Double Eagle

Double Eagle #1

by Sneed B. Collard III

The year is 1862. The Skink, a Confederate ship, is attacked by Union forces and sinks off the Alabama coast in the Gulf of Mexico. Although the ship was rumored to be carrying newly minted gold coins, no trace of the wreck and not even a single piece of Confederate gold is ever found.

Fast forward to 1973. Mike is prepared for another routine summer in Pensacola with his marine biologist father. But plans suddenly change and Mike finds himself on Shipwreck Island near the site where the Skink went down and right in the middle of a century-old mystery!

Mike and his new friend Kyle are intrigued by a salvage ship anchored just offshore. Some say it was brought in by fortune hunters searching for the long-lost Confederate ship and its treasure. But when the boys scale a fence at the fort on the island and explore a section closed off to the public, they realize that the fortune hunters may be looking in the wrong place. There in the sand-covered floor of an abandoned chamber they spot something shiny: an old double eagle gold coin. Mike and Kyle agree to keep their discovery a secret and start their own investigation into the shipwreck and the missing gold.

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Historical, Action, Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2009

About the author

Sneed B. Collard III (see also "Sneed B. Collard") is a biologist, world traveler, speaker, and author of almost one hundred books for young people, including the 2024 Orbis Pictus Award winner, Border Crossings (Charlesbridge Publishing). His other recent science titles include Fire Birds; Hopping Ahead of Climate Change; Little Killers; Waiting for a Warbler; Beaver & Otter Get Along . . . Sort of; and the upcoming picture book, Like No Other. Collard holds science degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and U.C. Santa Barbara. He lives in Montana.

Reviews

[Andres Vargas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good adventure story. I enjoyed the research the author put into the writing.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Double Eagle is a delightful, fun and educational (without knowing it is educational, lol) historical fiction book, geared toward young adults. Based loosely on historical facts taken from the Civil War time period, in the location of the Alabama Coast, readers are taken back in time, to April 24th, 1862 when a Confederate ship, called the Skink is attacked by Union forces and sinks. It is believed that gold coins were being carried upon the Skink and have been much sought after, since it's demise.

Fast forward to the summer of 1973 when fourteen-year-old Mike is sent to stay with his dad for summer break. Living the "divorce shuffle", as Mike calls it, is difficult enough and though he loves staying with his Dad, it is an adjustment. That adjustment is being blown out of the water when he finds out that his Dad has taken a summer job teaching, at a new marine lab on Shipwreck Island, bear Mobile Bay.

Not sure what to expect, Mike is naturally nervous and hesitant, until he becomes friends with another boy, Kyle, who is a year older than him and whose Dad also is working at the lab. It doesn't take long for the two of them to forge a close bond, exploring, hanging out and once they learn of the missing treasure of double eagle coins, their treasure hunting excursions.

Sneed Collard III does an excellent job of intertwining fact with fiction, to quickly and easily draw the readers into the story. Double Eagle is the perfect book to engage any age, particularly young adults, girls and boys alike. Another wonderful aspect of Mr. Collard III's writing is his ability to cross generational information. One such instance, that sticks in my mind, is when Mike meets some of the other people at the lab and one was wearing a ZZ Top shirt, but he had no idea who ZZ Top was. I had to chuckle at this. What a perfect way for young adults and adults to be able to relate to the same book and story. Of course this is just one small example, as there are several throughout the story.

Mike, Kyle, Mike's father and all of the characters are brought to life effortlessly, complete with little idiosyncrasies such as Mike's habit of counting his teeth with his tongue when he is nervous or bored. I also loved the way the author brought the past to life, through Mike's thoughts and ponderings. Here is a small excerpt from page 37:

I used to hold an old coin in my hands and wonder about all the people who had held it since it was minted. A Standing Liberty quarter might have been in the pocket of a soldier at Pearl Harbor. An Indian head penny could have been spent to see Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

I have often done the same thing with material objects, or just looking around at my surroundings, be it a building or outdoor area.

Another aspect of Mr. Collard III's writing, that I greatly enjoyed, was his amazing talent at bringing visual aspects to life with his words. The following excerpt from page 49 is a perfect example of this talent:

Our heads whipped around to see a tall man with white, wispy hair standing behind us. He wore a faded red fishing cap, and his pale blue eyes peered out from beneath bristling eyebrows. The skin on his face was the texture of ancient brown leather, and an unlit pipe dangled from the corner of his mouth. Despite his age he stood straight as a piling in his long-sleeved button-down shirt and faded blue seaman's pants.

