Eagles

The Eagles Saga #1

by Lewis Orde

Here is the powerful saga of Roland Eagles, a man whose name struck awe in some, envy in others - and hatred in the rest. Made homeless by a German bomber, scarred by the horrors of WWII, Eagles survived by instinct alone. And as the penniless orphan became an international tycoon, Eagles approached life with ruthlessness and vengeance - never thinking his empire was built on sand.

From the innocent passions of his first true love to the tight embrace of money and power, from the war-torn misery of firebombed Europe to the lavish opulence of Manhattan society, this is the story of a street-wise boy, a reckless gambler, a renowned financier, whose remarkable life was ruled by anguish and ambition, tragedy and triumph.

Genres: Historical Fiction

461 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1984

About the author

Lewis Orde was born in Reading, England, in 1943, grew up in London and came to the United States in 1964. After serving three years in the U. S. Army, he returned to England to work on newspapers and magazines before settling permanently in the United States in 1977. He is the author of twelve novels including The Lion's Way, Eagles, By Blood Divided, and Dreams of Gold.

Reviews

[Fiona Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy of this novel lost its dust jacket ages ago. The back cover is warped due to moisture damage. I don't know the author, and there's no clue what the story is about. So....I took a chance on this rank outsider, and IT CAME FIRST. One of the best novels I've read in ages. The characters were real, the story was fast-paced and gripping, and my emotions were touched on many levels. 10/10. Ok, Goodreads, 5/5.

[BLRBrazil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoiler alerts:
Really a 3.5, because although a book about a Brit in a British setting written in American English jarred (I didn't expect it to, as I feel localization is usually unnecessary, but it seemed so out of place on occasion) and a lot of the plot appeared contrived (though probably no more so than your average Hollywood movie), I nevertheless enjoyed following the story, especially when Catarina was a part of it.
The story is about following your instincts, but also learning the important lessons in life, especially when it comes to love and friendship. It begins with Roland Eagles' childhood in a Kent seaside town in the 1930s and its abrupt termination by events beyond his control (although we get an inkling that his instincts will help to protect him). The war is glossed over very quickly, apart from a defining event with a long-lasting influence. Then he starts out in business and grows, professionally, while also evolving personally.
There was a period where I didn't like the person he was becoming, even taking into account the tragedy he suffered, but neither did some of the other characters and he was steered back onto the right path by paying attention to the signals flashing all around him.
By the end of it all, when asked if he'd like to try all over again there were plenty of things he would've done differently, but he had the wisdom to recognise that changing those things would've led him along different paths and he'd have missed out on so many good things too! On balance, he was satisfied to take the bad with the good - see why by reading the book, which I feel confident to recommend as light reading before bed, as I did myself.

[Bonnye Reed]

MyNextRead

[Kim Levi · Rating 1 out of 5]

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