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Duty, Honor, Country #1
West Point to Mexico
This is book 1 in the Duty, Honor, Country Trilogy.
They swore oaths, both personal and professional. 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. In the vein of HBO’s Rome miniseries, two fictional characters, Rumble and Cord are standing at many of the major crossroads of our history.
Our story starts in 1840, in Benny Havens tavern, just outside post limits of the United States Military Academy. With William Tecumseh Sherman, Rumble, Cord, 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.
We follow these men forward to the eve of the Mexican War, tracing their steps at West Point and ranging to a plantation at Natchez on the Mississippi, Major Lee at Arlington, and Charleson, SC. We travel aboard the USS Somers and the US Navy mutiny that led to the founding of the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
We end with Grant and company in New Orleans, preparing to sale to Mexico and war, and Kit Carson and Fremont at Pilot Peak in Utah during his great expedition west.
They swore oaths, both personal and professional. 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. In the vein of HBO’s Rome miniseries, two fictional characters, Rumble and Cord are standing at many of the major crossroads of our history.
Our story starts in 1840, in Benny Havens tavern, just outside post limits of the United States Military Academy. With William Tecumseh Sherman, Rumble, Cord, 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.
We follow these men forward to the eve of the Mexican War, tracing their steps at West Point and ranging to a plantation at Natchez on the Mississippi, Major Lee at Arlington, and Charleson, SC. We travel aboard the USS Somers and the US Navy mutiny that led to the founding of the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
We end with Grant and company in New Orleans, preparing to sale to Mexico and war, and Kit Carson and Fremont at Pilot Peak in Utah during his great expedition west.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2014
About the author
Bob Mayer
223 books47.8k followersBesides my own interests, I read whatever my wife tells me to read-- she's a voracious reader and has wide-ranging tastes as my reviews show (she also always has the TV remote and she's always right about what to watch). I read a lot of nonfiction, mostly for research. Some of my favorite books are Lonesome Dove, Mystic River, LOTR, and an array of science fiction classics including the Foundation series. Our house is covered with books, although I finally broke down and started reading eBooks, strangely enough on my iPhone. Since I carry it pretty much everywhere, it means I always have an entire library of books with me.
I'm a West Point graduate, former Green Beret and a New York Times Bestselling Author. I've sold over five million books. My newest series begins with New York Minute, a thriller set in New York City in 1977.
I love using history and science in my books. My Area 51 series pretty much had me rewriting our entire history of civilization.
I'm a West Point graduate, former Green Beret and a New York Times Bestselling Author. I've sold over five million books. My newest series begins with New York Minute, a thriller set in New York City in 1977.
I love using history and science in my books. My Area 51 series pretty much had me rewriting our entire history of civilization.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 26, 2019
I liked this book (Duty). Always enjoyed history and this story gives us a bird's eye view of the events leading up to the Mexican War. Featuring several big characters from history like Grant, Kit Carson, and others. I have already purchased the 2nd book in this series (Honor). Lots of interesting facts about West Point and military history.
January 30, 2016
Much has been written and read about the war that threatened to tear the United States apart, the Civil War. Thousands of, otherwise unknown and unheralded people, were thrust in the annals of history, never to be forgotten. Their exploits and follies on both sides of the conflict are well documented but little is known about these men before the firing on Ft Sumter. No one knew, no one could have guessed or even imagined how their lives and the world they knew would change forever. Years before the war many prophesized the splitting of the Northern and Southern states, as they had the abolishment of the institution of slavery but no one could know at what cost. This narrative centers on the West Point class of 1843 with U.S. (Sam) Grant and James Longstreet in the spotlight.
Bob Mayer has succeeded in writing a riveting tale of historical fiction. Combining well-known personages and imaginary characters, all is brought to life. Like the first volume, North and South by John Jakes, this story serves as a preamble of a trilogy entitled Duty, Honor, Country. It also covers, roughly, the same period and events. It is well worth reading and would be a welcome addition to anyone’s historical fiction library.
Bob Mayer has succeeded in writing a riveting tale of historical fiction. Combining well-known personages and imaginary characters, all is brought to life. Like the first volume, North and South by John Jakes, this story serves as a preamble of a trilogy entitled Duty, Honor, Country. It also covers, roughly, the same period and events. It is well worth reading and would be a welcome addition to anyone’s historical fiction library.
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March 28, 2018Historical fiction only because we have to imagine the dialogue. We meet characters like Grant, Sherman, and Longstreet, among others in their pre Civil War and pre Mexico days while they were students at West Point in the 1840s. A good portrayal of characters and how they got to be who they were later in life.
