Once An Eagle

Once An Eagle

4.32 of 5 stars 4.32  ·  rating details  ·  1,091 ratings  ·  108 reviews
Once An Eagle is the story of one special man, a soldier named Sam Damon, and his adversary over a lifetime, fellow officer Courtney Massengale. Damon is a professional who puts duty, honor, and the men he commands above self interest. Massengale, however, brilliantly advances by making the right connections behind the lines and in Washington's corridors of power.

Beginning...more
Paperback, 1312 pages
Published May 7th 2002 by Harper Perennial (first published 1968)
more details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
The Book Thief by Markus ZusakCatch-22 by Joseph HellerSlaughterhouse-Five by Kurt VonnegutThe Winds of War by Herman WoukAtonement by Ian McEwan
World War II Fiction
62nd out of 486 books — 614 voters
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne FrankThe Book Thief by Markus ZusakNight by Elie WieselNumber the Stars by Lois LowrySarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
World War II/Holocaust Fiction & Non-fiction
78th out of 313 books — 296 voters


More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,852)
filter  |  sort: default (?)  |  rating details
Chris
Myrer's mammoth novel is an engaging, disciplined, and, ultimately, powerful examination of American military life—its hardships and demands, its rewards and sacrifices, its meaning and tragedies, its uses and abuses—as filtered through the evolving life story of Sam Damon: raw and naïve recruit in the First World War, seasoned veteran in the Second, despairing old schooler in the looming presence of the Vietnam folly. Damon meets his diametric archetype in Courtney Massengale, his coeval and li...more
Marcia Brisson  Van Camp
My old boss Jim Rutherford said this was one of his favorite books and since he had great taste in literature I was curious. My dad had an original copy and said he loved the book as well and that it had been required reading as part of his military work...War College perhaps? Well...the copy my dad had was big and heavy...about 800 pages and for any DC metro goer...you know that it is real real hard to carry a book like that. I tried to find it on kindle but no luck and then I tried to convince...more
Matt
This is a novel as big as a life.

Usually, when I go to airports, I am well prepared. I have my main book; my backup book; my backup to the backup; and my ultimate backup, if I meet with a series of delays or the other backups are terrible or I somehow find time to read all the others. On my way back from Florida, though, I suddenly found myself in Tampa's airport with nothing to read, so I purchased this 1,200 page doorstop with the knowledge that it'd last.

Once An Eagle traces the arc of a so...more
S.A. Bolich
This is perhaps my all-time favorite book. Like many a young second lieutenant, I often stopped for a "what would Sam do?" moment when faced with tough situations. This is the quintessential novel about leadership and honor and the American soldier. "Sad Sam" Damon, who shuns the advice of everyone as a young man to pursue a military career, doggedly sticks out the drudgery of being an enlisted man pre-World War I, believing fully in destiny and that he will find his in the army. And does he eve...more
Ben Lowsen
Myrer in some ways wrote the ur-military "adventure" book, as its ubiquity on military reading lists suggests. It is the story of a youthful US volunteer - Sam Damon - who earns the Medal of Honor and an officership in WWI, stays on with the US Army in the interwar period, fights skilfully and bravely in WWII, and ascends to high command. Myrer emphasizes traditional military virtues in describing Damon's wars, but devotes at least as much space to describing life in a peacetime military. Myrer...more
G
Feb 15, 2010 G rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone
Recommended to G by: BG Jefforey Smith
My favorite novel. It is thick but every bit as timeless and brilliant as a couple of other sweeping epics, the Illiad and the Odyssey.

A quick look and it is obvious it is about war and soldiering, however, it is so well crafted that it would leave any reader uplifted and touched. Yes, war is ugly, yet the virtues that the hero, Sam Damon, possesses are what we should hope that all of our soldiers ascribe to model their own values upon. Although the story is a work of fiction, throughout the boo...more
Rachel


I give this book 5 stars because it is extremely well written and engaging. However, I hated almost every minute of it. I read it in the first years of my husband's Army career and found it extremely depressing. The hero of the story is never fully appreciated by his military leadership, constantly being overlooked and overshadowed by a more charismatic officer, who probably could have coined the acronym 'CYA'. I see that many reviewers admired the character of Sam and wanted to be an Officer l...more
Frank
My favorite book of all time, this is the story of the American dream from the perspective of a military officer in the first half of the twentieth century. It captures the naivete,the skill, the courage, and the dogged determination of Americans as they emerged from one period of Manifest Destiny into another.

This is the main track of the book; it has many side tracks and crossings. The most important of these is the humility of the hero, a humility that is now largely lost among Americans.

The...more
Roger
I suppose this review will be at the end of a long line of reviews but I'd be remis not to discuss it. This book is one of the reasons I went into the US Army. Its one of the reasons I became an officer after 7 years as an enlisted man. It clearly laid out what the standard was and is for those who wish to lead soldiers, both in professional and personal conduct. Also for those "shit happens" moments where all you can do is drive on and hope it works. As a company commander this was mandatory re...more
Mike Kershaw
One of the five books that I thought every officer should read. This ia a classic that became popular in the late 80s and early 90s. This epic novel is follows the lives of two army officers from WWI to the Vietnam era. It was made into a mini-series in the 70’s and has been reprinted by the Army War College. Myrer has taken some of the most outstanding combat leadership of WWII (Darby, York, Truscott, Eichelberger, etc..) and crafted it into a historical novel of epic proportions, centering on...more
Justin
I never thought that I'd be reading a book like this; that is, a military story. The narrative, though, is highly compelling, and the writing, though it has a tendency to lean on the highly metaphorical for basic physical description, is balanced, forgiving, humanistic, and mostly quite beautiful--precisely because it does not pander to audience, but seems to be an authentic determined display of what the author wants... hard to say this isn't almost essential reading, but I've been on a bit of...more
Roger Huder
This is the story a single man all the way through his Army career. It begins in WWI and ends in Vietnam. Once an Eagle chronicles the dedication and scrafices demanded of those who serve their country and their families. The lonely posts, the poor pay, the rise of the politically connected all are part of Sam Damon's story. Considered a classic by military officers it was required reading at West Point and on the Commandant of the Marine Corp's reading list. Yet it is entertaining enough to hav...more
Morgan
Man, if there ever was a book that made me reconsider my life decisions and reflect on life, morals, and the important things in life it is Once An Eagle. Sam Damon is easily my favorite fictional character, and Once An Eagle has propelled its way towards the top of my all time favorite books.

This book has taken me through a roller coaster of thoughts and reflections. I admire Sam so much, as anyone should, and wish his life had been easier. Sam is a man of legend from the beginning of the book....more
Sam Reaves
Lately I've been in the mood for big epic novels that cover a lot of time and territory. This one ranges over half the twentieth century, following the army career of a "mustang", an officer who rises from the ranks, through two world wars and the usual personal vicissitudes. Myrer was an accomplished novelist (and no jingoist), and this is more than just military adventure. It's the history of the U.S. as it mutated from upstart to superpower, and a look at why men want to be soldiers and what...more
Garrett Rebstock
Hands down, my favorite books I have ever read. There was no finer example of how I've heard it put "The unoffical Field Manual on Leadership and Army Values." It was a nine hundred page epic that took me a few months to get through, but the slow pace was nice. I bookmarked many passages and quotes that I found deeply inspiring from a soldier and leader's standpoint. I damn near flooded my twitter and facebook feed with quotes from this book. It is on the officer's reading list for a reason. Dam...more
Jessica
This was such a satisfying read! To be fair, I generally enjoy war novels, which is why I picked up this 1300 page monster to begin with. The upshot of this book is simply that good soldiers aren't typically good politicians, and the best politicians oftentimes make the worst soldiers. It's a simple theme, for sure, but the two characters employed to illustrate this point both make for compelling reading. The book sprawls across WWI, WWII, and Vietnam (the author apparently decided Korea wasn't...more
Lee
If you want to know who I wanted to be when I was 18, read this. I hadn't read it then, but the hero of this book is pretty much the upright, shining knight in (khaki) that I wanted to be.


I didn't read it until much later (1993), but Sam Damon is the Army officer I dreamed of becoming: decisive, clear-sighted, morally upright, compassionate about his soldiers, and even well-read. He is clearly contrasted with Courtney Massengale, the shiny careerist staff officer that is so easy to despise (and...more
Doug
I bought this book because I discovered it was on the required reading list at the US Military Academy at Westpoint. This intrigued me because the book is a work of fiction and I couldn't fathom why a work of fiction would be a required read at Westpoint. I know many grads of Westpoint and know a former instructor and a current instructor and two of my Eagle Scouts are cadets at Westpoint so I also read it for that reason.
What I discovered was probably one of the most succinct theses on leade...more
Dena
Sep 16, 2008 Dena rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: war and history buffs
Recommended to Dena by: no one - got it with a gift card at Barnes and Noble
I am about halfway through and I am really enjoying it. I can't tell the bent of the author although I did read the review that it was a great anti-war book. But not like you'd think. There are a thousand things that make war horrible and military life unpleasant - things that seem ridiculously unfair to a civilian. But the thinking of Sam Damon is fascinating and admirable and I wonder how many soldiers today think that way......

Finally done. It was a puzzling view. I thoroughly enjoyed it and...more
JDK1962
(IMHO, few books deserve five stars. I'd give this book six stars if I could. Go out to Amazon, and look at the distribution of reviews. Virtually EVERYONE who reads this massive book rates it five stars. You should read it. Period.)

