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Finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in History "Like Lauren Hillebrand's Unbroken…Target Tokyo brings to life an indelible era." —Ben Cosgrove, The Daily Beast On April 18, 1942, sixteen U.S. Army bombers under the command of daredevil pilot Jimmy Doolittle lifted off from the deck of the USS Hornet on a one-way mission to pummel Japan’s factories, refineries, and dockyards in retaliation for their attack on Pearl Harbor. The raid buoyed America’s morale, and prompted an ill-fated Japanese attempt to seize Midway that turned the tide of the war. But it came at a horrific cost: an estimated 250,000 Chinese died in retaliation by the Japanese. Deeply researched and brilliantly written, Target Tokyo has been hailed as the definitive account of one of America’s most daring military operations.
"James Doolittle and aviation grew up with the 20th century. He made the first transcontinental flight that took less than twenty-four hours; he was the first American to fly the Andes;he received one of the first Ph.D.s in aeronautical engineering. He worked on techniques and instruments for blind flights, and for longer and faster ones. He won countless awards for his breathtaking stunt flying, and he was a three-star lieutenant general by the end of World War II. Eisenhower and Churchill respected him not only for the daring Tokyo Raid which he led, but also for his ideas on military air strategy.Above all, it was his vitality that attracted the attention of businessmen, military personnel, flying buffs, and sociable people in general. That zest for life has kept Doolittle and his wife going strong even now, as they approach their eighties. It's that spirit that makes his biography more than just the story of an ace pilot."--jacket flap.
A former stunt pilot describes his life of aerial acrobatics, discussing his pioneering work in the development of aviation technology, his service during World War II, his role in the raid against Japan, and more. Reprint.
Famous for leading the Tokyo Raid, America's first strike against Japan in World War II, Jimmy Doolittle led a remarkable life as an American pilot. This firsthand account by his granddaughter reveals an extraordinary individual—a scientist with a doctorate in aeronautical engineering from MIT, an aviation pioneer who was the first to fly across the United States in less than 24 hours and the first to fly “blind” (using only his plane’s instruments), a barnstormer well known for aerobatics, a popular racing pilot who won every major air race at least once, recipient of both the Congressional Medal of Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom, a four-star general, and commander of both the 8th, 12th and 15th Air Forces. This memoir provides insights into the public and private world of Jimmy Doolittle and his family and sheds light on the drives and motivation of one of America's most influential and ambitious aviators.
On April 18, 1942, Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle led a flight of sixteen B-25 bombers off the flight deck of the USS Hornet on one of the most daring raids in U.S. military history, a low-level strike on Tokyo and other Japanese cities. For this heroic act, he received the Medal of Honor. But, as Dik Alan Daso convincingly argues, James H. Doolittle should be remembered as much more than a famous combat pilot. With a doctorate in aeronautics from MIT, he devoted his life to mastering the technical and practical intricacies of the most amazing new invention of his time, the airplane. In 1922, Doolittle became the first person to complete a transcontinental flight across the United States in a sing...
Originally published in 1943, this is a biography of Jimmy Doolittle (1896-1993), a highly decorated officer in the United States Army Air Corps who pioneered in all phases of aeronautical achievement and commanded the Doolittle Raid on Japan during World War II. He became the first pilot to take the “blind” out of flying and complete the “outside loop”, set numerous speed records, and won many racing trophies. Promoted to lieutenant general, he was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor and leadership as commander of the Doolittle Raid, a bold long-range retaliatory air raid on the Japanese main islands weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor. His Tokyo flight is widely regarded as one of the coups of the Second World War. Doolittle also commanded the 12th Air Force over North Africa, the 15th Air Force over the Mediterranean, and the 8th Air Force over Europe.
In April, 1942, President Roosevelt urged the military high command to prepare a devastating carrier-launch raid against the Japanese home islands. And the only person who dared to lead the mission was the best-known risk-taker in the U.S. Air Force, Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle.
Reprint of the original, first published in 1858.