inconsequential; the verdict of eternity is what counts."

Previously published as Lessons from a Father to His Son