January 5, 2017
WOW! I really like Mayer's historical fiction. I do not know Bob Mayer, but I am also a West Point graduate so this new trilogy interested me greatly. Mayer does a very good job bringing those military academy graduates to life. And without resorting to hyperbole, indeed Mayer's work reminded me of Shaara's Pulitzer Prize winning novel KILLER ANGELS, where the battle of Gettysburg is discussed through the narration of the leading Generals (Mostly West Pointers as Bob Mayer recited what I was told also as a cadet - 60 major engagements in the Civil War, and 55 of those had West Point graduate commanding both sides, and the remaining 5 battles had West Pointer commanding at least one of the two sides.) He describes well the many controversies and many rivalries caused by abolition and secession, with West Pointers pushed to choose between their OATH to the US constitution, and the southern born cadets who often chose loyalty to their native state as pre-eminent. I have several biographies of Grant, and Mayer does a very believable job especially describing his early relationship with Julia Dent, who eventually became his loyal and loving wife, and the conflict with "colonel" Dent, the father, a Missouri slave-owner who definitely did NOT approve of Lieutenant Grant. I will "pace myself" because I dod not want o read the next two books of the triology immediately. Readers who like senior and junior Shaara will enjoy Bob Mayer's West Point trilogy.
July 17, 2015
West Point to Mexico, book one in Bob Mayer's Duty, Honor, Country Trilogy, follows a young U. S. Grant and his fictional fellow West Point cadets, Elijah Cord and Lucius Rumble, as they endure the harsh environment of the military academy and its environs, and eventually find themselves on the eve of war with Mexico.
Mayer, a West Point graduate himself, is a multi-genre writer, adept at military, political, and sci-fi thrillers. With this novel, he proves himself just as adept with historical fiction.
The author's historical detail is well researched, and he does not spare the reputation of the antebellum South. Unlike the idealized South of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind – which many Southerners still cling to – Mayer paints a realistic portrait of an oligarchic society reliant on slave labor. Only the thin whitewash of a proclaimed belief in culture and honor hid the reality of an heinousness economic practice so poisonous to men's hearts and corrosive to their souls they could no longer treat even their own families with dignity and respect.
The fact that I ordered Book II in this trilogy immediately after finishing this book speaks to this books compelling narrative.
Mayer, a West Point graduate himself, is a multi-genre writer, adept at military, political, and sci-fi thrillers. With this novel, he proves himself just as adept with historical fiction.
The author's historical detail is well researched, and he does not spare the reputation of the antebellum South. Unlike the idealized South of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind – which many Southerners still cling to – Mayer paints a realistic portrait of an oligarchic society reliant on slave labor. Only the thin whitewash of a proclaimed belief in culture and honor hid the reality of an heinousness economic practice so poisonous to men's hearts and corrosive to their souls they could no longer treat even their own families with dignity and respect.
The fact that I ordered Book II in this trilogy immediately after finishing this book speaks to this books compelling narrative.
February 28, 2019
I enjoy reading military action & history & this is going to be a great series! I've never delved into the pre-civil war time era & I thoroughly enjoyed book 1 in this trilogy, Duty, Honor, Country. The author has done an excellent job in describing the characters & areas traveled & his attention to detail is outstanding! I don't like giving out details of the story as it can ruin the reading for others. I really look forward to reading the 2d book in the series!
January 16, 2021
Great story, great characters
Loved the story and the author brings historical characters to life, but this book needs a good editor. Grammatical errors and missing words. I'll read book two.
Loved the story and the author brings historical characters to life, but this book needs a good editor. Grammatical errors and missing words. I'll read book two.
July 31, 2017
This is a very good book. I am now reading the next book of the series. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read historical fiction.
November 13, 2016
A fine fiction read with enough history to be informative
This book is definitely one of historical fiction rather than a true biography, and Bob Meyer has got a good franchise going here with the multivolume approach. This volume, as the cover says, takes US Grant from his senior year at the Academy to Mexico (well, not exactly, they are still staging to go there as the book ends). He is very much used as a secondary character who dispenses sound advice and is present to aid in some scrapes, all of which move the action forward but are fictional. You'll learn nothing much of Grant's academy experience, nothing of his pre-Academy background, and so far nothing about his actual experiences as a new officer. While I'm still on the con side, there are small editing issues, not affecting the read but occasionally causingnyou to recheck the sentence to make sure younread it right.
So how do I rate the book a full 5 stars? It's historical fiction, not a biography. In this context, this book is much more in the tradition of John Jakes than the Shaaras. The characters are engaging and set up to illustrate the complexities of a truly complex topic (slavery). The events move forward smoothly, with credible dialog, and the shifts from one character's perspective and location to another are timed well and easy to follow. Bottom line: I just bought the next volume so I can keep following.
This book is definitely one of historical fiction rather than a true biography, and Bob Meyer has got a good franchise going here with the multivolume approach. This volume, as the cover says, takes US Grant from his senior year at the Academy to Mexico (well, not exactly, they are still staging to go there as the book ends). He is very much used as a secondary character who dispenses sound advice and is present to aid in some scrapes, all of which move the action forward but are fictional. You'll learn nothing much of Grant's academy experience, nothing of his pre-Academy background, and so far nothing about his actual experiences as a new officer. While I'm still on the con side, there are small editing issues, not affecting the read but occasionally causingnyou to recheck the sentence to make sure younread it right.
So how do I rate the book a full 5 stars? It's historical fiction, not a biography. In this context, this book is much more in the tradition of John Jakes than the Shaaras. The characters are engaging and set up to illustrate the complexities of a truly complex topic (slavery). The events move forward smoothly, with credible dialog, and the shifts from one character's perspective and location to another are timed well and easy to follow. Bottom line: I just bought the next volume so I can keep following.
July 13, 2015
My Review of “West Point to Mexico” (Duty, honor and country series) by Bob Mayer
I am pleased to give it five stars maybe because it is the type of book that captures my interest. The author writes a very compelling story mixing fiction with history and I loved it.
The story draws you in as Mr. Mayer paints a very good picture of the characters and their habits. These characters are the ones that you read about in history books. He throws in some fiction characters portraying the time frame this is set in. The West Point class of 1843, and their actions in the history of the United States brought to life. One particular passage that I enjoyed was where the cadets were drinking but each time they took a drink, they stood back to back so the other couldn’t see them drinking. They were honor bound to report another cadet drinking but being back to back they could honestly say ‘they didn’t see the other cadet drinking’ if asked by a superior officer or the Commandant of West Point. It was parts like this one that kept me up nights to finish reading the book. Other passages will keep you ready also. Mr. Mayer brought life unto those we only read a few words about in history with his excellent portraying of those as a student in school I read about. Enjoy reading his series in Duty, honor and Country.
I am pleased to give it five stars maybe because it is the type of book that captures my interest. The author writes a very compelling story mixing fiction with history and I loved it.
The story draws you in as Mr. Mayer paints a very good picture of the characters and their habits. These characters are the ones that you read about in history books. He throws in some fiction characters portraying the time frame this is set in. The West Point class of 1843, and their actions in the history of the United States brought to life. One particular passage that I enjoyed was where the cadets were drinking but each time they took a drink, they stood back to back so the other couldn’t see them drinking. They were honor bound to report another cadet drinking but being back to back they could honestly say ‘they didn’t see the other cadet drinking’ if asked by a superior officer or the Commandant of West Point. It was parts like this one that kept me up nights to finish reading the book. Other passages will keep you ready also. Mr. Mayer brought life unto those we only read a few words about in history with his excellent portraying of those as a student in school I read about. Enjoy reading his series in Duty, honor and Country.
December 27, 2014
COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN
Absolutely loved this book. More action and intrigue than one could expect. Written about a time period that most Americans have little to no knowledge about. l know that this book is well written fiction, but I think that maybe our high school history teachers should assign this as an outside reading assignment. This might make students aware of this critical time period in American history.
Can't wait to read the second volume to find out what happened to my newfound friends.
One of the best books I've read this year!
Absolutely loved this book. More action and intrigue than one could expect. Written about a time period that most Americans have little to no knowledge about. l know that this book is well written fiction, but I think that maybe our high school history teachers should assign this as an outside reading assignment. This might make students aware of this critical time period in American history.
Can't wait to read the second volume to find out what happened to my newfound friends.
One of the best books I've read this year!
May 15, 2025
2.5 stars, really. It wasn't a bad book by any means, and I think the author is probably a decent storyteller but the lack of editing in the copy I read really detracted from the story. I'm definitely not a grammarian by any means so if I'm picking out errors, that means they really are distracting. There were also some detail-oriented issues that annoyed me (like Grant's horse is described as a "chestnut bay"). The underlying story is solid, but given the author is a best seller, I expected much more polish.
March 7, 2014
This is a well written and highly enjoyable read if you like historical fiction. There has been a criticism about a couple of minor factual inaccuracies (missing the date of introduction of a handgun and a rifle by a few years), but I wouldn’t have noticed them myself, and they certainly didn’t detract from my enjoyment of a very engaging and often exciting story about historical and fictional characters.
October 20, 2015
In site into American history
Like many people I know the civil war and the names of the generals that where part of it. This give some in site in to how they grew into the men that history know. Realize there is some fiction here but the know characters must have left some of the marks to build the story on. Looking forward to the next in the series and the Mexican war.
If your a history buff you should enjoy the book.
Like many people I know the civil war and the names of the generals that where part of it. This give some in site in to how they grew into the men that history know. Realize there is some fiction here but the know characters must have left some of the marks to build the story on. Looking forward to the next in the series and the Mexican war.
If your a history buff you should enjoy the book.
May 23, 2014
Great story. This first of three books mostly introduces us to the characters. Even though we already know most of their names one would really have to be a student of history to know all the details that come out. I'm sure there is some level of fiction but I suspect that even the fiction is based on fact. I'll read the other two in the series.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews