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The Red Eagle: Being the Adventurous Tale of Two Young Flyers
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The story is of two brothers who learn to fly airplanes and use their skills in two adventures.
The story is of two brothers who learn to fly airplanes and use their skills in two adventures.
120 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1930
11 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Key
73 books99 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
An American science fiction writer, most of whose books were aimed at a juvenile audience. He became a nationally known illustrator before he became an author. After he began writing novels for young people, he moved his family to the North Carolina mountains, and most of his books include that wild and rugged landscape.
His novel Escape to Witch Mountain was made into a popular film in 1975 and again in 1995. His novel The Incredible Tide became a popular anime series, Future Boy Conan.
He is known for his portrayals of alien but human-like people who have psychic powers and a close communion with nature, and who can speak with animals. In The Strange White Doves, he professed his belief that animals are conscious and aware, and have subtle ways of communicating, perhaps via telepathy.
The protagonists of Key's books are often ostracized, feared, or persecuted due to their abilities or alien origin, and Key uses this as a clear metaphor for racism and other prejudice. In several of the books (most notably The Case of the Vanishing Boy,) Key portrays some sort of communal withdrawing from society with a group of like-minded individuals. - Wikipedia -
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
An American science fiction writer, most of whose books were aimed at a juvenile audience. He became a nationally known illustrator before he became an author. After he began writing novels for young people, he moved his family to the North Carolina mountains, and most of his books include that wild and rugged landscape.
His novel Escape to Witch Mountain was made into a popular film in 1975 and again in 1995. His novel The Incredible Tide became a popular anime series, Future Boy Conan.
He is known for his portrayals of alien but human-like people who have psychic powers and a close communion with nature, and who can speak with animals. In The Strange White Doves, he professed his belief that animals are conscious and aware, and have subtle ways of communicating, perhaps via telepathy.
The protagonists of Key's books are often ostracized, feared, or persecuted due to their abilities or alien origin, and Key uses this as a clear metaphor for racism and other prejudice. In several of the books (most notably The Case of the Vanishing Boy,) Key portrays some sort of communal withdrawing from society with a group of like-minded individuals. - Wikipedia -
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 31, 2013
If the author rings a bell for you, it might be that you remember Alexander Key from 1961's Escape to Witch Mountain - or at least remember the Disney film version.
[If anyone wants to try adding this img to the GoodRead's book file, the original is here in multiple sizes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/batgrl/8... ]
This is actually my father's book, and you can tell from the "boys adventure" focus (similar to a lot of books from the 1930s) that this was directed towards an audience of boys interested in airplanes. I've never actually finished reading the book's text - my interest always flagged and I'd end up just looking at the pictures and forget the story itself. This is probably because the story is really a thin framework around the "how to fly an airplane" manual parts of the book. When I was younger I was more interested in studying the drawings of the planes and instruments than reading about them.
Anyway, the book was handy and it felt time for a reread. And yes, there will be spoilers.
Key himself created all the illustrations, and I can't resist adding some photos of them, because the style of the artwork is the thing I love most about this book. I'm going to hazard a guess that the book's paintings are watercolors, but I'm not sure.
I also should note that I'm really fond of the font Key uses and layout of paintings with text. Anyway, on to the story part!
Richard and Ned are two boys whose Uncle Jim owns a plane called the Red Eagle, and when he visits he just lands the plane on their farmland. After they've cleared an area for a runway for him of course. Both boys really want to learn to fly, but their father thinks they're too young and it's too dangerous. Uncle Jim takes their father up for a long, long ride in the Red Eagle and what do you know, once they land dad has the flying bug too. Uncle Jim was previously a flyer in WW1 and now conveniently owns an aircraft factory and manages a flying club. So he's just the guy to teach us all about planes and how to fly them!
Some sample "let's learn about how planes work" dialog that's pretty typical (page 12):
Here's a bit of 1930s "only in books" parenting, p.54:
Photo of the glider searching for the escaped murderers on the right, on the left is the worried housekeeper looking up at the skies (where we can assume her employer and his sons are flying):
The boys spot a fire - but this turns out not to be the murderers. Instead it's a couple of their dad's farmhands skipping work and going fishing by the river.
I'm adding this quote purely as an excuse to include the tiny painting that's inset on the page, p. 65:
So the boys want to fly more than just gliders, and dare to hope they might have a career in the field. Uncle Jim tests the boys for depth perception, equilibrium, etc. - to discover if they have the ability and aptitude for flying. Problem is that many of the tests are based on something you can't improve - like eyesight. And their uncle puts a bit of stress on them. p. 71:
After they take the equilibrium test (walking a straight line blindfolded) p. 72:
Now that we're near the end of the book there must be a finale - and it's at Uncle Jim's flying club where there's a Big Race between all the various types of aircraft (line drawing of the aircraft here). During The Big Race (excitement! suspense!) the boys are flying in the Red Eagle with Uncle Jim, and on the last stretch of the flight a thunderstorm breaks.
But wait! That's not all! p. 83:
So what happens?
One fun thing about this edition of the book (that I didn't remember at all) is that there are about 20 pages of suggested lessons to accompany each chapter. Lots of really topical references to airplane related news stories from the 1930s (which I forgot to quote and now don't have the book, dangit), sample spelling and vocabulary words, suggested art projects, that sort of thing.
Randomly, because I keep coming back to the art, here's an example of the instrumentation paintings.
While I might have been really bored with the story - I'm sharing only the interesting bits, trust me - I did love all the instrument paintings.
If you want to see a bit more of the artwork - and larger versions of these photos (which I wish I'd used a tripod for) - the Flickr set is here.
I'd have given four stars for the artwork, but that's not really fair. The story is dull as dirt mostly, especially when describing the more technical aspects of flying, and the three stars is really due to my nostalgia. Still on my Childhood Favorites shelf.
I should add that when I was little and reading this book my father had a moment of nostalgia himself and over the course of a few weeks built a small wooden plane that looked much like The Red Eagle. And painted it red of course. It's still sitting on a shelf in my parents' house.
[If anyone wants to try adding this img to the GoodRead's book file, the original is here in multiple sizes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/batgrl/8... ]
This is actually my father's book, and you can tell from the "boys adventure" focus (similar to a lot of books from the 1930s) that this was directed towards an audience of boys interested in airplanes. I've never actually finished reading the book's text - my interest always flagged and I'd end up just looking at the pictures and forget the story itself. This is probably because the story is really a thin framework around the "how to fly an airplane" manual parts of the book. When I was younger I was more interested in studying the drawings of the planes and instruments than reading about them.
Anyway, the book was handy and it felt time for a reread. And yes, there will be spoilers.
Key himself created all the illustrations, and I can't resist adding some photos of them, because the style of the artwork is the thing I love most about this book. I'm going to hazard a guess that the book's paintings are watercolors, but I'm not sure.
I also should note that I'm really fond of the font Key uses and layout of paintings with text. Anyway, on to the story part!
Richard and Ned are two boys whose Uncle Jim owns a plane called the Red Eagle, and when he visits he just lands the plane on their farmland. After they've cleared an area for a runway for him of course. Both boys really want to learn to fly, but their father thinks they're too young and it's too dangerous. Uncle Jim takes their father up for a long, long ride in the Red Eagle and what do you know, once they land dad has the flying bug too. Uncle Jim was previously a flyer in WW1 and now conveniently owns an aircraft factory and manages a flying club. So he's just the guy to teach us all about planes and how to fly them!
Some sample "let's learn about how planes work" dialog that's pretty typical (page 12):
"Watch this needle," said the flyer, pointing to a dial on the instrument board. "It is the tachometer, and it shows how fast the propeller is turning around. The reading is now two hundred revolutions per minute; when I push forward on the throttle the needle shows how much faster the propeller is turning. You hardly notice the noise of the motor in this closed cabin, but in a ship with an open cockpit you could hardly hear yourself think."
Here's a bit of 1930s "only in books" parenting, p.54:
"I'm not taking any chances," she [the family housekeeper] replied. "Mrs. Hinson just phoned that two jail birds escaped from the county jail last night. They're both murderers, and there's a posse of twenty men out looking for them. Isn't that just frightful?"I can't find the bit that hints at the boys' ages - I think they're around 10-12.
"Huh, what's that?" Uncle Jim looked up with interest. "Murderers? Escaped from the county jail? I say, Dick, there's an idea for you! Let's cancel that airport trip and go man hunting in the Red Eagle instead!"
"I'm with you. A man hunt always did appeal to me. How about it boys?"
"Suits me fine, Dad," replied Richard. "But why can't we have a little competition? You and Uncle Jim take the Red Eagle and Ned and I will take the Swallow. We can get Howard to give us a start. The winner can have the glider all day tomorrow."
Photo of the glider searching for the escaped murderers on the right, on the left is the worried housekeeper looking up at the skies (where we can assume her employer and his sons are flying):
The boys spot a fire - but this turns out not to be the murderers. Instead it's a couple of their dad's farmhands skipping work and going fishing by the river.
I'm adding this quote purely as an excuse to include the tiny painting that's inset on the page, p. 65:
"When the Red Eagle was again on her journey, Uncle Jim continued his talk. "I believe the most interesting advance in aviation is the 'flying windmill' or autogiro. You've seen pictures of it, and in fact some members of the club have been experimenting with one. The monoplane wings are very small, but directly over the cockpit is a huge rotor, like an oversized four-blade propeller. The aerodynamics are a little hard to understand..."
So the boys want to fly more than just gliders, and dare to hope they might have a career in the field. Uncle Jim tests the boys for depth perception, equilibrium, etc. - to discover if they have the ability and aptitude for flying. Problem is that many of the tests are based on something you can't improve - like eyesight. And their uncle puts a bit of stress on them. p. 71:
"A lot depends on the outcome of this," said Uncle Jim. "You can try it three times, and if you fail the third time, - " Uncle Jim shook his head sadly as before.
After they take the equilibrium test (walking a straight line blindfolded) p. 72:
"That's better," said uncle Jim. "But don't feel set up too much over it - if you hadn't walked that line to the end, I'd have felt like paddling you both!"But no pressure, right?
Now that we're near the end of the book there must be a finale - and it's at Uncle Jim's flying club where there's a Big Race between all the various types of aircraft (line drawing of the aircraft here). During The Big Race (excitement! suspense!) the boys are flying in the Red Eagle with Uncle Jim, and on the last stretch of the flight a thunderstorm breaks.
But wait! That's not all! p. 83:
"Uncle Jim groaned, and as Ned and Richard turned to look at him, he slumped forward in his seat and fell inert upon the floor. The Red Eagle, released of its guiding hand, slipped sidelong into the rush of the wind, and went reeling in a sickening tail-spin toward the earth, nearly a mile below.
So what happens?
One fun thing about this edition of the book (that I didn't remember at all) is that there are about 20 pages of suggested lessons to accompany each chapter. Lots of really topical references to airplane related news stories from the 1930s (which I forgot to quote and now don't have the book, dangit), sample spelling and vocabulary words, suggested art projects, that sort of thing.
Randomly, because I keep coming back to the art, here's an example of the instrumentation paintings.
While I might have been really bored with the story - I'm sharing only the interesting bits, trust me - I did love all the instrument paintings.
If you want to see a bit more of the artwork - and larger versions of these photos (which I wish I'd used a tripod for) - the Flickr set is here.
I'd have given four stars for the artwork, but that's not really fair. The story is dull as dirt mostly, especially when describing the more technical aspects of flying, and the three stars is really due to my nostalgia. Still on my Childhood Favorites shelf.
I should add that when I was little and reading this book my father had a moment of nostalgia himself and over the course of a few weeks built a small wooden plane that looked much like The Red Eagle. And painted it red of course. It's still sitting on a shelf in my parents' house.
January 29, 2025
Dragged in many places ... but that's because I am not interested in the names and purposes of all the parts of various planes. Perfect for a young reader who is intrigued by the subject.
The ages of the two boys aren't given, but they have their own car. Based on a quick internet search, it looks like a national age limit may have been set sometime in the late 1920s, but it varied by stated and may have been more lenient in rural areas. Overall, the general minimal age seemed to be about 14, except for on farms. The other clue: the art, which was done by Alexander Key -- the kids look to be in the 10 to 12 year range.
The only female in the story is the cook, and the bad guys are 'dark foreigners.'
The picture map on the inside covers is what attracted me.
Immediately following the story there's a glossary entitled "Aviation Terms."
ex:
pancake. To level off an airplane at too great a height in the act of landing, causing it to lose flying speed and descend too nearly vertical.
The last 22 pages are by J. Earle Thomson, in which he suggests Question, Oral/Written Composition possibilities, Problems in in Arithmetic (story problems), extension Activities, For Advanced Study ... and other ideas, all of which vary by chapter.
The ages of the two boys aren't given, but they have their own car. Based on a quick internet search, it looks like a national age limit may have been set sometime in the late 1920s, but it varied by stated and may have been more lenient in rural areas. Overall, the general minimal age seemed to be about 14, except for on farms. The other clue: the art, which was done by Alexander Key -- the kids look to be in the 10 to 12 year range.
The only female in the story is the cook, and the bad guys are 'dark foreigners.'
The picture map on the inside covers is what attracted me.
Immediately following the story there's a glossary entitled "Aviation Terms."
ex:
pancake. To level off an airplane at too great a height in the act of landing, causing it to lose flying speed and descend too nearly vertical.
The last 22 pages are by J. Earle Thomson, in which he suggests Question, Oral/Written Composition possibilities, Problems in in Arithmetic (story problems), extension Activities, For Advanced Study ... and other ideas, all of which vary by chapter.
July 19, 2013
Brothers Ned and Richard Jemeson, already smitten by the aviation bug after having heard about Charles Lindbergh's epic 1927 journey, worked in a large field, clearing it of stones and other obstructions and making it smooth - in anticipation of Uncle Jim's arrival in his brand-new bred cabin monoplane, the Red Eagle. Finally, the big day comes, and the brothers inspect the marvelous new machine and, better yet, go up for their first ride in a modern airplane. For young readers, author Alexander Key discusses all the parts of an airplane, from the control surfaces to the instruments and, of course, the Wright Whirlwind radial engine - exactly the engineering marvel that took Lindbergh across the Atlantic Ocean. Ned and Richard finally have the chance to visit a real airport, where they learn about navigation aids and something entirely new, a glider. Uncle Jim tells the boys all about this marvel that can fly without an engine. The boys finally have the chance to pilot the machine, but their flights end up in minor mishaps. A month later, Ned and Jack visit the flying, where they learn about the passenger planes of the day, the Fokker tri-motor and the Curtiss Condor. Uncle Jim explains the aeronautical refinements of these designs and how they work. They learn about the autogiro, an aircraft new in 1930, and the Dornier DO-X, a giant flying boat that carried 100 passengers across the Atlantic from Germany. The brothers visit a hanger to watch how an aircraft is built and explore the Red Eagle, which is being reconditioned for a race. For admirers of interwar aircraft, both of 1930 and today (here is where the book shows its considerable charm), what we "moderns" refer to as the Golden Age of aviation, the planes of the race are described - the Sikorsky S-38, Lockheed Sirius (the type flown by Charles and Anne Lindbergh), Eaglerock Bullet, Fokker tri-motor, Boeing 80, Keystone Loening, Fairchild 24, Bellanca Skyrocket, Lockheed Vega (flown by Wiley Post and Amelia Earhart), Cessna monoplane, Travel Air cabin monoplane, and Savoia Marchetti S-55 (flown by Italo Balbo). The Red Eagle, with Uncle Jim and his nephews braves a major thunderstorm to complete the race. And for those readers who want more, Mr. Key offers a glossary of aviation terms.
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