I can't stress enough what a wonderful and delightful book Double Eagle is. It is a story rich with educational lessons and openings to the desire to learn more about the Civil War, coin collecting, and so much more. Do keep in mind that the author is rather sneaky about adding in these educational and historical facts within the story - enabling the reader to learn without even knowing they are doing so! I truly feel that Double Eagle is a story that even the most hesitant and picky of reader will dive into and love. Though Double Eagle is the first work by this author that I have read, I am incredibly anxious to read more!

[Scarlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical Fiction. Set in Alabama. 1970s boy and best friend Kyle living on SHipwreck Island hunt down gold minted by the confederacy in the 1860s. There is "Sex Goddess", Hell and smoking in the book. Great for 7/8 grade.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this is written as a young adult fiction, it's very informative. It gives you history of the Civil War, how the people of the South view that engagement, disagreement. It also takes you into the numismatic world of coin collecting. One young man, Mike, from California has come to spend the summer with his father. He meets Kyle who moves around a lot, but lives mostly in the South. They get along great. Not much for two teenage boys to do on an island in the middle of summer. So they fish and swim and go hunting for gold. Not really. They go exploring an old fort, one that was used by the Confederacy during the Civil War. While looking through an off limits area of the fort, they find a gold-looking coin. They don't know if it's real or not. Meanwhile, in Mobile Bay, there's a salvage ship looking for a sunken ship that was reported to be carrying a mess of gold coins. Oh, and there's a hurricane that has its sights set on Shipwreck island where they're spending the summer. It's all very exciting. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

[Catherine Symchych · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting mix of action and complex characters—it would be great for a school book group. The characters are loosely drawn, but there’s a lot there for discussion: teen smoking, bullying, infidelity, divorce, depression, sexism, stereotypes. All disguised in a story of the hunt for lost Confederate gold. I love the ending, that falls perfectly between happily ever after and leaving us hanging for a sequel. Even in this short book I cared enough about the characters to imagine their futures.

[Gin Westcott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this novel and I'm well over 50 yrs old. The author has a wonderful ability to pull the reader in and genuinely relate to the protagonist no matter what age you are. The story's of human emotion and experiences that I can totally relate to in my childhood. The suspense, mystery, and beautiful writing style kept me engaged the entire time. My son and daughter read this book next and, just like me, finished it in only a few days. I highly recommend this book to all young people who want a unique experience and will come away changed.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very exciting and interesting at times. Mike and Kyle are mischievous and occasionally inappropriate (they shouldn't be role models or something like that) but oh well, you know how teenage boys are. This book heavily talks about coins and information about them, but it does so in such a way that any non-coin expert can understand it.

[Megan McCall · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous story that weaves history into the present with a mystery of treasure and suspense! Best read on the beaches of Dauphin Island in Alabama to get the true feel of the beauty of the setting!

[Arabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. Quick read, great character development, good characters. Would recommend.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review of Double Eagle

Double eagle, by Sneed B Collard III is a historical fiction book that brings a story of treasure to history. Mike and his friend Kyle meet each other off the coast of Alabama and become the best of friends. After spending some time hanging out with each other they discover a ship off the coast that may contain precious confederate gold coins. They also learn of divers that are looking for the same gold and this starts a race against time as the summer is coming to an end. This book caught my attention because of the cover picture of a bright gold coin. Once I started reading this book I was hooked on the historical fiction idea that there could be gold hiding that hasn’t been discovered yet in the U.S.
This book is set in 1973 southern Alabama. Mike and Kyle have become the best of friends after Mike has moved in with his dad in a marine lab on the coast of the Alabama. Mike and Kyle find out that they have many things in common including a broken family. The two friends become addicted to coin collecting and bond throughout the summer. They later find out that a historical ship has been found off the coast of Alabama and that there may be gold from the Civil war that has been stored away for almost a century.
I hated how the book ended for many reasons. One reason why I hated the ending was because all of mike and kyle’s exploring went to waste. At the end of the book, a hurricane was coming and was going to rip away at the Alabama coastline. The boy’s had to prepare to evacuate and didn’t have enough time to explore and examine more. I also didn’t like the ending of the book because the two boys were separated and even after Mike came back to the marine lab one year later, he still hadn’t heard anything back from him or his family and left the book at a mystery. My favorite part of the book was when Mike finally realizes where the gold might be. He ignores the hurricane and goes to a very dangerous spot using a ladder to look for the gold. The one thing that kind of surprised me was that Mike was so into the exploration for the unknown that he would go into a full fledged storm and risk his life for it. He was so desperate that he didn't think of the risk and went for the gold. My favorite quote in the book was when the gold was gone and Mike remembers Kyle saying, “Don’t worry, something new will take its place.” This means that even though the gold was gone, something else would become valuable and sought out for.
In my opinion, I think the author did a great job writing this story as historical fiction because even the gold wasn’t real who knows what other real treasures were lost in the civil war. This book was similar to the Hobbit because both characters in the stories were looking for gold. I think that anyone who likes mystery, history, or adventure books should read this book. There is some suspense when looking for the gold in dark damp places so people who like suspense would also probably enjoy this book.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's June of 1973, and 13-year-old Mike is going to be spending the summer with his dad once again. Usually, that means heading from his California home with his mother and stepfather to Florida, where his father is a college biology professor. Instead he is going to be heading to tiny Shipwreck Island on the Gulf Coast in Alabama.

Since his father always seems to be overly busy with his students, Mike makes sure to bring along his own entertainment in the form of a good portion of his coin collection. At first, this proves to be a good idea since his predictions are basically right. Things starts to change when he gets to know Kyle, a local boy whose father works as a custodian for a labs hosting the summer courses on the island. The two quickly become friends by fishing and exploring the island and its people.

Things really take an exciting turn when the boys are exploring Fort Henry, a local Civil War era post that area lore suggests might play host to a missing treasure. Spurned on by the fact that a group of treasure hunters are searching the waters near the fort, the boys are drawn into the thrill, particularly since the treasure is likely tied to Confederate coins.

One afternoon, Kyle and Mike are in a closed area in the fort when their flashlights spy on something sparkling gold. After checking it out, it looks like it is a Confederate double eagle coin. They decided to keep their findings secret as they talk to some people on the island to try and see if it really is possible that the local fort might have ever had such coins and whether the New Orleans Mint had ever transitioned to making American to Confederate coins.

As the local treasure hunters, and a couple of others, take note of their interest, the boys find themselves in real danger as they try to find where the rest of the potential cache may lie. The race becomes more imperiling when a hurricane bears down on the island. Do they have enough time to solve the mystery and elude the villains?

I thought this was a pretty interesting treasure hunting mystery that ties in nicely with some real historical fact. I appreciated that Collard includes a great Authors Note defining what historical facts were included in the story as well as providing references for those who want to know more about the area, the New Orleans Mint, and the Battle for New Orleans in the Civil War. I found the pacing to be enjoyable as it slowly introduces the important elements before speeding faster and faster to the stunning climax and conclusion. The only thing I wasn't sure about was why wasn't a modern tale rather than setting it in the 1970s since none of the story elements were required to be set at that time.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The atory begins in 1862 when the Skink, a Confederate ship, is attacked by Union forces and sinks off the Alabama coast in the Gulf of Mexico. Although the ship was rumored to be carrying newly minted gold coins, no trace of the wreck and not even a single piece of Confederate gold is ever found.

Fast forward to 1973. Mike is prepared for another routine summer in Pensacola with his marine biologist father. But plans suddenly change and Mike finds himself on Shipwreck Island near the site where the Skink went down and right in the middle of a century-old mystery!

Mike and his new friend Kyle scale a fence at the fort on the island and explore a section closed off to the public, they spot something shiny: an old double eagle gold coin. Mike and Kyle agree to keep their discovery a secret and start their own investigation. (Goodreads summary)

Double Eagle starts a bit slowly as the boys first become friends then meet other various characters, then builds as the boys try to figure out if the coin is real and whether the rest of the treasure exists nearby. The elements of coin collecting, treasure, the Alabama area, treasure hunting and weather should please most readers and make this interesting myistery a fast read. The authors note at the end gives readers more information on which story elements are factual and where to look for more information. For middle grade readers and up.

[Lisa Nocita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike shuttles between his divorced parents during the summer. His father's latest teaching assignment takes them to Shipwreck Island off the coast of Alabama. Mike isn't too happy with the change of plans. He prefers routine and order although those are not his father's strong suits. Mike is a little shy and uncomfortable in his new surroundings although there are plenty of things to recommend the island, including cute co-eds and tamales. Kyle, the maintenance man's stepson is just a year older than Mike. Although apprehensive at first, Mike and Kyle soon strike up a friendship that leads to the adventure of a lifetime that could make them richer than their wildest expectations. When a major hurricane takes aim at the island, Mike and Kyle realize that their adventure and acquaintance may come to a swift and final end. They make one last effort to locate a fabled treasure that they think must be hidden within the fort as the hurricane draws ever closer. But it's not just the hurricane that they have to fear.
Double Eagle is a quick read with enough history and thrill built in to keep the interest of most readers. The characters of the two boys are well drawn and the plot moves along. There is some mild language but nothing too objectionable. Although the final confrontation seems a little forced, readers will go along. Good recommendation for guys who like the adventure genre and stories of male friendship.

[Tessa McMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike is dreading the summer with his marine biologist dad in Florida. But plans change when Mike’s dad decides to teach a summer course on an island off Alabama’s coast. Soon after his arrival, Mike makes friends with Kyle, a charismatic southern boy who is familiar with the island. While hanging out at an old Civil War fort, Mike happens upon a gold Confederate coin. When the boys look for more coins, they can’t. They find help in a local man whose ancestry goes back to the time the coins arrived at the fort.

Collard creates an unpredictable story by expertly weaving together Civil War history, rare coins, a disastrous hurricane, and an unlikely friendship. In many young adult stories involving the discovery of a missing artifact, it usually seems far-fetched that the teen characters are the only ones who find the lost item, even after experts have tried and failed. But in Double Eagle, Collard sets up a realistic premise where it’s plausible that Mike and Kyle are the only ones who find the Confederate gold. They had a crucial piece of Civil War history that other experts didn’t have. If readers enjoyed the friendship of Mike and Kyle and their search for rare coins, readers will be happy to know that Collard published a sequel called Cartwheel.

(Found on Children's Compass Chronicle: http://childrenscompasschronicle.blog...)

[Erin Forson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Double Eagle
by Sneed B. Collard III
What's more fun than searching for a buried treasure? That's what Mike and Kyle end up spending their summer on the Alabama coast looking for. Rumor has it that Confederate gold coins minted towards the end of the Civil War were on board a ship that ran a blockade over a hundred years ago. Now, Mike and Kyle actually have evidence that this did not happen and the gold does not rest under the ocean. In fact, they are racing to uncover the gold's real hiding place before Hurricane Elsa hits the island and destroys everything, taking the gold with it. This mystery rocked. First of all, the chapters rolled past and always ended with me wanting to know what happened next. The characters were real guys (gritty guys, not little boys) who became best friends like guys do—no hugging or anything like that—just a quiet understanding that they've got the other's back. I was a little concerned that the book makes lying seem okay, but I must say that without the lies there is no way the book would have had such an interesting ending. As it stands now, this is one of the best mysteries I have read this year.

[Gwen the Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s the summer of 1973, and Mike is going to spend the summer with his father on a small research island in the Gulf of Mexico. He’s expecting it to be pretty boring with field trips and grading papers, but instead, Mike finds out about a mysterious treasure from the Civil War that could be on the island. With the help of a new friend, Mike pursues Confederate gold coins in a crumbling-down fort and has to outwit some scavengers who are also looking for the treasure. This is a great mystery/adventure with some interesting Civil War facts thrown in for history buffs.

My complaint about this novel is that during the beginning of the book, the author seems to get a kick out of making lots of "funny" references to things from the 70's that I, as an adult, didn't get and found annoying. I don't know if a teen would get past that into the meat of the story or roll their eyes and put the book down. The fast pacing and premise of the story are what made me give this a three instead of two stars.

[Mark Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mike travels to Alabama to spend the summer with his father along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. He meets Kyle, and they notice a ship that is searching for sunken treasure. Their summer changes dramatically when the boys discover a gold coin that may have been created by the Confederate government. There have been rumors about these coins, but no one in the world has ever seen one. Mike and Kyle search for more of the rare coins, but they're in a race against the treasure hunters and a category five hurricane.

I enjoyed the historical mystery surrounding the plot, but some readers may not be interested in the search for rare coins. The book has adventure, not necessarily action, and I was curious to see if more coins actually existed. The conflict with the treasure hunters could have been played up to create a bit more suspense, but I enjoyed the book overall.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is there not to like about this book? A teenage boy,Mike,shifted between divorced parents, finds that living with each is very different. On this particular summer with his father, he finds himself on an island with professors and biology students. There is also another teenage boy named Kyle. Prepared to dislike Kyle, he soon finds that they are best friends and on a quest to find gold double eagles minted by the Confederacy, even though history says that it never happened. They take on an old Fort under park management, treasure hunters with their own agenda, and an old man full of history of the area, all before the end of summer and an incoming hurricane that could destroy everything. Loved this book and think my students will too.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way the characters were written, specifically Mike, was superb. It was truly like entering a 14 year old mind. Reminded me of my own thoughts in that age and how free and careless we are when an adventure arises.

