Vanishing Act: The Enduring Mystery Behind the Legendary Doolittle Raid over Tokyo

by Dan Hampton

From New York Times bestselling author Dan Hampton comes the gripping, untold story of a vital secret mission set during the darkest days of the Second World War.

In the dark days after the devastating Pearl Harbor attacks during the spring of 1942, the United States was determined to show the world that the Axis was not invincible. Their bold plan? Bomb Tokyo. On April 18, 1942, sixteen B-25s, known as the Doolittle Raiders, hit targets across Japan before escaping to China.

The eighth plane, however, did not follow the other raiders. Instead, Plane 8’s pilots, Captain Edward “Ski” York and Lieutenant Bob Emmens, never attacked Tokyo, but headed across Japan to the Soviet Union, supposedly due to low fuel. Yet, this bomber was the only plane on the mission with maps of the Soviet Union aboard. And why did Plane 8’s route, recently discovered in the Japanese Imperial Archives, show them nowhere near their target? Uncovered facts reveal that bombing Tokyo was merely a cover for Plane 8’s real mission, but what was their secret objective? No one, aside from the two pilots and whomever sent them on this mission, truly knew why they were there, nor has the reason ever been revealed.

Until now.

In Vanishing Act, for the first time, New York Times bestselling author and former fighter pilot Dan Hampton definitively solves the final mystery of the Doolittle Raid with never-before-published documents and photographs in exclusive collaboration with Japanese researchers and the Raiders’ descendants.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, World War II, Military Fiction, Military History, Audiobook

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2024

About the author

U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Dan Hampton flew more than 150 combat missions during his twenty years (1986–2006) as a Wild Weasel fighter pilot. For his service in the Iraq War, Kosovo conflict, first Gulf War, and elsewhere, Colonel Hampton received four Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor, a Purple Heart, eight Air Medals with Valor, five Meritorious Service Medals, and numerous other citations. He is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School, USN Top Gun School (TOGS), and USAF Special Operations School. A recipient of several awards for tactical innovation, Hampton pioneered air-combat tactics that are now standard, and he was named his squadron's Instructor Pilot of the Year six times. Hampton served on the Air Combat Command staff in Langley, Virginia, during the 1999 Kosovo War and designed the NATO campaign that destroyed the Yugoslav army's air defenses around Sarajevo. A graduate of Texas A&M University, he has published articles in The Journal of Electronic Defense, Air Force Magazine, and Airpower magazine, as well as several classified tactical works for the USAF Fighter Weapons Review.

Reviews

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting non-fiction (maybe!) account regarding Crew #8 of the sixteen plane Doolittle Raid over Japan in 1942. Of the sixteen planes that took off from the Hornet, fifteen crash-landed or were ditched in China. Plane #8 opted to fly to the Soviet Union and landed safely at a Soviet airbase. The B-25 Mitchell bomber was confiscated by the Soviets, and the crew was interned for over a year.

This book explores the possible reason for the captain's decision to divert his plane to Soviet Union territory. The official explanation was and remains that Plane #8 was low on fuel and the pilot knew he could not make it to China.

Much of the author's conclusions are mere speculation, but some of his reasoning can be inferred from known facts. First, the pilot and co-pilot of Plane #8 did not train with the others but were brought into the group as last-minute replacements (despite there being alternates who did train with the group!). Second, the carburetors on the engines of Plane #8 had not been modified, as had those on the other fifteen planes, to increase range (but even with those unmodified carburetors, the plane had no trouble reaching a Soviet base near Vladivostok). Third, Plane #8 was the only plane of the sixteen that took off from the Hornet which carried maps of the Eastern Soviet Union.

Despite much reliance upon speculation and inference to tell the story, this book is a valuable source of history about the background of the Doolittle Raid, its preparation, and its aftermath. I recommend this book to all my Goodreads Friends interested in this genre.

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this may be difficult to believe right now, but Americans and Russians were not always best friends! In fact, during World War II, there was a real question if the then Soviet Union was going to help at all in defeating Japan. This question is at the center of Dan Hampton's Vanishing Act.

Hampton tells the story of a particular plane during the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo a few months after Pearl Harbor. If you don't know this story then I assure you it is one of the most amazing missions in military history. Action movies play on the trope of the "suicide mission" and the Doolittle Raid is a real-life version of it. Hampton is not trying to retell the entire story of the raid but to focus on the only plane that ended up in Russia. (Note: For the complete story of the raid, James M. Scott's Target Tokyo is the definitive account.) If you are a World War II nerd, Hampton's book will mostly be things you already know. He speeds through most of World War II to set up his investigation into the plane piloted by "Ski" York. Hampton is, as usual, a great writer and this is an easy read.

As far as his investigation, I would say Hampton has some good points, but I felt like he didn't do enough to discount the accepted story while building his own narrative. To put it another way, he is persuasive, but I wanted more narrative devoted to exploring how arguments against his theory could be shot down. It didn't keep me from enjoying the book and I'd especially recommend this to anyone who wants an entry point into the raid who knew nothing about it before.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.)

[SCOTT and karen geller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 3.5 stars
Sometimes a good idea for a book doesn't necessarily provide enough of a story for a full length book. That is the problem with this book. The story of Plane 8 is interesting but just not meaty enough. The author then must fill pages with other World War II history that although additive, also seems like filler and at times, especially as related to the time around Pearl Harbor, repetitive.

[Indra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opened up a whole story that I have never hear of before today. I think it is amazing that this was written down so it can be remembered for future generations.

[Tyson Wetzel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though Hampton has done a good job of researching, his argument is circumstantial and not compelling. That is fine, if he didn’t write as if he’d uncovered an incontrovertible fact. His technique of following an assertion with a single word paragraph, like “Deception” doesn’t make the argument stronger, it’s actually a lazy literary technique that I found frustrating. And I have no idea how many times he needs to remind us he was a combat pilot, but it comes off as condescending, like nobody that hasn’t flown a fighter should challenge the assertions of a combat pilot like him. Finally, he doesn’t use end notes or references, which is problematic when you are calling your arguments “facts.” Supposedly the Navigator questioned Doolittle directly about the secret mission but he doesn’t say when or where the conversation took place and where he found that quote. The premise of the book hooked me, but the writing was frustrating and he failed to convince me that there was a secret mission to the USSR. I’d recommend skipping it

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who is a history buff and for anyone who knows the amazing story of Doolittle's raid, and wants to know the extended story of a secret mission that will keep you engaged until the end of the book.

Well-researched and written, I was gobsmacked at all I was reading and all that I learned [the time in the Soviet Union, while not surprising, was very sad and frustrating and just mind-boggling]; it made me want to dive into all of the authors other books.

Very well done!!

I was able to get an audiobook for this, and I am so glad I did! The narrator was excellent [and I have added him to my favorites list], read in a clear, straightforward way and I'd recommend this audiobook to anyone!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dan Hampton, Mike Chamberlain - Narrator, St. Martin's Press, and RB Media for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

[Scott Nickels · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am blissful ignorant about most military operations, and even less knowledgeable regarding Pacific operation from World War Two. However, my interest was piqued about a little-known story concerning the Doolittle air raid over Japan. “Vanishing Act” by Dan Hampton, opens up a story regarding the one raider that landed in Soviet Russia while all the rest of the airplanes landed inside China. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. I did, in fact, learn a whole lot about not only Doolittle’ daring (daunting) raid but also about the larger global politics surrounding that period of time. And that is my only negative about this book. The saga surrounding the raid, and the mysterious flight into the Soviet Union, required the author to fill out a shorter novella length story with a whole lotta information that felt like “filler” to build a bigger book. As an ignorant reader I appreciated much of the “filler” chapters in Vanishing Act; I really, really wanted to follow the narrower ( perhaps “targeted” is a better term) about Plane 8.
Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook.

[Translator Monkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-researched, nicely written.

