Duty, Honor, Country a Novel of West Point and the Civil War

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Duty, Honor, Country a Novel of West Point and the Civil War

by Bob Mayer (Goodreads Author)

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 32 ratings · 14 reviews

They swore oaths, both personal and professional. From the Plain at West Point, through the Mexican War, to the carnage of Shiloh. They were fighting for country, for a way of life and for family. Classmates carried more than rifles and sabers into battle. They had friendships, memories, children and wives. They had innocence lost, promises broken and glory found. Duty, Ho...more They swore oaths, both personal and professional. From the Plain at West Point, through the Mexican War, to the carnage of Shiloh. They were fighting for country, for a way of life and for family. Classmates carried more than rifles and sabers into battle. They had friendships, memories, children and wives. They had innocence lost, promises broken and glory found. Duty, Honor, Country is history told both epic and personal so we can understand what happened, but more importantly feel the heart-wrenching clash of duty, honor, country and loyalty. And realize that sometimes, the people who changed history, weren't recorded by it. This book is big, almost twice the length of my usual books, because the story demands a large scale. Reviews for Mayer's books: "Exciting and authentic. Don't miss this one." W.E.B. Griffin "Mayer had me hooked from the very first page." Stephen Coonts "Fascinating, imaginative and nerve-wracking." Kirkus Reviews "Will leave you spellbound." Book News "Mayer has established himself as one of today's better military writers. A background in Special Operations gives him credibility and understanding from having been there and done that." Airpower Journal "A treat for military fiction readers." Publishers Weekly Our story starts in 1840, in Benny Havens tavern, just outside post limits of the United States Military Academy. With William Tecumseh Sherman, a classmate, a plebe, and Benny Havens' daughter coming together in a crucible of honor and loyalty. And on post, in the West Point stables, where Ulysses S. Grant and a classmate are preparing to saddle the Hell-Beast, a horse with which Grant would eventually set an academy record, and both make fateful decisions that will change the course of their lives and history. The key to this series is a simple fact I had to memorize as a plebe at West Point: Who commanded the major battles of the Civil War? -- There were 60 important battles of the War. In 55 of them, graduates commanded on both sides. That struck me as utterly fascinating and disturbing on a core level. After all, how did men who went to the same Academy, who swore the same oath of allegiance, end up fighting each other? So I decided to take a handful of fictional character and insert them into history, to rub elbows with those who would become great and those who would become infamous. And have them live through events, both epic and personal. The story ranges from West Point; to a plantation in Natchez, the richest city in the United States where cotton was king; to the only mutiny in the United States Navy; to St. Louis where Kit Carson is preparing to depart on a famous expedition to the west with Fremont that would eventually bring California into the Union; to Mexico, where the United States Army suffered its highest casualty rate to this day and brought most of the western United States into the Union; to the founding of the Naval Academy; to John Brown's hanging; to the firing on Fort Sumter; through First Bull Run; the first battle of ironclads, the Monitor and Virginia; and culminating in the epic battle of Shiloh, where the United States had more casualties in one battle than in all previous wars combined and the face of warfare changed forever. This is history told both epic and personal so we can understand intellectually what happened, but more importantly feel the heart-wrenching struggle of duty, honor, country and loyalty coming into collision. This first book will be followed by more books, taking our characters through the Civil War and beyond, into the Plains Wars and further. As they say at West Point: Much of the history we teach, was made by people we taught.(less)

Paperback, 460 pages

Published February 18th 2013 by Cool Gus Publishing (first published April 7th 2011)

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Jun 13, 2012 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nook-read, history

I was very pleased with this book, read on my nook. I am new to Bob Mayer book, with only one other fiction book purchased and reviewed. This one was head and shoulders better written than the other one I read. It was also free of the punctuation errors that so many readers have complained about in earlier reviews for this author.

I will not review the plot because other reviewers have done such a great job in that regard. I can't really add to their posts significantly so I will only add a coupl...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not really a story of West Point as the blurb suggests, more a story of some of its graduates, most particularly U. S. Grant.
This is a well written mix of factual characters and events, and dramatic fiction. It brings the time to life. The supposed insights of both Cord and Master of the Horse Rumble (easier to attribute intelligent analysis to events from a temporal distance) add an interesting element and point up the tactical and strategical strengths and weaknesses that may have held sway be...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Mark Edwards rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was reading Bob Mayer’s “Duty, Honor, Country” but gave up. That gave me no satisfaction. The book is set just before the Civil war and has U.S. Grant as a main character. This book should have been right up my wheelhouse but it didn’t work for me.

