Forging Valor: George Washington — Signed Copy
Before he was a general. Before he was a president. He was a boy who learned to choose the hard right over the easy wrong.
If you've followed KC Cattle Company for any length of time, you know our founder Pat Montgomery doesn't do watered-down versions of anything — not food, and not history. Forging Valor: George Washington — Before He Crossed the Delaware is the book he wrote for his own four kids: a historically grounded picture book about how an imperfect, hot-tempered, unremarkable boy was forged into the man who refused a crown.
Across thirteen illustrated chapters, each closing on a single forged virtue, children meet the real Washington — the eleven-year-old who lost his father and got to work, the young officer whose mistakes cost lives and who carried those names the rest of his life, the general who froze alongside his men at Valley Forge, and the leader who did the hardest thing of all: gave the power back.
This isn't a hero myth. It covers his failures, his temper, and the contradiction of slavery honestly and at a level children ages 6–10 can absorb — because Pat believes the question every parent has to answer is this: do we want to raise good children, or do we want to raise resilient and capable adults?
What you're getting
- Hand-signed by the author — Pat Montgomery, former U.S. Army Ranger and founder of KC Cattle Company
- Thirteen illustrated chapters, each anchored to a virtue: courage, responsibility, determination, bravery, audacity, selflessness, duty, growth, faith, and more
- Written for ages 6–10 to read together — and honest enough that parents get something out of it too
- Dedicated to six fallen soldiers, including SSG Jeremy A. Katzenberger, Pat's closest friend and Ranger brother
- Book One in the Forging Valor series
"You have two choices in this world. The hard right, or the easy wrong." — the words a Special Forces veteran gave Pat as a young man, and the thesis of every page in this book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this really the same Pat from KC Cattle Company?
Yes. Forging Valor is written by Pat Montgomery — former U.S. Army Ranger, rancher, dad of four, and the founder of KC Cattle Company and Valor Provisions. Every signed copy sold here is hand-signed by Pat himself.
What age is Forging Valor written for?
The book is written for children ages 6–10, ideally read together with a parent. Older kids can read it on their own, and the "Note to Parents" and "Note from Pat" bookend the story with material written directly for adults.
Is this a typical children's book about George Washington?
No. It skips the cherry tree and tells the true story: the boy who lost his father at eleven, the young officer whose failure helped spark a war, the general who hanged deserters to hold a starving army together, and the man who owned slaves, knew it was wrong, and freed them in his will. Thirteen chapters, each ending on the virtue that moment forged.
Does it handle hard topics in a kid-appropriate way?
Yes. Loss, failure, war, and slavery are all in the book — because they were all in Washington's life — but each is written at a level a 6–10 year old can process, always in service of the lesson rather than the shock.
Who is the book dedicated to?
Forging Valor is dedicated to six fallen soldiers: 1LT Ashley White, SSG Jeremy A. Katzenberger, SGT Alessandro Plutino, SGT Tanner Stone Higgins, SPC Ricardo Cerros, and PFC Christopher Horns. SSG Katzenberger was the closest thing Pat had to a brother; the final page of the book tells that story.
When will my signed copy ship?
Signed copies ship in a padded mailer via USPS Priority Mail. Orders typically leave the warehouse within 2 business days, and you'll receive tracking by email the moment yours is on the way.
