- Once An Eagle
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Once an Eagle 
1st HarperTorch Paperback EditionAuthor(s) Anton Myrer Country United States Language English Genre(s) War novel Publisher HarperTorch Publication date 1968 Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback) Pages 1312 ISBN 0-06-103086-4 Once an Eagle (1968) is a war novel by American author Anton Myrer. A #1 New York Times Bestseller, Once an Eagle has been a favorite of American military men and women since its writing.[1] The novel tells the story of Sam Damon, career Army officer, from his initial enlistment to his rise to general officer rank. Along the way, he encounters Courtney Massengale time and again, an opportunistic, smooth talking Army officer devoid of the honor and integrity that guide Sam Damon during his career. A television mini-series based on the book was aired on NBC in 1976, with actor Sam Elliot portraying Sam Damon. The book appears on the Commandant's required reading list for all First Lieutenants in the United States Marine Corps, and frequently serves as a text for Cadets in leadership classes at West Point.[2][3]
Contents
Plot Summary
Book 1: Orchard
Covers the young Sam Damon's years in Nebraska, including his decision to enlist in the Army after being put on a wait list for West Point. Damon joins the Army, and soon enough is south of the border during the Mexican expedition, though he sees no combat.
Book 2: Wheat
Covers Damon's service in World War I, including his battlefield commission and actions that led to his being awarded the Medal of Honor. Sam rises to the rank of Major before the war ends, and falls in love with General Caldwell's daughter. They start their Army career together at Fort Hardee, a desolate fort that leaves Sam less than thrilled and that Tommy despises.
Book 3: Chaparral
This section covers the time between the wars, including Sam's interactions with Massengale, Ben Krisler, and the birth of Donny Damon.
Book 4: Liana
This section covers World War II and Sam's promotion to division commander, including the disastrous Operation Palladium run by Corps commander, General Massengale.
Book 5: Delta
The final book finds Sam Damon once again in Southeast Asia, this time as an adviser to a potential conflict in Khotiane, a fictionalized name for Vietnam. He is battling General Massengale's desire to increase American participation, which Damon views as calamitous.
Characters
- Sam Damon (Protagonist. Honorable, forthright officer dedicated to the Army and his soldiers)
- Courtney Massengale (Antagonist. Conniver and malefactor, using family political connections to move up the ranks)
- Tommy Caldwell Damon (Sam Damon's Wife, Daughter of General George Caldwell)
- General George Caldwell (Sam Damon's Commanding Officer during World War I, Father of Tommy Caldwell Damon)
- Jack Devlin (Sam's best friend during World War I)
- Ben Krisler (Sam's best friend during the interwar years and World War II)
- Donny Damon (Sam and Tommy's son)
- Emily Massengale (Courtney's wife)
Literary significance and criticism
General H. Norman Schwarzkopf described Once an Eagle as "[a] classic novel of war and warriors. Sam Damon doesn't preach, he lives his values and they are universal, not only military."
The book has also been on the Army Chief of Staff's recommended reading list for professional development, and is currently on the Marine Corps Commandant's recommended reading list as well.
Adaptations
In 1976 NBC created a nine hour American television mini-series, likewise titled Once an Eagle, based on the book and directed by Richard Michaels and E.W. Swackhamer. The picture was written by Peter S. Fischer and starred Sam Elliot as Damon, with Cliff Potts portraying Courtney Massengale. The first and last installments of the seven-part series broadcasted two hours each, while the interim episodes each broadcasted for 60 minutes.[4] The mini-series concerns the thirty year careers of two military men, from the outbreak of World War I to the aftermath of World War II.
Other Works by Anton Myrer
- Evil Under the Sun - The story of a group of artists, literary figures and locals during a summer on post-war Cape Cod. Prejudices, lingering war trauma, and frustration about the state of post-war America results in violence. Not to be confused with the Agatha Christie novel of the same name.
- The Big War
- The Violent Shore
- The Intruder
- The Tiger Waits-The story of one man's rise to academic and then political prominence in an administration, his love-hate relationship with Boston society, and how he discovers and handles a plot that threatens war.
- The Last Convertible - The story of five Harvard men and their coming-of-age during World War II through the early 1960s New Frontier/Camelot/John F. Kennedy era. The elegant "last convertible" of the title is seen by them as the symbol of their romantic youth.
- A Green Desire
References
- ^ "Becker, Elizabeth, "Military Goes by the Book, but It's a Novel", New York Times, August 16, 1999.". The New York Times. August 16, 1999. http://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/16/us/military-goes-by-the-book-but-it-s-a-novel.html?pagewanted=1.
- ^ http://www.militarytimes.com/static/projects/pages/0605marine_reading_list.pdf
- ^ http://www.socpac.socom.mil/Lists/Recommended%20Reading%20List/DispForm.aspx?ID=106
- ^ Once an Eagle at the Internet Movie Database.
Categories:- 1968 novels
- World War I novels
- World War II novels
- American historical novels
- American novels adapted into films
- Novels by Anton Myrer
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