Part of the problem for me was the two fictional characters Bob Mayer inserted into the historical narrative. (there was a third character but he didn’t bug me as much) I didn’t find the two characters sympathetic, which is death for me. I realize t...more I was reading Bob Mayer’s “Duty, Honor, Country” but gave up. That gave me no satisfaction. The book is set just before the Civil war and has U.S. Grant as a main character. This book should have been right up my wheelhouse but it didn’t work for me.

Part of the problem for me was the two fictional characters Bob Mayer inserted into the historical narrative. (there was a third character but he didn’t bug me as much) I didn’t find the two characters sympathetic, which is death for me. I realize the author is trying to create a character arc and a redemption arc or two but it took too long for me. I wasn’t hooked. I also disliked the way the two invented characters ‘stole the thunder’ of real people and real events. Making one of them ‘best buddies’ with Kit Carson was a bridge too far for me.

The author seemed to have definite opinions about the character of historical figures like Fremont and Robert E. Lee. I get that there is a tendency to over-romanticize Lee, especially; but it felt like Lee was written to be a dick. Lee may have been ‘merely human’ but even his worst enemies might have a hard time recognizing him here. The fictional characters also have a sub-plot that wouldn’t have been out of place in Mandingo (Sexual slavery! Incest! Fun for the whole family!), which didn’t help. On the other side, Grant is made a little too saintly, particularly on slavery. From what I recall from his autobiography, he didn't have strong opinions on slavery until the War. The real people are complex enough to make for compelling stories; I don’t see why they needed to be reinterpreted like this.

What did work well for me was the setting at West Point, those scenes felt alive. If the whole novel had been set there, I’d have devoured it, melodrama or not. Spending four years with figures destined to cast a long shadow over the coming war while they were still students would have made for fascinating historical fiction. Likewise, a novel that focused on the Mexican-American war back in the 1840’s would have been another part of history that has been under-told. Or simply focusing on the historical character’s real, compelling stories could have been made fresh and interesting. But that’s not what we have here.

I ended up buying Shelby Foote’s Civil War narrative instead**. This time for my Kindle Fire. I also picked up U.S. Grant’s autobiography, along with Sherman’s and Longstreet’s. Again, the real stories are dramatic enough and the people themselves abounded with flaws and contradictions. There’s no reasons to make up new ones. Especially not with the fictional characters created here. I really, really wanted to like this book and it gives me no pleasure to write a negative review of it.

I don't think I can recommend this book. It's competently written, Bob Mayer has talent. But I didn't enjoy his insertion of fictional characters who go on to take an outsized role in history. The price point makes it a fairly painless experiment for me, which is good, but I'd instead suggest people try Foote or MacPherson's narrative histories or the autobiographies of the real actors on

* though he did, indeed, free a slave that had been given to him as a wedding present. I don't recall him freeing his wife's slaves, however.

** for the second time, for the Kindle Fire.(less)

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Dec 25, 2012 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

A wonderful and intense book with a very personal and human plot line woven through the story against the back drop of the growing tension within the United States from the late 1830's to the full blown Civil War in the 1860's.

Mayer does a wonderful job of recreating a diverse cast of historical figures, such as US Grant, John Fremont, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Abraham Lincoln alongside a cast of unforgettable fictional characters such as Sally Skull who trades, illegally and legally, with a...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Hal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 12-reads

This tale centers on a group of men who were classmates and friends at West Point in the 1840s. A list of the characters would be a list of generals or field officers who later met again as friends or foes on the battlefields of the War Between the States -- men such as Grant, Buell, Sherman, Beauregard, Armstrong, Longstreet, Pickett, Custer.