[Nan Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderfully informative read this was about Doolittle’s 8th bomber. This was an area of history of WWII that I had missed (or maybe forgotten) so I was pleased to get this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press.

For those of you considering the book, it covered not just the particular incident, but gave a lot of background in flight and then the trials and tribulations of preparing for war on two fronts. It was enjoyable and highly readable even though Hampton covered a lot of technical data.

Not to be missed by the history buff!

[H.W. Bernard · Rating 4 out of 5]

VANISHING ACT is a well-written, engrossing read about the single Doolittle Raider bomber that didn’t make it to China after bombing Tokyo in 1942. B-25 “Number 8,” as it’s referred to in the book, landed in far eastern Russia instead. Author Dan Hampton, a decorated Air Force veteran, makes a compelling albeit circumstantial case that the aircraft’s deviation to Russia was planned and not the result of unforeseen circumstances encountered on the famous raid. Hampton jams lots of history into VANISHING ACT— it’s interesting but sometimes slows the forward momentum of the story. The book could have used a little better editing in a couple of spots: there’s an erroneous conversion between knots and miles per hour, and the Doolittle Raiders would never had caught a glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean. That aside, if you’re a history buff, especially one interested in WWII, grab a copy VANISHING ACT.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book that describes an unknown aspect of the famous Doolittle Raid during WWII. Specifically, it explains what happened to Plane #8, the only plane on the raid to land in the Soviet Union instead of mainland China. Hampton posits a theory for an alternative mission and supplies facts to back up his theory. His discussion of the reasons behind Soviet reluctance to join the allies in the war on Japan are compelling. Most authors who discuss the reluctance of the Soviet Union to attack Japan tend to muddle through it.

The guy is a great author and I look forward to reading more of his books. I highly recommend this book.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this new history book that looks at one of the most extraordinary missions undertaken by the United States in Word War II, and how the real story has never been told.

I read alot as a child and was blessed not only with a good library in town, but a library that had an amazing amount of nonfiction books in our school. It was probably the planes that made me pick up a book about the Doolittle read in I think 5th grade. I remember it had cityscape at night, a seachlight or two aimed at a sky and a plane dropping bombs. I must have read that book 30 times. Later I read James Doolittle's biography, and numerous other books about the Second World War. If asked I would have be able to talk about the Doolittle raid, the dropping of bombs on Japan, and the landing in China. And yet it turns out a big mystery was waiting to be solved. And this is why I love history so much, because things are always coming to light. Vanishing Act: The Enduring Mystery Behind the Legendary Doolittle Raid over Tokyo by combat aviator and historian Dan Hampton offers a new view of this event, and how even a secret mission, could have even deeper secrets.

December 7th was not only a day that lived in infamy, it was also the day that America found itself a part of a war that many in the country did not want to be a part of, nor was prepared for. Just like the politics of today many wished America to be more isolationist, more stringent in keeping out immigrants, or if sides had to be picked, many would side with the fascists over the allies. The military was undermanned, understrengthed, and lacked much in the way of the current technology that was being used. Our intelligence on our enemies was lacking, with maps that were wrong, or out of date. However, America has, or had, a spirit, a fighting sprit, and it wasn't long before this country began to retool, and get on war footing. Foremost in minds was an action to show the world and ourselves, that we were in the fight. And from a simple idea, can a medium bomber launch from a carrier, not land, takeoff and land else where, an extraordinary feat of flying was born. However even in this secret plan, there were secrets, one to gain intelligence, maybe force a fight, or maybe just put a flight crew into more danger.

A work of history that in many ways reads like a thriller, with writing that puts a person in the pilot's seat, in the planning sessions, and even on the ground watching these planes overhead. Again I thought I knew about the Doolittle raid, but Hampton covers all the ideas, the efforts, the changes to the planes and the people involved. The book shows a country that once could do things, get things done without politics, getting in the way. The writing might be a little too thriller writing sometimes, but all in all Hampton covers not just the raid, but the politics, the history of Japan, Russia and America, the war, and of course the airmen. The book never lets up, never losing its momentum, and moves quite well.

