Once an Eagle: A Novel

Anton Myrer

Mar 2013 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

The phenomenal #1 New York Times bestseller that captured the imagination of a generation

"A remarkable novel. . . utterly engrossing. . . . It is an astute study of the mind and character of a good general and a good man. And it is a brilliant inside view of the life of a career officer in peace and war."  — New York Times

“Simply the best work of fiction on leadership in print.” —General Martin E. Dempsey, 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Required reading for West Point and Marine Corps cadets, 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 in the French countryside during the Great War, the conflict between these adversaries solidifies in the isolated garrison life marking peacetime, intensifies in the deadly Pacific jungles of World War II, and reaches its treacherous conclusion in the last major battleground of the Cold War—Vietnam.

Now with a new foreword by acclaimed historian Carlo D'Este, here is an unforgettable story of a man who embodies the best in our nation—and in us all.

Ratings and reviews

there will always be the self serving commanders in the military, and any of us that served have met at least 1. I was gratified to learn of this book becoming required reading at the war college. Just maybe it will wake up the troubled minds of those that feel the soldier is just a pawn on a board game worthy only of sacrifice.

I own a physical copy, it's an amazing book. A great leadership lesson and outlook on the brutality of war at times.

An excellent read. Definitely recommend!

About the author

While attending Harvard University, Anton Myrer (1922-1996) enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps immediately after the Pearl Harbor attacks. He served for three years during World War II until he was wounded in the Pacific. He is also the author of the novels The Big War, The Last Convertible, and A Green Desire.