I love this book. I read it for the first time probably 10-20 years ago, and find that I can easily open it at any point and get engrossed again in Sam Damon's journey. It's just this incredibly broad and rich tapestry.

What I think I love most about this book is Sam'...more
Jan
An incredible book, history of the military from Spanish American War through Viet Nam. Told through one man Sam Damron; who serves his country and is representative of a career in the military staying true to the ideals of military as it should be. The description particularly of World War 1, makes you wonder how anyone would entertain the idea of another war. This book honors the Best of Military while being the ultimate anti-war novel right up there with Alls Quiet on the Western Front.
Matthew Klobucher
This is a true American epic that spans 50 years and four wars. The protagonist, Sam, enlists in the Army in time for the First World War and lives, loves, suffers, and leads through the Second World War, Korea, and Vietnam. This story is a coming-of-age, both for the characters and for the United States, and it ends as an enduring study of leadership and manhood. A long read, but well worth it.
Lucille Bellucci
I have re-read this one at least three times and it will stay on my shelf as long as I can read. Myrer brings the fact of war close up, he makes you care for the man who goes to the European theater of war in such a way that you come to despise his opposite. The other, fat-catly situated among politicians, profits from war and rises in status. Was this ever made into a film? If not, it should be.
Francis Gahren
America's fighting men have turned to Once an Eagle as a sourcebook for the military's core values since its publication at the height of the Vietnam War. The novel, following the careers of virtuous Sam Damon and opportunistic Courtney Massengale, is required reading for all members of the United States Marine Corps and frequently taught in leadership courses at West Point.
Kate Quinn
Anything you want to know about war and leadership, here it is. Sam Damon is an idealistic boy who joins the army in 1916, wins the Medal of Honor and an officer's commission in France during World War I, stays in the army through World War II as a general, and ends finally as an observer and an old man in Vietnam. Sam is a terrific character: brave, strong, and true without being a cardboard white-hat hero. Contrasted against him is his lifelong enemy Massengale, a smooth operator who loathes S...more
Joe
An amazingly ambitious novel spanning the life of Sam Damon from PFC to Three Star General. At points through the book, I felt like the author included story lines that detracted rather than added to the main story. But, the primary story line is fabulous and incredibly researched with very interesting characters. The anti-war theme that develops through the book is powerful and as relevant today as when it was written.
Eric
I originally read this book in the late 70's and again in the early 2000's. I found it to be an excellent read. There is also a mini-series from the late 70's that was one of the best miniseries I have seen. Finally the mini-series will be released 8/31/10 on DVD. I stongly recommend both the book and the mini-series.
Natalie
Sep 21, 2007 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Military Wives and Soldiers
Shelves: military
This is on many infantry company commanders' must-read lists for their platoon leaders and XO's. Officer's wives will love it too. It's easy to feel as if you know the characters. Most Army wives have been through long deployments and can relate to the joys and heartwrenching times during their husband's career. And, all Army wives had felt their husband's pain of having to work with a soldier who is out for himself, knows how to kiss butt perfectly,is a fraud, etc. Basically, a true Masengale....more
J. Keith
One of the best examples of character development over a lifetime. This one ties the major conflicts of the 20th century together spanning the lifetimes of two men as they advance through the ranks of the US Army. This is one of my all time favorites. If you like military fiction, this one is not to be missed.
Charles
Not sure about the category for this one either. Maybe Historical fiction since it's about the World War. To tell you the truth, I read it long ago and don't remember a lot about it. It's very long and that's generally not a good thing in my mind. But I've hung on to it and as I remember I enjoyed it fairly well.
« previous 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 61 62 next »
topics  posts  views  last activity   
Once An Eagle 3 45 Mar 22, 2013 04:02pm  
Once An Eagle (Hardcover)
Once An Eagle (Paperback)
Once an Eagle (Audio CD)
Once An Eagle (Paperback)
Once An Eagle (Hardcover)

21903
Anton Myrer, who died of leukemia in 1996, was a best-selling author whose themes were America's loss of innocence and the use and abuse of power. He is particularly remembered for The Last Convertible (1978), a summation of the American experience during and after World War II, and for Once an Eagle (1968), which traces the life of a regular Army officer and his family from before World War I to...more
More about Anton Myrer...
The Last Convertible A Green Desire The Big War Once an Eagle (Part 2 of a 2-Part Cassette Edition) (Library) The Intruder

Share This Book

Your website

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

“That's the whole challenge of life - to act with honor and hope and generosity, no whatter what you've drawn. You can't help when or what you were born, you may not be able to help how you die; but you can - and you should - try to pass the days between as a good man.” 1 person liked it
More quotes…