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Eagles #1
Eyes of Eagles
From one of today's most popular Western writers comes a panoramic story of the fearless adventurers who explored and branded the wild American frontier. Eyes of Eagles is the first in a magnificent four-book saga that follows the travels of pioneer Jamie MacCallister as he makes his way west from Ohio across wild, uncharted lands to Texas and the Alamo.
668 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
168 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
William W. Johnstone
1,041 books1,392 followersWilliam W. Johnstone is the #1 bestselling Western writer in America and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of hundreds of books, with over 50 million copies sold. Born in southern Missouri, he was raised with strong moral and family values by his minister father, and tutored by his schoolteacher mother. He left school at fifteen to work in a carnival and then as a deputy sheriff before serving in the army. He went on to become known as "the Greatest Western writer of the 21st Century." Visit him online at WilliamJohnstone.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
August 25, 2024
This was my first William Johnstone novel. It did not live up to the author's reputation. No suspense with a seemingly indestructible main character who is always better than good.
I suppose that the boring Alamo episode was written as filler. Surely there aren't that many readers of westerns who missed the movies and haven't read the legends. Nothing new here. How does an author make the Alamo boring?
I suppose that the boring Alamo episode was written as filler. Surely there aren't that many readers of westerns who missed the movies and haven't read the legends. Nothing new here. How does an author make the Alamo boring?
February 3, 2024
An epic tale of the West following the journey of a young boy into the American frontier culminating with the battle of the Alamo. A grand story full of wild action and bloody battles but grounded in human emotion and the ideals of trust and honor.
March 26, 2025
Wow, this book has so much in it. Jamie is really the idea frontiersman and personally i think is better the Davy Crockett lol. Reading this made me want to do some more research on the Alamo even though i know alot about what happened there already. From heroes to devils this book has it all.
June 3, 2021
Excellent beginning of an 18 book series about the MacCallister clan. Starting with Jaime Ian MacCallister being taken captive by Shawnee Indians in the early 1800s and moving right up to Jaime's participation and escape from the Alamo. Plenty of action.
Reminded me very much of a combination of history and fiction made so popular by Louis L'Amour.
Reminded me very much of a combination of history and fiction made so popular by Louis L'Amour.
September 5, 2024
Texas Independence and Remember the Alamo
Mr Johnstone is one of my most favorite western authors. He also wrote various other genres, as well - science fiction, horror, and military. His main genre was the western, though. I had discovered him in junior high. Since then I never met one of his westerns that I didn’t like. My heart nearly broke when the world lost this very prolific author.
Earlier this year, after nearly three weeks of almost steady rain, I was devastated to discover an office storage box in my attic with all 18 paperback copies of this series water damaged from a leak in my roof. Desperate to salvage 15 of the 18 that suffered the most water damage, I spent hours using my hair dryer to blow dry each page of each water logged book praying the glue would continue to hold the pages to the spines. So 31 years after purchasing the first book of the series, I decided to reread it. It is the amazing masterpiece that I recall it to be.
This is an exciting historical fiction saga of a 7 year old Kentucky orphaned boy who is raised by American Indians. At age 12, he manages to leave the Shawnee camp and travels into the Arkansas Territory. After some trouble with his girl friend’s vile father, he and she flee across the Mississippi River, marry and make their home in the unsettled East Texas area. By then he has become a living legend, both locally and across the land.
Between the worrying unrest of slavery in the States and her territories, and the weary struggle of Texas attempting to wrest independence from Mexico, they begin their new life and start a family together.
Amongst their lives are historic figures - Stephen Austin, Sam Houston, James Fannin, and some of the brave men who fought at the Alamo - William Travis, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett. It’s an extraordinary novel of a remarkable young couple who hold to their core values, have an unwavering love of God, country and family with accompanying loyalty, integrity and honor of their relatives, neighbors and friends, and interweaving those lives with love and friendship that only grows deeper, stronger and closer.
Mr Johnstone is one of my most favorite western authors. He also wrote various other genres, as well - science fiction, horror, and military. His main genre was the western, though. I had discovered him in junior high. Since then I never met one of his westerns that I didn’t like. My heart nearly broke when the world lost this very prolific author.
Earlier this year, after nearly three weeks of almost steady rain, I was devastated to discover an office storage box in my attic with all 18 paperback copies of this series water damaged from a leak in my roof. Desperate to salvage 15 of the 18 that suffered the most water damage, I spent hours using my hair dryer to blow dry each page of each water logged book praying the glue would continue to hold the pages to the spines. So 31 years after purchasing the first book of the series, I decided to reread it. It is the amazing masterpiece that I recall it to be.
This is an exciting historical fiction saga of a 7 year old Kentucky orphaned boy who is raised by American Indians. At age 12, he manages to leave the Shawnee camp and travels into the Arkansas Territory. After some trouble with his girl friend’s vile father, he and she flee across the Mississippi River, marry and make their home in the unsettled East Texas area. By then he has become a living legend, both locally and across the land.
Between the worrying unrest of slavery in the States and her territories, and the weary struggle of Texas attempting to wrest independence from Mexico, they begin their new life and start a family together.
Amongst their lives are historic figures - Stephen Austin, Sam Houston, James Fannin, and some of the brave men who fought at the Alamo - William Travis, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett. It’s an extraordinary novel of a remarkable young couple who hold to their core values, have an unwavering love of God, country and family with accompanying loyalty, integrity and honor of their relatives, neighbors and friends, and interweaving those lives with love and friendship that only grows deeper, stronger and closer.
August 19, 2025
A bit of a nostalgia trip for me, this. It's a re-read of a novel that I really liked in High School.
Eyes of Eagles actually opens quite shockingly, and then proceeds to rack up one hell of a kill count. It also features an Alamo sequence where the protagonist rubs shoulders with the likes of Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie.
When I read this, way back, I did not know that it is actually the first in a series. Keen to see what happened next.
The protagonist disposes of numerous (read loads of) cardboard villains with ease, so there is never any real doubt as to his survival (in this novel, at any rate) and the focus is obviously on action. Nevertheless, hard to mark this down, it is just pure unadulterated entertainment.
Eyes of Eagles actually opens quite shockingly, and then proceeds to rack up one hell of a kill count. It also features an Alamo sequence where the protagonist rubs shoulders with the likes of Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie.
When I read this, way back, I did not know that it is actually the first in a series. Keen to see what happened next.
The protagonist disposes of numerous (read loads of) cardboard villains with ease, so there is never any real doubt as to his survival (in this novel, at any rate) and the focus is obviously on action. Nevertheless, hard to mark this down, it is just pure unadulterated entertainment.
July 8, 2024
This book was written in fifth grade grammar for, seemingly older elementary readers. But the subject matter was way beyond that age groups with the graphic slaughter of the main characters family. Ultimately, not for me.
October 3, 2012
Prolific Mr. Johnstone may have been . . . but a huge writing talent, he was not. I found his work very amateurish. The main character was probably the biggest Marty Sue I've ever seen in published fiction. Had it not been for my interest in Texas history, I would not have made it this far. As it is, I've made it to the last twenty-five percent of the book, so I guess I'll slog on to the finish line.
December 31, 2020
This was an entertaining novel.
That said in some ways it is reminiscent of the Smoke Jensen or Preacher series. The main character is not an exact clone of smoke, but some of his actions and are extremely similar to the way that both Smoke and Preacher fight.
Yes in many ways these are recipe novels, It does not make them bad, They are entertainment and escapism.
What made this novel good with all the second tier and third-tier characters. Many of them are fleshed out quite a bit.
Not a bad start to a long-running series.
That said in some ways it is reminiscent of the Smoke Jensen or Preacher series. The main character is not an exact clone of smoke, but some of his actions and are extremely similar to the way that both Smoke and Preacher fight.
Yes in many ways these are recipe novels, It does not make them bad, They are entertainment and escapism.
What made this novel good with all the second tier and third-tier characters. Many of them are fleshed out quite a bit.
Not a bad start to a long-running series.
November 10, 2015
The Eagles series of books is one, soon to be of the few, series that started while William Johnstone was alive. Would like to hope this has more of Johnstone in it than ghost writers, but we all may never know.
This is a sprawling book that could have been three or more books. An enormous amount is covered here. Yes, unlike so much written today, this is a cohesive story that is pretty tight. One of the reasons i like the Johnstone Clan herd of books is the editing process works where it seems to be practically missing in the bulk of books written today.
The writing is not as good as in other books written during Johnstone's lifetime, but still much better than so many contemporary novels I've read. Considering how many characters, fiction & non-fiction, are presented throughout the novel, the definition is very impressive. Characters are the greatest strength of the Johnstone Clan books.
The last third of the book covers the Alamo story that is extremely well done. If that were set as a book of it's own, I would give this five stars.
Bottom line: I recommend this book. 8 out of ten points.
This is a sprawling book that could have been three or more books. An enormous amount is covered here. Yes, unlike so much written today, this is a cohesive story that is pretty tight. One of the reasons i like the Johnstone Clan herd of books is the editing process works where it seems to be practically missing in the bulk of books written today.
The writing is not as good as in other books written during Johnstone's lifetime, but still much better than so many contemporary novels I've read. Considering how many characters, fiction & non-fiction, are presented throughout the novel, the definition is very impressive. Characters are the greatest strength of the Johnstone Clan books.
The last third of the book covers the Alamo story that is extremely well done. If that were set as a book of it's own, I would give this five stars.
Bottom line: I recommend this book. 8 out of ten points.
June 26, 2013
I've read this before but went to a book store and found others in the series so starting with one and going to try and read them all
I love his style especially that he is true to history but at the same time he makes a fictional character in true history.
I love his style especially that he is true to history but at the same time he makes a fictional character in true history.
November 3, 2013
Best book I have ever read ! William W. Johnstone is an amazing author and I can't wait to read the rest of the series !! Also just started the last gunfighter series and it too is fantastic ! BEST READ!!
December 24, 2009
Apparently I read this while deployed int the Persian Gulf. It's on my list of book I've read, but I have no recollection if it. Guess it couldnt have been to bad (or to good).
October 21, 2017
Johnstone at his best
A very easy and interesting read. Lots of good info relating to the last days in defense of the Alamo. Seems to more truth than fiction.
A very easy and interesting read. Lots of good info relating to the last days in defense of the Alamo. Seems to more truth than fiction.
May 8, 2023
While exciting, this novel fails to meet most of what I look for in historical novels. The characters are mostly one-dimensional, with the possible exception of some of the Shawnee. The characters never develop or look inward. The book feels like a vehicle to deliver a you-are-there history of the Alamo, in the style of O Jersualem. But the author continued snide comments from the perspective of the future ("bad decision, General!", and constant overblown praise of the defenders' bravery and their cause, combine to make the reader question the reliability of the account. A couple of questions that never seem to come up: Why is Jamie MacCallister suddenly so gung-ho about Texas freedom, when all he previously wanted is to be left alone to support his family in peace? Would it have been so bad for the defenders of the Alamo to surrender and stay alive? What "freedom" were the Texans fighting for exactly? Could part of that freedom have been the right to practice slavery, rather than to be released from it? And perhaps I missed it, but where does the book's title come from? The author seems to want to balance his over-the-top Texan patriotism with the fact that Jamie creates a small multicultural community--white, black, Mexican--in an isolated pocket of the frontier. But I kept wondering if that kind of community could really have existed. That is a question worth examining, but you won't find that examination in this book. All in all, an exciting depiction of frontier battles, but as a novel, this book fails.
June 8, 2020
Preacher and new hero in the horizon Jamie Ian MacCallister is altogether a dynamite duo, albeit for a short while. Jamie's upbringing as a hardened, although adopted, Shawnee warrior and escape from the tribe was just a legend in the making. The scenes of fighting those eye to eye who made the mistake of trailing him were bone creeping. Finally, the tragic yet valiant final days and moments of the bravery of the brave men of Alamo were too much to ask for. Just finished Eyes of Eagles. I feel like I saw the entire day to day siege of the Alamo and was enraged on the editor of the newspaper who did not print the final message of Jim Bowie. Oh! What a book. Loved it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2021
While it was interesting to read the history of Jamie Ian, much of it I'd picked up through the other novels. This also had a lot of war material in it, which I'm not a super fan of. While The Eagles series I enjoyed back in the day when I was getting into Westerns, I now find it a bit drab, at least the few that I've read recently. Just not for me, I'm still a big fan of the Blood Bond and keep searching for a series similar to that one.
September 1, 2024
One of the...
