Chasing the Black Eagle

by Bruce Geddes

Against a backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance and Haile Selassie’s Ethiopia, a young man tails Hubert Julian — a pilot, inventor, adventurer, charlatan, and possible threat to America.

Facing an attempted murder charge, seventeen-year-old Arthur Tormes is in no position to refuse when a federal agent named Riley Triggs offers him a deal: all charges get dropped and Arthur goes free if he agrees to help the Bureau with a problem.

That problem is Hubert Julian, a.k.a the Black Eagle of Harlem: inventor, pilot, parachutist, daredevil, charlatan, and one of the most extraordinary and popular figures of the Harlem Renaissance. For Triggs, it’s the popularity that makes Julian a serious threat to the well-being of America.

To win his freedom, Arthur begins a spying mission that will occupy the next thirteen years of his life, taking him from 1920s New York City to Ethiopia on the verge of war, often at great personal cost. In the end, while America remains safe, Arthur Tormes’ fate is less certain.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

376 pages, Paperback

Published May 9, 2023

Reviews

[Guylou (Two Dogs and a Book) · Rating 2 out of 5]

CHASING THE BLACK EAGLE by Bruce Geddes is a historical fiction novel that tells the story of a seventeen-year-old boy named Arthur Tormes, who is coerced into spying on Hubert Julian, the Black Eagle of Harlem, in exchange for his freedom. Set during the Harlem Renaissance, the novel takes readers on a journey through the streets of New York City and into the heart of Ethiopia, where Arthur faces danger, betrayal, and personal sacrifice.

Mr. Geddes weaves together historical facts with fictional elements to create a believable world. His characters are well-developed, and the plot is strong. This novel combines elements of historical fiction, espionage, and adventure. Unfortunately, the ending missed the mark and was disappointing.

#bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #booklover #bookaholic #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #chasingtheblackeagle #dundurnpress #brucegeddes #historicalfiction #bookreview

[BJ Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bruce Geddes writes a riveting tale of...

Just kidding.

By all rights, this should have been a riveting tale. Hubert Julian, the Black Eagle of Harlem, certainly lived an exciting, improbable life and was definitely a polarizing figure. How many other people paradropped into NYC while playing a sax? He was an Island (Trinidad) born, Canadian raised, American who at one time was a leading candidate for becoming the first man to cross the Atlantic, later was head of the Ethiopian air force, and later still was heading off to Finland as a volunteer to fight the Germans. How can this life not be exciting? Somehow, Geddes manages to pull this off.

The book primarily consists of only two characters: Arthur Tormes (fictional) who is tasked with spying on Julian for the FBI, and Julian himself. You would think with so much play time given to only two people, at least one of them wouldn't seem like an uninteresting, two-dimensional, cardboard caricature of a real person. No such luck. The FBI spoiler twist could easily be seen a mile away and detracted rather than added to the story. The love interest was... unlovely. Geddes pulled off an incredible feat. He took a great piece of history that was destined to be 5 stars all on its own, and managed to turn it into a barely tolerable 3 star book.

[Damian Tarnopolsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Geddes is a brilliant storyteller and his latest book is an absorbing historical adventure featuring huge characters, bracing thrills, and captivating deceptions. International in range, epic in scale, it's fast-moving, atmospheric novel and, at the same time, the moving story of a young man’s extraordinary passage to adulthood. Highly recommended! You don’t want to miss the journey; you won’t ever forget the book.

[Diana Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoy contemporary novels I find myself always coming back to historical fiction, and within historical fiction I’m always looking for something that I may not know much about. This was one of those books for me.

I had never heard of Hubert Julian before I read this book, but the setting of 1920s Harlem, and 1930s Ethiopia was a big draw. I dove in. The narrator, Arthur Tormes, is tasked with following Julian around and does so for over a decade. This task often has him at odds with the love of his life, Jean, because he can’t divulge why he is so dedicated to Julian.

Throughout the story we learn of the various things Hubert Julian did in order to cement his image as the Black Eagle of Harlem, some being more successful than others. Julian’s life is one of amplification. It’s hard to know what is the truth and what he has embellished.

There is a small twist at the very end that I didn’t necessarily see coming but had at least some suspicion of once or twice during my read. The novel is a bit slow paced, but it is a character driven novel and that is to be expected. If you’re a fan of fast paced, plot driven stories, this may not be for you.

I struggle with the story of a Black man being told by someone who is not black, but at the same time, I wouldn’t have known Hubert Julian existed without this book. In fairness, I believe the author did justice to the story of Hubert Julian without commandeering the Black experience in 1920s Harlem.

Many historical events are mentioned throughout this book, but one seemed to have a slight error. At one point Jean, who is a journalist, says she had just received notification that Pancho Villa had died, but at that point in the novel it was 1926, and Pancho Villa actually died in 1923.

I found this to be a worthy read. The pacing was a little slow at times and I sometimes found myself wondering when the next big thing was going to happen, but I also enjoyed the slow character development.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Corina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read primarily for the daring and at times outlandish schemes dreamed up and mostly executed by Hubert Julian, aka the Black Eagle, that play out in New York City and Ethiopia during the 1920s and 30s, bringing to light the life of a man I'd never heard of before. Through the young and largely naive narrator, Arthur Tormes, we are drawn into the lively underbelly of society where Tormes meets some interesting and unscrupulous characters. At age 17, Tormes is already indebted to a ship captain, and eventually gets involved with a smuggling gig that leads to his capture by the police and his deal with FBI agent, Riley Triggs. Tormes is the little guy being pushed around by people with more guts and power than him. But despite his lack of freedom, Tormes receives quite an education over the 13 years chasing the Black Eagle. He's been in the company of many powerful people who more often than not have reached their position through guts, charisma, luck, and opportunity. By the end of the novel, he's found the confidence he was missing and sets a course for his future that steers away from the intense and precarious world of the power hungry, opting instead for a quieter, more stable life.

[spencer wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern mystery that feels like it has come out of the golden era of the 1920s, but with diverse characters that make the story stand uniquely on its own. In just this one book, the readers is dropped into the Harlem Renaissance, through the Great Depression, and winds up on the verge of Italy's invasion of Ethiopia. If that doesn't sound enticing, then I don't know what does.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written.

[Simon Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consistently fascinating. Occasionally, very funny. An easy read that's a bit different from anything else. Very enjoyable. It's a second triumph for Geddes.

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chasing the Black Eagle is a historical fiction of a real-life character as told through the lens of a fictional character who spies on him. Arthur Tormes, against his will, is forced to follow the adventures of the celebrity Hubert Julian for over a decade. Chasing the black eagle is the fourth book written by Bruce Geddes.

Arthur needs money and is coerced into smuggling of certain items. He and his team are caught and sent to jail. While in prison and he is visited by mysterious person who says he has a job for him. This person turns out to be an FBI agent who wants to someone to follow Hubert Julian because he feels that he a communist spying in the US. It seems to be Hubert’s notoriety that irritates that the FBI agent most of all, and Arthur struggles with the job because he becomes a friend of Julian‘s. Throughout the story, Julian does all sorts of the strange things where Arthur becomes entangled because he’s trying to follow him and spy on him for the FBI.

The character of Arthur Tormes is quite interesting because he is trapped into spying on Julian even though he is his friend. Arthur also has a girlfriend who he must keep in the dark about the whole issue secret. This of course wreaks havoc with their relationship. As part of his duties, Arthur follows Julian all over the world and this leads to many unexpected adventures.

My biggest issue was I found the story very slow moving. There are a number of things that happen, but the narrative is so slow that I struggle with trying to hold my interest in the adventures. The pacing is just a little too slow.

I’d recommend this book to people that are like historical fiction and want to know a little bit more about Hubert Julian, the first black aviator. I give the book at 2 on 5 primarily because it is more of a documentary and a very slow-moving story. I’d like to think NetGalley and Dundurn Press
for providing me a digital copy of this novel. I provide this review voluntarily

[Alicia Chaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Geddes is a clever story teller and his winks to the reader of this thoroughly entertaining page turner, Chasing The Black Eagle, reinforce the endearing and often frustrating flaws of these characters.
The novel’s namesake, Hubert Julian for example, is a man seemingly unacquainted with failure, although chapter after chapter we see him meet with misfortune.
Sympathetic Arthur Tormes, cast by Federal Agent Triggs to effectively spy on The Black Eagle, is poorly suited for the objectivity the job requires. This leads to uncomfortable debriefings with Triggs. These exchanges, written with patience and wit, vividly portray Tormes’ unease and Triggs’ unrestrained narcissism. The result is virtually cinematic; crying out for a Netflix treatment! (Picture Nick Offerman and young Tom Holland).
When Bruce is writing about Jean (Arthur’s love interest), very near the end of the novel, I completely forgot that this was a man writing a story about a fictional woman. I was pulled in and I may have actually leaned closer to the page to better experience the gravity of her time with that dying woman, and then the beautiful simplicity of the release she felt when she was able to relinquish the confusion she felt for her parents’ tragic death.

In summary, action-packed through time and geography, funny and intelligent; a thoroughly enjoyable read beginning to end.

[Sandra The Old Woman in a Van · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chasing the Black Eagle is based on some exciting and overlooked history. But...

None of the characters, as portrayed in this novel, were very sympathetic. I struggled to maintain interest in what happened to them. The plot was similarly only modestly engaging. The pacing was constant throughout. The overall content has numerous interesting substories, but as a whole, I felt like I needed a more substantial story arc to draw me in. In short, it often felt like work to read this book.

Some disclosures near the novel's close needed more explanation and felt too abrupt.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC of the ebook in exchange for a review.

[R Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read. A picture of the institutionalised and systemic racism in all parts of pre war usa, as was common in all western nations. It details the nefarious activities of the bureau of investigation. The book tells the story of a talented yet arrogant black person who never got the recognition he deserved. Typical

[Jeannie Callum · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like espionage crossed with historical fiction, this is a fantastic read. A bit like Eric Ambler's Epitaph for a Spy crossed with Amor Towles' Rules of Civility. Fascinating story that brings to life Hubert Julian, the Trinidad-born American aviation pioneer and his time in NYC and Ethiopia. Bruce Geddes' writing style is perfect for a entertaining summer read.

[Enid Wray · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story based on the life of a real historical character I had never heard of. I found it a bit slow at times, but was glad to have read it.

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy.

[Suzanne Matczuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing the Black Eagle is a compelling and intriguing page-turner. The fictional characters are wonderfully crafted to convey the tale of real life Hubert Julian, enigmatic, charismatic, larger than life and wildly famous in 1920s Harlem. A fascinating read.

[Aravind Mahipani · Rating 3 out of 5]

For an espionage thriller this book has a fresh setting and background. It opens up with a very intense narrative. But what starts quickly turns into a story that we read and seen a lot of times.

[Dee Sproule · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh ...