What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Eagle Has Landed
Jack Higgins · Book · 1975
If you loved The Eagle Has Landed, start with The Eagle Has Landed (John Sturges, 1976) — a film from the same story. Below: 1 film, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Eagle Has Landed across media.
What hooked you in The Eagle Has Landed was the way high-stakes military tension blends seamlessly with dangerous, clandestine operations behind enemy lines.
Start with the source
Adaptation
The Eagle Has Landed
John Sturges · Film · 1976
Films on the same thread
Where Eagles Dare
Brian G. Hutton · Film · 1968
Explores: infiltration, rescue mission, double agents.
If you enjoyed the infiltration mission in The Eagle Has Landed, you will appreciate this film's focus on a daring, high-stakes rescue operation set within a heavily fortified enemy location.
Series on the same thread
Dad's Army
Jimmy Perry · Series · 1968
Explores: Home Front, Amateurism, Community.
While tonally different from The Eagle Has Landed, this series captures the same pervasive sense of impending German invasion that drives the narrative tension of Higgins' original military thriller.
The Sweeney
Ian Kennedy Martin · Series · 1975
Shares a thread with The Eagle Has Landed: Moral Ambiguity.
You will recognize the moral ambiguity and unconventional methods found in The Eagle Has Landed within the gritty, rule-breaking partnership of the protagonists navigating this dangerous criminal landscape.
Holocaust
Gerald Green · Series · 1978
Explores: The Holocaust, Nazi persecution, Jewish persecution.
This historical drama explores the same era of Nazi regime control as The Eagle Has Landed, focusing on the personal survival stories caught within the broader wartime maelstrom.
Secret Army
Gerard Glaister · Series · 1977
Shares a thread with The Eagle Has Landed: Moral Ambiguity.
Fans of the espionage elements in The Eagle Has Landed will find this resistance drama compelling, as it centers on the same high-stakes, covert underground networks operating in occupied Europe.
Podcasts on the same thread
Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra
Rachel Maddow, MS NOW · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Authoritarianism, Domestic Espionage, Threats to Democracy.
This investigative series mirrors the focus on wartime espionage and betrayal found in The Eagle Has Landed, shifting the lens to historical threats of domestic subversion and political corruption.
The Rest Is Classified
Podcast
Shares a thread with The Eagle Has Landed: Secret missions.
If the intelligence operations in The Eagle Has Landed drew you in, this podcast provides an authentic look at the real-world covert missions and spycraft that define the genre.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Eagle Has Landed based on a true story?
The Eagle Has Landed is a work of fiction written by Jack Higgins in 1975. While it depicts a historical setting in November 1943 involving Winston Churchill and Nazi paratroopers, the specific plot regarding the abduction mission is a fictional narrative created by the author.
Should I read the book or watch the movie for The Eagle Has Landed?
Both versions of The Eagle Has Landed follow the same premise regarding the mission to abduct Winston Churchill. The 1975 book provides the original source material, while the 1976 movie is an adaptation of that story. You can choose either based on your preference for reading or viewing.
Does The Eagle Has Landed feature Liam Devlin?
Yes, Liam Devlin is a key character in The Eagle Has Landed. He is an IRA gunman who assists the elite team of Nazi paratroopers led by Kurt Steiner during their mission on British soil to abduct Winston Churchill in November 1943.
What is the primary mission in The Eagle Has Landed?
The primary mission in The Eagle Has Landed involves an elite team of Nazi paratroopers descending on British soil in November 1943. Their specific goal, ordered by Hitler and planned by Heinrich Himmler, is to abduct Winston Churchill and effectively cripple the Allied war effort.