Best western I have ever read if not one of the best books I have read. The telling of the battle at the Alamo made me think I was actually there. You could feel the story as well as read it.
This is not the first book I have read by this author by any means.
Just the first one that left feeling better informed about the fight for freedom from Mexico. I have been to the Alamo before but now I have to go back again.
Best western I have ever read if not one of the best books I have read. The telling of the battle at the Alamo made me think I was actually there. You could feel the story as well as read it.
This is not the first book I have read by this author by any means.
Just the first one that left feeling better informed about the fight for freedom from Mexico. I have been to the Alamo before but now I have to go back again.
January 25, 2017
William Johnstone has not been one of my favorite western authors but is so prolific that I have a number of his books in my library. This is the first of his books that I felt was entertaining. It is the story of a young man and his family in a coming of age tale as they gradually move west in the early nineteenth century.
January 4, 2021
A most remarkable novel in any ranking 📚
This is by no means my first reading of a book about the Alamo but I have never been more deeply touched by any other book about the subject. Yet, there’s so much more to this story that happens before and after that brings even more to the reading of the book. If you are a western novel aficionado you will not want to miss this one.
This is by no means my first reading of a book about the Alamo but I have never been more deeply touched by any other book about the subject. Yet, there’s so much more to this story that happens before and after that brings even more to the reading of the book. If you are a western novel aficionado you will not want to miss this one.
August 27, 2023
This was 3 stories in 1. I love this character, i love that Preacher is all over the Johnstone-verse, and I love the historical accuracy of the Battle of the Alamo. Many creative liberties could have been taken, but i looked up most of the names involved and other details and this was honestly some of the best historical fiction i have found in a while. Well done!
February 9, 2024
Excellent book
I very much enjoyed the somewhat fictionalized account of the battle of the Alamo. The larger than life characters that Mr Johnstone creates in his books like Jamie, Preacher, Smoke, etc. l you into the story and make not want to put the book down until it's finished.
I very much enjoyed the somewhat fictionalized account of the battle of the Alamo. The larger than life characters that Mr Johnstone creates in his books like Jamie, Preacher, Smoke, etc. l you into the story and make not want to put the book down until it's finished.
March 31, 2024
William Johnstone has written an amazing 877 books. This book was published in 1993 , the Audible version was created in 2023. This is a fictional story centered on a historical event - the Battle of the Alamo. It's a fun read with plenty of information on historical characters. Bowie, Austin, Crockett, Travis.
April 16, 2025
i still love this book and now that i have read more of the Smoke Jensen books i recognize Martine and Carbone's names. I love all these linked characters in the Johnstone books. Preacher, MacCallister family, Matt and Smoke, and many others. I had to re-read this because of the 2 year gap in reading the sequel. So Here goes nothin and I'm onto the next one
September 16, 2019
Straight from the shoulder good read!
Off with a bang and the run never loses speed. A bit more depth would be nice but the series is already on my must read list. I hope you enjoy it too!
Off with a bang and the run never loses speed. A bit more depth would be nice but the series is already on my must read list. I hope you enjoy it too!
June 12, 2020
Again I am just updating my Goodreads app. I read this book a few years ago before I had the app. Love this series. Jemi McAllister ends up being one of the mountain men like preacher. A lot of good books spun off this one afterwards.
February 18, 2021
Yes. Yes, yes! I was looking for a good western and here I found one. It hits all the great tropes and leaves you wanting more. This will be my #1 recommendation for anyone looking to start their first western.
August 21, 2021
TNFRENCHIE Review
I read this book years ago and it is still as exciting as my first time to read it. Looking forward to the other Eagle books in this series. If you are a first time reader, enjoy your reading .
I read this book years ago and it is still as exciting as my first time to read it. Looking forward to the other Eagle books in this series. If you are a first time reader, enjoy your reading .
October 14, 2023
This is a reissue that I have never read. It could be considered historical fiction as Jamie was never at the Alamo. Being a Texan, made it more enjoyable because it did talk about the brave men that were their and what the Alamo meant to Texas independence
November 19, 2023
Good guy, who had been captured and raised by Shawnees goes on to kill, shoot, scalp, punch and disembowel the bad guys who wouldn't just leave him and his family alone. Combine that with an Alamo backstory, the wild Texas countryside and you have a good story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews