Read Chapter One Free.

Cadets to Captains: 1848–1860 Publishes in April.

West Point. The Texas Frontier. The Eve of the Civil War.
This is where the story begins.

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Before the battles, there were the men.

In the summer of 1848, two young officers reported to West Point. They came from different worlds. They swore the same oath. Over the next twelve years, the country moved toward war—and they moved with it.

Cadets to Captains is not a battle novel. It is the story of the years before, when the men who would fight the Civil War were still becoming who they needed to be.

The history is real. The characters carry the weight of actual events.

Chapter One is yours—free, right now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom O’Connor graduated from West Point in 1973. He holds an MBA from the University of Dallas and spent decades as a sales engineer before turning to writing full time.

He lives in southeastern North Carolina with his wife of 50 years. They have three grandchildren. A lifelong student of Civil War history, he brings decades of interest and research to his writing.

Cadets to Captains is the first book in the Steel and Honor series.