I think kids will love this book, not only because they can relate to the main character, but because there is action, jealousy, love, and fear.

I couldn't find anything wrong with this book. Because of this, this will become one of those rare books I will place on the high shelf, to be given to my son in a couple of years to enjoy.

Very well done.

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just never grabbed me. Gold coins, shipwrecks, intrique should have had me whipping through the pages to find out what would happen next instead of willing myself to come to the end of the thing--and, trust me, the strong point of the conclusion of this book was that the book ended. I also didn't like the fact that the characters smoked and it didn't seem like a big deal. This is not the message I want to send to middle school kids. Yeah, I know some of them smoke. I just don't want to make it seem acceptable.

[Kendall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Truman nominee 2011-2012. Ick. Two and a half stars. The similies in this book are SO bad, understand them is LIKE TRYING TO READ TWILIGHT in TWILIGHT. I mean, they are THAT bad. Her cheeks were "as pink as a conch"--we get that this is set at an ocean lab. No need for (and I'm not exaggerating) at least 20 bad comparisons. The plot limps, the ending is unsatisfying and I don't connect with the characters at all. Ugh. The idea is good, but the followthrough is lacking. Collard needs to stick to writing non-fiction, which he does pretty well. A great disappointment.

[Leon]

Double eagle is a fictional book written to entertain the reader, but it doesn't do that until a while into the book. The book does a decent job with description of setting and characters, but it takes until the end for the book to finally pick up. This was a easy but almost annoying read because I felt like the book serves no purpose to anything. The whole gold coin search never entertained me, possibly due to the book doing a lot of repeating processes. I would only recommend this book to people who are patient readers and have interest in coins and gold searches.

[Gabe Densmore · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is very interesting except for the rednecks. If the author could just take them out and added more mystery, action, and comedy then this book would be perfect. Also, maybe instead of finding a coin, the main character could find a chest full of them and he could sneak onto the treasure hunter boat and see what they have. And it made me annoyed that the main character kept stammering and being afraid at anything that's about the coin.

[Emily Cottle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I thought this book was a good read; it was a nice mix of adventure story, Civil War history, and friendship. Though a few parts dragged, and some of the events/conclusions seemed forced, the ending really picked up and made up for some of the book’s earlier faults. The last fifty pages had me on the edge of my seat. I think kids (especially boys) could really get into this book, especially those interested in the Civil War.

[Kathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just started this book today. Mr. Collard was the featured author for our school district's young author program. He has written 60 books and many of them looked intriguing. I also purchased Flash Point to read at a later date. This book actually comes from his life experience spending the summer in Florida with his father. The fort is real as is the imagination behind the story.

I urge everyone to check out some of his books if you haven't already.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book did pick up steam toward the end with the introduction of a Category 2 hurricane as the countdown clock. The mystery was well-constructed, but the value of this book is what it represents to boys of a certain age who are trying to figure what it means to be a man. In this case, this book is recommended for those boys who say they don't read. They too need some guidance about growing into adulthood.

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book! It didn't seem mysterious at first, but the ending definitely was at the end... I don't know if I liked the flashing-forward end, because I do tend to like imagining it for myself, also, near the climax/end, you can tell that the author was rushing to the finish-like I could tell the different times he was writing. But don't you love the name Sneed B. collard?

[Kim Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Double Eagle was a really good book. Set on an island just off the coast of Alabama near an old Civil War fort, it tells about two teenage boys and their quest to discover hidden gold that was rumored to have been made by the Confederacy but never discovered. Bullying, family relationships and even a hurricane keep the storyline moving. Kids will enjoy this one!

[Judy Desetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

WAW nomination 6-8.

I was hooked right from the beginning. WOW!! I think this will be the winner of the Kansas WAW Book Award. Fabulous story. Lots of action, really believable, drama, mystery, and friendship all rolled into one. A very enthusiastic thumbs up!

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good book. If u like action and mystery this book is for you. Theres a surprise ending that I think the surprise ending is very good. Anybody could enjoy this book if they really wanted to. I would recommond Double Eagle by Sneed b. Collard the 3rd.