Once An Eagle was the second of four story subseries of the NBC anthology series Best Sellers; it was preceded by Captains and the Kings, and followed by Seventh Avenue and The Rhineman Exchange.

The novel is noted for its stark descriptions of men in combat and in its analysis of human and technical challenges and the moral dilemmas of command.

It is one of only two novels on the US Army's recommended reading list for Officer Professional Development; the other is The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara.

A coincidental element to both novels is that Sam Elliott had a starring role in the film adaptation of each one, playing a US Army general officer.

Timeless Media Group released the complete television series on a two-disc DVD set on August 31, 2010.