The author does a good job of developing the characters, though he makes it quite clear he is writing fiction. It's an exciting tale with lots of action. B...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Clyde rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

This big book is ambitious, even epic. Mayer populates this novel with both fictional and historical characters to weave a story that starts at West Point in 1841 and ends at the first bloody day of the Battle of Shiloh. The four main POV characters range far and wide and they witness most of the big events that shaped the U.S. during those fateful years—Frémont's expeditions, the Mexican-American war, the founding of the Naval Academy, the hanging of John Brown, the attack on Fort Sumpter, and...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Sally Bennett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-sally-bennett

Only a man who survived the trials and tribulations of the West Point cadets and went on to serve his country as an active-duty officer could write such a brilliant dramatization of the military careers and personal lives of the main characters who people this book: Ulysses S. Grant, Lucius Kosciusko Rumble, and Elijah Cord. By showing us the early events that helped shape them into men of honor, Bob Mayer escapes the trap of simply summarizing known facts from diaries, letters, and so forth tha...more Only a man who survived the trials and tribulations of the West Point cadets and went on to serve his country as an active-duty officer could write such a brilliant dramatization of the military careers and personal lives of the main characters who people this book: Ulysses S. Grant, Lucius Kosciusko Rumble, and Elijah Cord. By showing us the early events that helped shape them into men of honor, Bob Mayer escapes the trap of simply summarizing known facts from diaries, letters, and so forth that necessarily plagues historians and biographers of the great Civil War generals. Here he creates an engaging, mostly imaginary account based on facts.

Although Mayer’s series might not qualify as historiography (in the tradition of Barbara Tuchman’s “The Guns of August”), there is so much in this novel about early West Point history, the severe discipline and harsh living conditions, and long-established traditions such as the rings, the Honor Code, Beast Barracks, plebe hazing, Silencing, and the terms for each class (plebes, yearlings, cows, and firsties), along with descriptions of such iconic places as the Plain, South Dock, and Kosciuszko’s garden, that readers gain a feel for what it means to be a part of the Long Gray Line. Though many things have changed for cadets in the past two hundred years, the emphasis on duty, honor, and country as precepts guiding all of these cadets as they move into the army (and for some, carried into civilian life later) remains unchanged.

The disappointments, pain, and regrets of all the former West Point cadets shown in this book (especially those who went on to become the most famous Civil War generals) provide gut-wrenching insights into the politics and cultural undercurrents that surrounded these men, compounded by Mayer’s deft portrayal of the misery of war, the importance of family, and what must be done sometimes to survive. In addition, their many personal weaknesses and struggles to become better men put a human face on this epic story.

The question of what IS honor, as shown through the comparison between Lucius Rumble and George King, takes center court in this gripping novel and provides sufficient reason to keep the pages turning even if you aren’t a big fan of military history.

A few discordant notes in this book come from the many subplots, such as that of the primary antagonist, St. George Dyer, a slave overseer who hunts down Lucius Rumble and his son in the midst of a Civil War battle. Dyer may very well have existed and might have been as brutal as portrayed here, but having an entire subplot focused on his greed and desire to destroy the Rumble family detracts from the valuable service he does in the book: providing a link with the fascinating Texas war profiteer Sally Skull, another actual historical figure. There are so many secondary characters that some of their stories simply vanish instead of being wrapped up at the end, leading to a sense of an abrupt ending and matters left unfinished.

(Disclaimer: I received a free evaluation copy to review.)

***************

Editorial quibbles for those who care about such things: missing punctuation marks, occasional typos, and homophone errors suggest that although this book went through a spelling/grammar checker, it was not professionally proofread or edited.
(less)

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Jul 08, 2011 Steven Konkoly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bob Mayer's recent foray into the historical fiction genre is not to be missed. The story starts during the early years of West Point, and follows the military careers and personal lives of several prominent figures who would play pivotal roles during the American Civil War. Mayer richly brings these characters to life, through their experiences at West Point, Mexican-American War exploits... all ultimately leading to a showdown between classmates at the start of the Civil War. The story paints...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Mike Mcneff rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, military, historical-fiction

Bob Mayer's Duty, Honor, Country is a wonderful book with a rich tapestry of characters set in the histories of the Civil War and West Point. The Civil War and its prelude are not backdrops in this work...they are an integral part of it. Mayer obviously did a tremendous amount of research and created a tightly woven, well written masterpiece. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys good books and it is a must read for anyone interested in the Civil War or the US military.

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Jun 10, 2012 Robin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

I was disappointed in this historical novel. It held my interest to a degree, however I am underwhelmed by his writing style. it is okay, but not great.

