An Eagle Unchained [Paperback]

James R. Olson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 2008

America's government is out of control. Millions are unemployed as the middle class is fast slippng into poverty, leaving only two social groups; those dependent on government handouts and those bled dry to pay for social programs. Businessman Thyeodore Winston Hale is the only man with the courage to stand against the establishment. The powerful elite fight Hale with evey dirty weapon in their arsemal. When those tactics fail to slow Hale's momentum, the opposition turns to the ultimate weapon - assassination.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Erian Press (March 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0980071607
• ISBN-13: 978-0980071603
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,612,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Novel With a Message, April 5, 2008

By 

S. Peek (Rocky Mountains, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Eagle Unchained (Paperback)

This is a very entertaining novel with a much needed message.

The story features Theodore Winston Hale. He is fed up with the bloated government, wasteful spending and reduced freedoms perpetuated by career politicians. He wants to do something about it and has the resources to do so.

Hale is one of the wealthiest people in the country and counts some newspapers and a TV network among his holdings. This makes him uniquely capable of taking on the entrenched bureaucrats and politicians in the Democrat and Republican parties.

There are many twists and turns and the story will surely keep one interested for the entire ride.

Some of the ideas that he puts forth, while not original, have great potential to improve our current situation. To avoid giving away too much of the story, I will not go into detail. Suffice it to say, he has plans that will greatly enhance freedom for Americans, eliminate the national debt, and greatly improve life. One can only wish that there was a real leader like the fictional Hale.

There are a few problems with the book. They don't detract greatly from the book, but it would be good if they were corrected for future printings. There are a few typos and two misused terms. A good editor would tighten this up and make it even better.

One other problem is the discussion of a Constitutional Convention. I think that the author should brush up a bit on Article V. It seems like he is a bit confused about the convention method of amending the Constitution. The Congress does not call a convention. The state legislatures can do that. All that Congress needs to do to propose an amendment is to pass it with a 2/3 vote in both houses. The convention method is in place to bypass Congress when it is unresponsive as it usually seems to be.

The other issue is more of a philosophical one. Although Hale seems to have quite a libertarian approach to problem solving, he is utterly inconsistent in two areas. First, although he wants to eliminate several federal agencies, the IRS is not one of them. He seems to think that the income tax is the only way to generate the revenue that the government needs to perform its necessary functions. That ignores both U.S. history and current ideas. There was no income tax before 1913. There are other ways of obtaining money. A current proposal that Hale should consider is the fair tax idea (see The FairTax Book: Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS). The other one is that Hale does not seem to see a problem with farm subsidies. That is totally at odds with the rest of his philosophy.

In spite of the issues mentioned above, this is a great story and is well written. I recommend it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, July 25, 2011

By 

TheMan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: An Eagle Unchained (Paperback)

I read this book and enjoyed it very much. Good read and interesting. Would recomend it for everyone to read. No matter what your political party, this is a must read.

4.0 out of 5 stars IF ELECTIONS COULD CHANGE ANYTHING THEY WOULD BE ILLEGAL, April 12, 2008

By 

NeuroSplicer (Freeside, in geosynchronous orbit) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: An Eagle Unchained (Paperback)

Apparently there are still romantics that believe that one could (to put it in Leonard Cohen's words) "change the system from within". James Olson is one of them. And no one can hold it against him I guess.

Welcome to the world of Theodore Winston Hale, billionaire, TV network and newspaper mogul and patriot. He decides to create a third party from scratch (the American Party) and keep it out of special interests pressures (there should have gone the elections) and Washington lobbyists (there should go both Houses). Yet, Hale survives all that (and...more) and gets to make his mark.

Three stars for word-craftsmanship and the will to keep hoping for this democratically painted Media-Oligarchy to work. Case in point: Hilary Clinton did not get green-lighted to run for President until she abandoned her universal health plan and bended to the private HMO's pressure. Thus, one star withheld for political naiveté.

I used to like Jack Ryan but then I realized that he would have send the troops in harm's way to make profits for his Oil Industry cronies. The anti-Clancy writer of American politics has emerged.