Recommended for history and World War II readers as well as aviation fans. This would be the perfect book for Father's Day, or for anyone who likes to read history, especially history that is new to many. An interesting and fun read.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

How Jimmy Doolittle's Raid Connected Directly To The Atomic Bomb. On the weekend of the anniversary of the Doolittle Raid (as it has come to be known) and with conversations sparking again about whether the dropping of the bomb was necessary or not, I had an opportunity to read this book - which admittedly won't release until the day after Memorial Day here in the US. (For everyone else, this book's release date is the last Tuesday of May 2024.)

Here, Hampton adds a wrinkle to the discussion of the bomb by revealing what had previously been hidden about the Doolittle Raid - a *second* mission, known only to the pilot of the plane and to Doolittle's own boss, to gauge just how ready the Soviet Union was to actually engage in warfare against Japan. Here, Hampton argues that the plane that for 80 years had been believed to have gotten lost... knew *exactly* where it was going and largely *exactly* what it was doing. Or, at least the one driving it did - and he relayed those instructions to those whose help he absolutely needed, his copilot and his navigator, and *no one* else. As in, the bomber's bomber and gunners didn't know of this secret mission. According to Hampton here, at least.

That the crew of "Plane 8" landed in the Soviet Union and was there imprisoned for a time before being repatriated back to the US has been known effectively since the events happened over 80 years ago - at least by then current communication standards, particularly during a time of global war.

But just what they were *actually* doing is new here - and because of what they found on that mission, we now have better information about what the various Generals and civilian leadership knew or thought they knew in the closing months of the war, as J. Robert Oppenheimer and his teams on the Manhattan Project were finalizing their new weapon. We now know what Roosevelt, MacArthur, Stinson, and Arnold knew about Soviet capabilities in the Far East... because this secret secondary mission got them the data they needed, three years prior. We now know that even if they had heard - as at least some claim - as early as February 1945 that Japan may possibly consider surrendering so long as the Emperor was kept in control of at least the Shinto religion (as, ultimately, is exactly what happened on Sept 2, 1945 on the USS Missouri), that even if they had heard this that the Soviet Union was not yet able to put the kind of resources into the region that may have made even Japan's own war hawks reconsider their actual options.

This is a harrowing tale, very well told - in some respects, it reads as easily as fiction, yet gives a complete picture of all that was happening in and around the Doolittle Raid, specifically as it relates to this second, secret, mission.

The one problem I have, at least with this early edition I read, was that the bibliography is lacking, clocking in at just 10% of the available text. Even with original research as the basis of the claims of this book - and that is indeed the case here - one would still expect that number to be perhaps at least 50% higher to meet the bare minimums of being described as adequately documented given the explosive nature of the claims contained herein.

Overall a truly well written and apparently well researched tale that just needed a touch more documentation. Very much recommended.

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan Hampton's "Vanishing Act: The Enduring Mystery Behind the Legendary Doolittle Raid over Tokyo" is a riveting exploration of one of World War II's most daring missions, offering a fresh perspective on a well-known historical event. Hampton, a retired fighter pilot and bestselling author, delves deep into the untold story of the eighth plane in the Doolittle Raid, uncovering a secret mission that has remained hidden for over 80 years. The book masterfully weaves together the broader context of the Doolittle Raid with the specific mystery of Plane 8, piloted by Captain Edward "Ski" York and Lieutenant Bob Emmens. While the other 15 planes bombed Tokyo and escaped to China, Plane 8 headed towards the Soviet Union, ostensibly due to low fuel. Hampton's meticulous research, including newly discovered documents from the Japanese Imperial Archives, reveals that this deviation was no accident. Hampton's writing style is engaging and accessible, making complex military strategies and historical details easy to digest for both history buffs and casual readers alike. He paints a vivid picture of the tense atmosphere following the Pearl Harbor attack and the United States' determination to strike back at Japan. The author's expertise as a former fighter pilot lends credibility to his analysis of flight plans and mission objectives. His collaboration with Japanese researchers and the Raiders' descendants adds depth and authenticity to the narrative, providing multiple perspectives on this pivotal moment in history. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of "Vanishing Act" is Hampton's assertion that Plane 8's true mission was to assess Soviet readiness to engage Japan in warfare. This revelation adds a new dimension to our understanding of the strategic calculations behind the atomic bombings that ended the war. While some readers might desire more extensive documentation to support Hampton's claims, the book's narrative strength lies in its ability to read like a thrilling spy novel while maintaining historical accuracy. “Vanishing Act" is a must-read for World War II enthusiasts and anyone interested in untold stories of military ingenuity and bravery. Hampton's work not only solves a long-standing mystery but also provides valuable insights into the complex geopolitical landscape of World War II's Pacific theater.

[Homerun2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a well-researched glimpse of the minutiae of war -- a look at an incident involving a single plane and an interaction in WWII with the Soviet Union. The author is a retired fighter pilot and his descriptive writing leaves no doubt that he flew these planes and experienced what he is telling about.

The story of Doolittle's Raiders is fairly well-known, although probably mostly forgotten now. After Pearl Harbor, the Allies desperately wanted a grand gesture to demonstrate their resolve, so 16 medium bombers daringly took off from an aircraft carrier -- something that had never been done -- to bomb targets in Japan. But wrapped up in that story in this smaller tale. There was one more plane that was on a secret mission to Russia. The author searched old WWII archives to find out the real story.

A couple of minor issues: There are several repetitive sections in the book, sometimes almost word for word. This was a pre-pub review e-edition so maybe that will get fixed. I also found it puzzling that one of the most famous associations of the Doolittle Raiders -- the story of the Raiders' reunion goblets, was left out here. In an otherwise pretty complete account, it's a somewhat glaring omission as part of their legend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was the second of two books dealing with the American Navy during World War II, but this one focused on the Pacific theater, specifically the run up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the entrance of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan. I actually knew nothing about the Doolittle Raid over Tokyo and the subsequent capture of one of the fighter planes that ended up off course and landed in the Soviet Union, so I learned a lot.

Much like Lachman in Codename, Hampton provides great insight not only into the actual events at the heart of the book, but also pays a great deal of attention to the lead up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. And as in Codename, where I learned a lot about carriers and subs, this book provided insight into the early planes and all the intricacies of flying bombers off a carrier ship to great distances. It is truly amazing what these pilots and navigators did in a time before GPS!

This was another book I would highly recommend as an audiobook. The background details and the history of the tensions between the U.S, Japan, and the U.S.S.R is expertly weaved into another gripping story about the raid. Mike Chamberlain’s narration is even and he provides the right amount of excitement in the dangerous parts.


This is another one I would put on

[Scott Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid overview of the Doolittle Raid, with the allusion to the full story behind the one B-25 that diverted to Russia. Originally, the story was that the plane had to divert. However, history would show that the US always planned to divert that plane to Russia, if only to figure out what Stalin’s views on the war and how he might eventually be persuaded to support the war against Japan, or would he support Japan against the US. The plane was basically a separate secret operation within a larger secret operation to bomb Japan. That wrap up is at the end of the text. Meanwhile, the rest of the work takes the reader in a chronological recount of the war against Japan and the planning and execution of the Doolittle Raid. Eventually, the plane that diverted to Russia did get back to the US, but the intelligence value was maybe not what was originally thought. The Soviets never let the US use Kamchatka as a base of operations, but the USSR did not surrender the US flyers to the Japanese, even as both had a tenuous truce. The main plot is a bit conspiratorial, but Hampton does present solid evidence for his assertions. The nature of that flight has not been widely publicized, but it was a part of the war. A small part, but one worth a review. A solid read.

[Terri Wangard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew one of the Doolittle planes ended up in the Soviet Union and the crew interned, but nothing more than the bare fact. Plane 8 didn’t go to Russia because they were low on fuel or lost. They were on a secret mission that not even the navigator knew about.

Hap Arnold wanted to establish air bases in the Soviets’ Maritime Province, but needed to know what the Russians had there. A bomber could join Doolittle’s raid and fly to Soviet territory instead of China. The experienced pilots could do an aerial survey followed by a ground assessment with the Russians revealing only what they wished.

Stalin want to avoid any action giving the Japanese a pretext to invade. He could have killed the American crew or turned them over to Japan. It was a risk that Arnold and the pilots believed was worth taking.

Interspersed with segments about the crew’s experience is a concise history of World War II and events leading to it. The fate of all the raiders is detailed, as well as how wartime events during the crew’s captivity affected their fate. Very educational.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all know the story of the Doolittle Raid - or do we? In this book, Dan Hampton takes us on a journey with plane 8 - one that had a different, secret mission. It was kept in the strictest of confidences, and never talked about. The pilots of the flight, took the secrets to the graves. However, through historical evidence, this story is slowly being brought together.

I absolutely LOVED this book! WWII is a fascinating subject to read about, and the Doolittle Raid is one of the more famous aspects of the war. Through warfare, there are always secrets that are kept, and some are just waiting to be told - such as this one. The raid itself was full of danger and uncertainty, but this next level twist was even more dangerous, as no one knew these brave men were headed on a different mission, and one that could prove to be quite deadly.

Once I started, I could not put it down. I learned so much through this book, and look forward to doing another read through it, so that I can mark, notate and dive into some other areas of research. Be prepared to learn an entirely new lesson in history, with an adventure that will leave you spinning!

[Drtaxsacto · Rating 5 out of 5]

About six months after Pearl Harbor a group of American fliers mounted an attack on Tokyo about six months after Pearl Harbor. The total physical damage to the Japanese capitol was tiny in comparison to the havoc done to the US naval base in Hawaii but the the psychological damage to the Japanese effort was immense.

But there was a side story to this daring raid. One of the Mitchell Bombers diverted from the the path to Tokyo and flew on a separate mission to the USSR. And for a very long time the purpose of the diversion remained obscure.

Hampton does a couple of things to clear up the mission. First he presents a detailed history of the 79 raiders and their fates. But as important is his description of the complex interactions of the Second World War and the interactions of the allies and the axis. Finally, in the epilogue Hampton presents some compelling data of the essential involvement in the allied war effort - including the monumental level of materials supplied by the US economy.

For some this book might present a lot of detail but for me it is a stunning demonstration of the efficacy of comprehensive research.

[Cordelicacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Towards the end of the book, I felt like I was watching a movie. I was very interested in the fate of the main characters and hoping for a Hollywood ending. I had even cast Damian Lewis (the actor from Band of Brothers) as Ski York in my head.

I had heard of the Dolittle Raiders through other books, mainly those focused on China and World War II, but it was interesting to read a book that was focused specifically on them and the context of their mission. The big side bar about Plane 8 was also very interesting and gave the reader extra insight into intelligence gathering and the geopolitics of the time.

I was struck at how few of the planned targets in Japan were successfully hit and how uncertain the pilots were about their location after they made landfall in Japan and the USSR. The book explained that the planes were flying very low to the ground (~50 ft) much of the time, and this limited their ability to observe the geography and compare it to to maps, but it also spoke to how low-tech their systems were at the time.

[Russell Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

HAMPTON HITS ANOTHER HOME RUN!

Once again, Dan Hampton has treated readers to a little slice of relatively unknown history; this time dealing with the forgotten part of the famous "Doolittle Raid" against Tokyo and mainland Japan in 1942, only months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He lays an excellent historical groundwork of how woefully unprepared the USA was, both industrially and militarily, leading up to its entry into the war, as well as the overall geopolitical stage on which the drama was about to unfold. The passages dealing specifically with dashing across Japan at treetop level and the perils inherent in that are nothing less than superb, almost as if Hampton had been at the controls of a B-25 himself. I highly recommend this work for the serious or even casual student of military/aviation history. Very well done and thoroughly enjoyable!

RUSSELL L. GREER, Author of "Poor Man's Fight: The Odyssey of a World War II Bomber Crew"

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Doolittle Raid has always fascinated me…what a bold plan to fly B-25s off an aircraft carrier and bomb Tokyo. Captain Edward “Ski” York and Lieutenant Bob Emmens, the pilots for plane 8, never attacked Tokyo but crossed Japan and landed in Russia, where the crew was interned. There was always a question about why they ended up in Russia. Was it a secret mission? Former fighter pilot Dan Hampton solves the mystery with the help of Japanese researchers.

I highly recommend this book to my fellow WWII aviation enthusiasts. It’s a fascinating journey that will leave you wanting to explore more, perhaps even visit a CAF museum.

Thank you for an advanced copy, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a ARC giveaway book, and it was great! I already knew some information about the Doolittle Raid, and this book filled in the rest. I found it engaging, informative, and fun to read. The material wasn't provided in a stuffy way like some history books can be, instead it was nicely paced, and easy to get engrossed in, and I just kept reading to find out what happened next. I also liked how the footnotes were placed at the bottom of each relevant page, and the appendices were helpful in filling in some questions that I had about some of the material presented. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of WW2, or just in general history of the time period, since it was so engaging of a read.

[Joseph H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a bit of the detail contained in this book was lost on me since I’m not an aviator or a historical WW II historian. Interesting WW II story that I never heard of before. First bombing of Japan and a secret mission for one plane to divert to Russia to gain intelligence on the Soviet Union’s geography for future airbases and on the geopolitical situation.

The most interesting for me was the story of the flight crews internment in Russia and how they ultimately made it back to the USA.

If you are an aviator you may be interested in the copious amount of aviation detail or if your a WW II buff you may also find this good read.

Me being neither had a hard time plowing thru the detail to get to the story line. Could of been a short story for me.

[Randall Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt that this book was very overblown - it should have been an article, not a whole book. Turns out the "mystery" is really pretty minor, and not worthy of a full book treatment. There's a lot of filler about the war and the raid to "fluff" the story out to book length, and those parts are only useful to someone who knows nothing about either. There are much better books out there about the raid and/or the Pacific war. I also am embarrassed to say I felt a little snookered - I thought this book was by Hampton Sides (someone who's books I've read and enjoyded a lot), and I didn't realize until I finished it that it was by Dan Hampton. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you're a complete Doolittle Raid geek.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was difficult to stop reading the final third of Vanishing Act that details the experience of Plane 8's crew in the USSR, it was a fascinating look into Stalin's Soviet Union. Prior to this point, the story is often interrupted by background, to help the reader understand the climates that events were occurring under, but these asides were lengthy at times and gave the book a disjointed feel. I recieved an advanced reader copy, so the flow in the final published version may be more fluid.
I recieved an advanced reader's copy through Goodreads giveaways.

[Michael Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story. Never heard this aspect of the Doolittle raid and it was very interesting. Starts off slow, driving in a bit more detail than I enjoy as he tried to paint the picture. To me it would have been more interesting to paint the overall story in more detail than random deep details on things. Closing arguments is how he built out his “proof” section of his research. While interesting, it seemed a little forced. Overall enjoyed the book, just think a a few sections could be stronger

[JOHN PHILIP BROWN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book, but not completely accurate

I noticed several inaccuracies:

1.) The author says that HMS Repulse & HMS Prince Of Wales were sunk by planes flying out of Japan. In fact, the G3Ms (Nells) & G4Ms (Bettys) flew from airfields in French Indo China (Vietnam).

2.) The part I'm reading now says that Singapore fell while Plane #8 was flying over Honshu on it's way to Russia. Singapore fell 2 months (mid-Feb 1942) before the Doolittle Raid.

[S C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew nothing about the Doolittle Raid, so likewise was unaware of the lone plane to have landed in Russia. The theory that this was planned seems very plausible. Not sure if there is much controversy surrounding it, though. Certainly not 80 years later. I learned a lot about WWII from the book. I think it would be quite insightful for those who are only familiar with the basic plot of the war.