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Apr 17, 2011 Bob Mayer rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Just getting it up there so people can see it. Very proud of this effort.

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May 19, 2011 Linda Nagata added it · review of another edition

Found it fascinating.

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Oct 30, 2011 Mark Polino rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, 2011

There were elements that remined me of John Jakes in here. The historical perspective, family secrets, etc. Grant is treated very sympathetically and the short view provided of Robert E. Lee seems inconsistent with everything I've read about him. On the whole, though the book delivers a nice civil war novel.

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May 23, 2011 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

A great book. Bob Mayer was able to mix real history with some interesting fiction and created a fantastic story.

1 like · like · see review

May 29, 2013 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 24, 2013 Kelly marked it as to-read

Shelves: book-on-my-kindle

Apr 10, 2013 Sheri Wilkerson marked it as to-read

Mar 25, 2013 Laurie Martin marked it as to-read

May 11, 2013 Jen Rowan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Feb 20, 2013 Jeff Short added it

Feb 20, 2013 Al Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Feb 08, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-and-westerns

Feb 06, 2013 Penelope marked it as to-read

Feb 01, 2013 Susan marked it as to-read

Shelves: ebooks, history-biography

Jan 28, 2013 Donna Allen added it · review of another edition

Jan 02, 2013 Patrick Thunstrom rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dec 07, 2012 Victor Gentile marked it as to-read

Dec 05, 2012 Dick Gookin marked it as to-read

Nov 29, 2012 David Waltz marked it as to-read

Dec 07, 2012 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

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About Bob Mayer

Bob Mayer is a West Point graduate, former Green Beret and a New York Times Bestselling Author. He has sold over four million books, and is in demand as a team-building, life-changing, and leadership speaker and consultant for his Who Dares Wins: The Green Beret Way concept, which he translated into Write It Forward: a holistic program teaching writers how to be authors.

He is also the Co-Creator...more Bob Mayer is a West Point graduate, former Green Beret and a New York Times Bestselling Author. He has sold over four million books, and is in demand as a team-building, life-changing, and leadership speaker and consultant for his Who Dares Wins: The Green Beret Way concept, which he translated into Write It Forward: a holistic program teaching writers how to be authors.

He is also the Co-Creator of Cool Gus Publishing with Jen Talty , which does both eBooks and Print On Demand, so he has experience in both traditional and non-traditional publishing.

His books have hit the NY Times, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and numerous other bestseller lists. His book The Jefferson Allegiance, was released independently and reached #2 overall in sales on Nook.

Bob Mayer grew up in the Bronx. After high school, he entered West Point where he learned about the history of our military and our country. During his four years at the Academy and later in the Infantry, Mayer questioned the idea of “mission over men.” When he volunteered and passed selection for the Special Forces as a Green Beret, he felt more at ease where the men were more important than the mission.

Mayer’s obsession with mythology and his vast knowledge of the military and Special Forces, mixed with his strong desire to learn from history, is the foundation for his science fiction series Atlantis, Area 51 and Psychic Warrior. Mayer is a master at blending elements of truth into all of his thrillers, leaving the reader questioning what is real and what isn’t.

He took this same passion and created thrillers based in fact and riddled with possibilities. His unique background in the Special Forces gives the reader a sense of authenticity and creates a reality that makes the reader wonder where fact ends and fiction begins.
In his historical fiction novels, Mayer blends actual events with fictional characters. He doesn’t change history, but instead changes how history came into being.

Mayer’s military background, coupled with his deep desire to understand the past and how it affects our future, gives his writing a rich flavor not to be missed.

Bob has presented for over a thousand organizations both in the United States and internationally, including keynote presentations, all day workshops, and multi-day seminars. He has taught organizations ranging from Maui Writers, to Whidbey Island Writers, to San Diego State University, to the University of Georgia, to the Romance Writers of America National Convention, to Boston SWAT, the CIA, Fortune-500, the Royal Danish Navy Frogman Corps, Microsoft, Rotary, IT Teams in Silicon Valley and many others. He has also served as a Visiting Writer for NILA MFA program in Creative Writing. He has done interviews for the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Sports Illustrated, PBS, NPR, the Discovery Channel, the SyFy channel and local cable shows. For more information see www.bobmayer.org.(less)

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