Climbing the Right Ladder, originally published in 1998, traces the Cornett family to the Revolutionary War days in a special way - it places a fresh perspective on the importance of faith and the family and what it means to the nation. The book follows one line of patriots as they participate in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, and WW II. These were a line of American patriots who chose to sacrifice personal pleasures for their family, their country, and for their God.

William Cornett (1761-1837) was an ordinary young man living in a time when the ordinary became the history for the nation destined to become the mightiest ever on the face of the earth. William's son, Archibald (1789-1873), continued the fight in the Battle of New Orleans, and those to follow strengthened the dedication to God, to country, and, especially, to their families. The nation grew and prospered as the families that followed remained dedicated to these principles.

This 232-page book by award-winning author, John Eldon Cornett, includes 100 pages of narrative, 65 photos, maps, and illustrations, plus numerous family charts. The last 115 pages of the book is a detailed genealogy of hundreds of William Cornett's descendants.
Originally published in 1998, the first edition sold in over 30 states and is now out of print. This updated version (the first ever hard-back) includes all the original text and photos, with a few enhancements, plus three group photos of this line’s family reunions in the 21st century. To offset the cost of on-demand printing a PDF version has been prepared to meet the demand, also making word searches easy.