The Book
Porcelain on Steel
Women of West Point’s Long Gray Line
An insider’s tour of one of America’s most storied institutions, told through the contemporary biographies of the women who have shaped it — ordinary women with extraordinary journeys of perseverance and integrity.
Get the Book
Where to Buy
Purchase your copy at any of these retailers.
For volume or wholesale orders, contact Dennis Lowery.
Why This Book
“Porcelain on Steel was born out of my experience as a high school volleyball coach in 2004. Concerned with many of the role models my young athletes admired, I remembered with pride the women with whom I had served at West Point and in the Army — women who exhibited courage, strength, and character under stressful and challenging situations. I felt that if my team could learn about some of these women, perhaps they would consider pursuing comparable paths of excellence.”
— Donna M. McAleer
“They have proven to a global audience, women can do anything.” Coach Mike Krzyzewski
“These women are the type of inspiring models that our young people deserve and require.” Frances Hesselbein
“These admirable traits come to life in the riveting pages of Porcelain on Steel.” General Barry R. McCaffrey
The Name
Porcelain is a strong, vitreous, translucent ceramic material often used in fine china. Steel is a hard, durable alloy widely used as a structural material. As an adjective, steel suggests hard, unflinching character. Together, the two materials honor both the beauty and the underlying strength of West Point’s women.
The title draws on the work of sculptor Tara Krause, West Point Class of 1982, whose “Women Soar: Porcelain on Steel” memorializes the Academy’s fallen warrior sisters — delicately extruded porcelain, strong enough to survive the kiln.
Praise for Porcelain on Steel
“Real life, real women, real leaders.”
Women’s Independent Press
“Local author salutes women warriors.”
Park Record
Go deeper: The Women · Women at West Point: A History · Behind the Title · Read the Excerpt