Duty, Honor, Country is a must read for any historical fiction fan…and not just military historical fiction. This is an epic account of Westpoint’s influence on our early military leaders, from the Mexican-American War to the American Civil War. At it’s heart Mayer tells a compelling story about family, torn apart against the backdrop of two early major American wars. War takes center stage in the story, but the center is supported by rich character development and a well paced narrative.”
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 a particularly interesting and stark picture of each characters’ family ties and loyalties,Union and Confederate, which are inevitably challenged as the Civil War escalates.
Mayer attention to detail regarding the historical aspects of each setting is impressive, and the painstakingly realistic battle scenes are experienced first hand through the characters, in a fashion unique to this genre. They can only be described as staggeringly authentic.
Overall, this is an epic, sweeping story of family loyalty and loss in time of war, with carefully woven conspiracy and intrigue at every turn. From beginning to end, I eagerly turned the page, and the book never disappointed me. The plot is carefully constructed, and every detail eventually comes into play during the incredible finale at The Battle of Shiloh.
If I had one complaint, I would ask Bob Mayer to continue the saga beyond Shiloh. It is simply a fantastic, well crafted story, that tops the military historical fiction genre.
You must be logged in to post a comment.