Lone Eagle: Complete & Unabridged

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Steel's 51st novel, Lone Eagle, is centrally concerned with a man--although a characteristic Steel heroine does power the action. The novel starts in the 1940s, when Kate Jamison meets and falls in love with flyer Joe Albright (the "Lone Eagle" of the title). Joe has created a considerable name for himself in flying circles with his daring aeronautical adventures and radical aircraft design (there is more than a touch of the legendary Howard Hughes about the character). Steel traces the turbulent, on-again, off-again relationship throughout the dark days of the Second World War. Kate is ready for marriage, hoping to set the seal on the long relationship, but Joe's visionary nature still drives him into the skies, and the aviation empire he has created consumes his life. They separate, but when a chance encounter brings them together, they realise that their passion is undimmed, and it is time to resolve their relationship--one way or another.

Steel has always been aware that a vividly realised backdrop is essential to keep her larger-than-life characters in focus. The war, of course, is sure-fire for such purposes, but a carefully researched aviation scene gives strength and truthfulness to the detail. Kate may be a familiar Steel heroine, but Joe (with his combination of vision and ambition) is something new for her, and is brought off with considerable aplomb. The whole tale has a restless energy that makes its 400 pages seem like a much shorter novel. --Barry Forshaw