“[T]akes the reader on a tremendous voyage through history and the high seas . . . a delightful journey through the [USCG Cutter Eagle’s] long history, telling the stories of the commanders and officers who loved her . . . This is a captivating chronicle of the importance of wind and sail in the atomic age and America’s soft power on the seas.”

– James Pekoll, Booklist

“A fine book about an extraordinary sailing vessel. Through the tale of the cutter Eagle, flagship of the United States Coast Guard, the reader sets sail with generations of young mariners committed to serving their country.”

– Rick Atkinson, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and author of An Army at Dawn and The Liberation Trilogy

“Every American should treasure the long and powerful history of the Coast Guard cutter Eagle. She is truly ‘Semper Paratus’ and every sailor in the US Navy looks across the pier at her with deep admiration and affection. This book tells her story with truth and beauty!"
 

– Admiral James Stavridis, US Navy (Ret.), vice chairman, Global Affairs, The Carlyle Group; chair of the board of trustees, The Rockefeller Foundation; former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO (2009–2013); dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University (2013–2018)

“I spent three summers on Eagle, America’s premier national laboratory for leadership. From coordinated team actions to maneuver the ship to opportunities to develop, hone, and perfect leadership skills, Eagle sets the gold standard. Big thanks to Will Sofrin for ensuring that we understand and remember the value of this national treasure.”

– Admiral Thad W. Allen, USCG (Ret.), twenty-third commandant of the US Coast Guard, who led the federal responses to Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

“For the past eight decades, Eagle has served as the flagship of the Coast Guard fleet and a tool of international diplomacy while helping to grow the future leaders of the Service. Sofrin’s impressive and lively account of the men and women who sailed onboard—of how they were pushed to their limits and found ways to grow, and how their stories trace a course through our nation’s history—is a fitting tribute to those who earned their salt on America’s tall ship.” 

– Captain Kristopher Ensley, USCG, commanding officer of USCGC Eagle

“A legendary ship deserves an excellent biography. Will Sofrin provides that, not only detailing Eagle’s fascinating history and the vital role she plays in supporting the Coast Guard’s mission but also profiling the exemplary men and women who have served on her decks over the years.”

– Eric Jay Dolin, best-selling author of Leviathan, Rebels at Sea, and Black Flags, Blue Waters

“This is a long-overdue history of a US national treasure. By describing a series of dramatic events over the past eighty years, the author moves Eagle’s narrative from her German origin into the twenty-first century. Through sailing with the crew and talking with many who served on board, he has absorbed the soul of a marvelous ship. Every page is a learning experience.” 

– Paul Stillwell, naval historian and author of Battleship New Jersey: The Complete History; longtime editor at the U.S. Naval Institute’s Proceedings

“Reading this book, I couldn’t help but think of my own time in the Coast Guard—and that of my brother and father—and of the long nautical tradition in my family. For me, Eagle is more than a ship—she’s a living reminder of that legacy of courage, seamanship, and service that has guided so many of us through our own voyages in life.”

– Beau Bridges, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Grammy Award–winning actor, director, and US Coast Guard veteran

“As captain of this magnificent ship, I have seen young Coast Guard men and women develop extraordinary confidence and leadership skills in their time onboard Eagle, climbing aloft to the royals, furling sails, and when in port, proudly escorting visitors around. The best years of my career were spent in command of Eagle, and Will Sofrin’s writing illustrates so well the opportunity that she provides for officers to fulfill the Coast Guard Academy’s mission, to pass along to cadets ‘a liking for the sea and its lore.’”

– Captain Ernst M. Cummings, US Coast Guard (Ret.), commanding officer, USCGC Eagle (1983–1988)