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Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor
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. 16 pages of illustrations
"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. 16 pages of illustrations
672 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2015
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James M. Scott
17 books136 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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January 2, 2021
“[Signal Officer Edgar] Osborne watched the Hornet’s bow so as to release [Colonel James] Doolittle just as the carrier began to dive down the face of a wave. The time required for a B-25 to traverse the flight deck meant that the bomber would reach the bow on the upswing, catapulting the plane into the air. Osborne dropped the flag and Doolittle released the brakes. The bomber roared down the flight deck at 8:20 a.m. ‘The scream of those engines, the excitement and urgency, made an incredible sight. I was lying face down on the wet deck, clutching the tiedown plates to keep from being blown by the terrific wind. When Doolittle’s B-25 began to move, it seemed unreal,’ [Ross] Greening later wrote. ‘I had chills running up and down my spine…’ Doolittle’s left wheels hugged the white line that ran down the deck. He passed fifty feet, then one hundred. Then two hundred. ‘He’ll never make it,’ someone shouted. The bomber charged toward the end of the flight deck and then appeared to vanish…”
- James Scott, Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid that Avenged Pearl Harbor
On the last night of his life, American airman Billy Farrow wrote a series of letters, the last of which was meant for his girlfriend of two years, Elizabeth Sims. The letter is simple, graceful, and shockingly free of bitterness, considering that Farrow had been sentenced to death by the Japanese military.
“You are to me the only girl that would have meant the condition of my life,” he wrote. “I have realized the kind of life being married to you would have meant to me and to both of us, and I know we would have found complete happiness.” And then, in a line that perfectly encapsulates the smallness of human life in the midst of cataclysmic world war, he continues: “It is a pity we were born in this day and age.”
Farrow was one of “Doolittle’s Raiders.” He and 79 of his companions, under the command of famed aviator and daredevil Lt. Col. James Doolittle, had launched a surprise bombing raid on Tokyo in retaliation for the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.
The raid had been audaciously conceived and recklessly executed. Sixteen Army Air Force B-25 Mitchell bombers, each with a five-man crew and four bombs, took off from the carrier U.S.S. Hornet. The plan (concocted by a naval captain) was for the bombers to take off from a carrier, drop their payloads over Tokyo and other Japanese cities, fly to China where they’d land at emergency airfields in occupied-territory, refuel, and then push further inland.
A B-25 bomber struggles off the deck of the USS Hornet on April 18, 1942
Things went awry when Japanese picket boats spotted the American convoy heading towards the mainland, some 200 miles before the launch point. Doolittle went ahead anyway, knowing that his men wouldn’t have the fuel to make it to the Chinese landing strips. The planes all launched successfully from the Hornet, caught the Japanese air defenses by surprise, and got away safely. That is when the real odyssey began.
This story, and much more, is the subject of James M. Scott’s magisterial Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid that Avenged Pearl Harbor.
I will be very honest in saying that this is a book I almost did not pick up. The title alone is a turn-off, like something from an RKO Pictures film. I feared this would be a Father’s Day kind of book. A simplistic tale of heroism and vengeance and American exceptionalism. I don’t have much interest in rah-rah jingoistic paeans. If I want propaganda, I’ll look at an old war bonds poster. The only thing that caught my attention was the prodigious length: 480 pages of text, exclusive of endnotes and index. Nearly 500 pages on a mission that is a mere footnote in the larger course of World War II? Something had to be going on, I thought. This is the work of an obsessive, and I dig obsessives.
The Doolittle Raid has been covered before, most famously by pilot Ted W. Lawson, who lost his leg following the crash landing of his plane, the Ruptured Duck, and wrote the celebrated Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, which later became a pretty good movie. It also featured in Michael Bay’s execrable 2000 film Pearl Harbor, appended as a feel-good tag to a picture otherwise focused on a notable American defeat. I feel comfortable saying that this is the last book that needs be written on the subject. Scott covers this material from every angle and perspective. Target Tokyo is comprehensive, exhaustive, and beautifully written.
Scott begins in the shadow of Pearl Harbor. America is reeling from the loss of four battleships (two permanently), nearly 200 planes, and over two thousands men. The Philippines are under attack. Wake Island has been captured. President Roosevelt wants to hit back, if for no other reason than to lift the flagging spirits of his country. Enter Jimmy Doolittle and his Raiders.
Famed aviator and Hennessy connoisseur, James Doolittle
Scott covers the conceptualization of the raid, as well as the training. His account of the bombing mission itself is insanely detailed. It is literally a bomb-by-bomb account that tells you which plane’s bombs hit which targets, what kind of damage that caused, and how many people died. There are moments when he connects individual Japanese casualties to the bomb from the plane that killed them. This makes for an incredibly intimate description of an otherwise lethally indiscriminate mode of warfare.
The bulk of the narrative is spent on the escape of the Raiders. Of the sixteen planes, fifteen crash-landed and one disobeyed orders and flew to Russia. (While allied with the U.S. against Germany, the U.S.S.R. was – at this point – scrupulously maintaining neutrality with Japan). The story of the aircrew interned in Russia makes for pretty good black comedy. It’s Sartre viewed through the prism of Heller. For the other 75 men, it was a vastly different experience.
Doolittle Raider Robert Hite is blindfolded and led into captivity
Three men died during the crash landings. Most of the rest escaped, aided by Chinese soldiers and civilians, who later paid a heavy price for their efforts. Eight men were captured, and their tale comprises the most fraught sections. At one point, they were taken to the infamous Bridge House jail in Shanghai. The conditions were near unendurable:
The Doolittle Raiders were mistreated, tortured, and forced to sit through a sham trial that convicted them all of war crimes. Three, including Billy Farrow, were executed by firing squad.
The aftermath of the raid, including the plight of the captives, is Scott’s true focus. He devotes space to the propaganda campaigns run by both the Japanese and the United States. He follows the Raiders once they return home, the ex-P.O.W.s suffering from what we’d now recognize as PTSD. He even takes us to the party Doolittle threw in 1947 at a Miami hotel where – according to a memo written by the hotel’s night manager, which Scott helpfully excerpts – there was women, booze, and a swimming pool.
This party, promised by Doolittle from the start, grew into a yearly tradition. Doolittle even donated a bottle of 1896 Hennessy cognac (from the year he was born) to be drank by the last two surviving Raiders. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything to say that Scott closes this book with the last three survivors opening up that cognac and drinking their toast.
In a typical book, that final gesture would have been the culmination of a theme. The old heroes tossing one back to fallen comrades.
This is not a typical book.
In its latter half, Target Tokyo forces you to question the necessity of a mission that has become a cherished hallmark in U.S. military history. He takes us back to China, where the Japanese retribution – which the U.S. knew was coming – fell hard on the villages that assisted Doolittle’s men. An estimated 250,000 Chinese men, women, and children were killed, making the Nazi vengeance at Lidice look like a schoolyard game of bombardment. There are times when a number gets so large that it loses meaning. It’s far easier to empathize with the seven named Raiders who perished than with the quarter-million nameless Chinese who represented the collateral damage. Scott isn’t able to identify them, but he gives a searing portrait of the Japanese rampage through their lives. It was, in short, a reprise of the Rape of Nanking. Villages leveled. Mass executions. Biological warfare.
All this, for what amounted to a propaganda coup. A raid of no material consequence. Sixteen planes and 64 bombs. Later in the war, LeMay would hurl as many as 500 B-29s at Japanese targets, each with five times the payload of Doolittle’s B-25s. Perhaps the raid goaded Yamamoto into the Midway campaign. Perhaps. But the cost in lives seems disproportionate to its achieved goals.
Scott never makes an argument either way. He gives you every scrap of information he’s unearthed and threads it into a narrative that is structured to leave you asking the question yourself. Without being blatant, he overlays an ethical framework over the unrestrained hell of World War II. By the end, Target Tokyo becomes more than a story of a gutsy raid by nerveless airmen; it turns into a deep mediation on the moral choices inherent in war.
- James Scott, Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid that Avenged Pearl Harbor
On the last night of his life, American airman Billy Farrow wrote a series of letters, the last of which was meant for his girlfriend of two years, Elizabeth Sims. The letter is simple, graceful, and shockingly free of bitterness, considering that Farrow had been sentenced to death by the Japanese military.
“You are to me the only girl that would have meant the condition of my life,” he wrote. “I have realized the kind of life being married to you would have meant to me and to both of us, and I know we would have found complete happiness.” And then, in a line that perfectly encapsulates the smallness of human life in the midst of cataclysmic world war, he continues: “It is a pity we were born in this day and age.”
Farrow was one of “Doolittle’s Raiders.” He and 79 of his companions, under the command of famed aviator and daredevil Lt. Col. James Doolittle, had launched a surprise bombing raid on Tokyo in retaliation for the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.
The raid had been audaciously conceived and recklessly executed. Sixteen Army Air Force B-25 Mitchell bombers, each with a five-man crew and four bombs, took off from the carrier U.S.S. Hornet. The plan (concocted by a naval captain) was for the bombers to take off from a carrier, drop their payloads over Tokyo and other Japanese cities, fly to China where they’d land at emergency airfields in occupied-territory, refuel, and then push further inland.
A B-25 bomber struggles off the deck of the USS Hornet on April 18, 1942
Things went awry when Japanese picket boats spotted the American convoy heading towards the mainland, some 200 miles before the launch point. Doolittle went ahead anyway, knowing that his men wouldn’t have the fuel to make it to the Chinese landing strips. The planes all launched successfully from the Hornet, caught the Japanese air defenses by surprise, and got away safely. That is when the real odyssey began.
This story, and much more, is the subject of James M. Scott’s magisterial Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid that Avenged Pearl Harbor.
I will be very honest in saying that this is a book I almost did not pick up. The title alone is a turn-off, like something from an RKO Pictures film. I feared this would be a Father’s Day kind of book. A simplistic tale of heroism and vengeance and American exceptionalism. I don’t have much interest in rah-rah jingoistic paeans. If I want propaganda, I’ll look at an old war bonds poster. The only thing that caught my attention was the prodigious length: 480 pages of text, exclusive of endnotes and index. Nearly 500 pages on a mission that is a mere footnote in the larger course of World War II? Something had to be going on, I thought. This is the work of an obsessive, and I dig obsessives.
The Doolittle Raid has been covered before, most famously by pilot Ted W. Lawson, who lost his leg following the crash landing of his plane, the Ruptured Duck, and wrote the celebrated Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, which later became a pretty good movie. It also featured in Michael Bay’s execrable 2000 film Pearl Harbor, appended as a feel-good tag to a picture otherwise focused on a notable American defeat. I feel comfortable saying that this is the last book that needs be written on the subject. Scott covers this material from every angle and perspective. Target Tokyo is comprehensive, exhaustive, and beautifully written.
Scott begins in the shadow of Pearl Harbor. America is reeling from the loss of four battleships (two permanently), nearly 200 planes, and over two thousands men. The Philippines are under attack. Wake Island has been captured. President Roosevelt wants to hit back, if for no other reason than to lift the flagging spirits of his country. Enter Jimmy Doolittle and his Raiders.
Famed aviator and Hennessy connoisseur, James Doolittle
Scott covers the conceptualization of the raid, as well as the training. His account of the bombing mission itself is insanely detailed. It is literally a bomb-by-bomb account that tells you which plane’s bombs hit which targets, what kind of damage that caused, and how many people died. There are moments when he connects individual Japanese casualties to the bomb from the plane that killed them. This makes for an incredibly intimate description of an otherwise lethally indiscriminate mode of warfare.
The bulk of the narrative is spent on the escape of the Raiders. Of the sixteen planes, fifteen crash-landed and one disobeyed orders and flew to Russia. (While allied with the U.S. against Germany, the U.S.S.R. was – at this point – scrupulously maintaining neutrality with Japan). The story of the aircrew interned in Russia makes for pretty good black comedy. It’s Sartre viewed through the prism of Heller. For the other 75 men, it was a vastly different experience.
Doolittle Raider Robert Hite is blindfolded and led into captivity
Three men died during the crash landings. Most of the rest escaped, aided by Chinese soldiers and civilians, who later paid a heavy price for their efforts. Eight men were captured, and their tale comprises the most fraught sections. At one point, they were taken to the infamous Bridge House jail in Shanghai. The conditions were near unendurable:
Prisoners broiled in the summer heat and froze throughout the winter. A starvation diet of watery rice and a few ounces of bread caused fillings to fall out of teeth, and some inmates suffered vision loss. One Chinese prisoner starved to death after going twenty-five days without food. Filth was a constant. There were no baths, no haircuts, no shaves. Prisoners filed down their fingernails by rubbing them against the concrete walls. The Japanese guards refused to provide females with sanitary napkins, leaving them with bloodstained legs and dresses that served as a source of endless amusement for the guards. Fleas, lice, and centipedes swarmed the cells, and rats often tugged at the hair of sleeping captives. Disease was rampant, from dysentery and tuberculosis to leprosy. The communal latrine forced others to witness the horrific and untreated venereal diseases some prisoners suffered.
The Doolittle Raiders were mistreated, tortured, and forced to sit through a sham trial that convicted them all of war crimes. Three, including Billy Farrow, were executed by firing squad.
The aftermath of the raid, including the plight of the captives, is Scott’s true focus. He devotes space to the propaganda campaigns run by both the Japanese and the United States. He follows the Raiders once they return home, the ex-P.O.W.s suffering from what we’d now recognize as PTSD. He even takes us to the party Doolittle threw in 1947 at a Miami hotel where – according to a memo written by the hotel’s night manager, which Scott helpfully excerpts – there was women, booze, and a swimming pool.
This party, promised by Doolittle from the start, grew into a yearly tradition. Doolittle even donated a bottle of 1896 Hennessy cognac (from the year he was born) to be drank by the last two surviving Raiders. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything to say that Scott closes this book with the last three survivors opening up that cognac and drinking their toast.
In a typical book, that final gesture would have been the culmination of a theme. The old heroes tossing one back to fallen comrades.
This is not a typical book.
In its latter half, Target Tokyo forces you to question the necessity of a mission that has become a cherished hallmark in U.S. military history. He takes us back to China, where the Japanese retribution – which the U.S. knew was coming – fell hard on the villages that assisted Doolittle’s men. An estimated 250,000 Chinese men, women, and children were killed, making the Nazi vengeance at Lidice look like a schoolyard game of bombardment. There are times when a number gets so large that it loses meaning. It’s far easier to empathize with the seven named Raiders who perished than with the quarter-million nameless Chinese who represented the collateral damage. Scott isn’t able to identify them, but he gives a searing portrait of the Japanese rampage through their lives. It was, in short, a reprise of the Rape of Nanking. Villages leveled. Mass executions. Biological warfare.
All this, for what amounted to a propaganda coup. A raid of no material consequence. Sixteen planes and 64 bombs. Later in the war, LeMay would hurl as many as 500 B-29s at Japanese targets, each with five times the payload of Doolittle’s B-25s. Perhaps the raid goaded Yamamoto into the Midway campaign. Perhaps. But the cost in lives seems disproportionate to its achieved goals.
Scott never makes an argument either way. He gives you every scrap of information he’s unearthed and threads it into a narrative that is structured to leave you asking the question yourself. Without being blatant, he overlays an ethical framework over the unrestrained hell of World War II. By the end, Target Tokyo becomes more than a story of a gutsy raid by nerveless airmen; it turns into a deep mediation on the moral choices inherent in war.
August 17, 2025
Returning the Favour
Following the shocking attack on Pearl Harbour on 07/12/1941, the USA was not ready straight away to engage Imperial Japan. But the attack could not go unanswered. What the Americans came up with was risky, outrageous, broke every rule in the military book, but utterly fantastic. They would fly 16 B-25 bombers from an aircraft carrier, bomb Tokyo and then carry on towards China where they would bail out of the planes, avoid Japanese troops and then find their way home. The Doolittle Raid as it was to be known, after the brilliant and charismatic, but tiny Lieutenant-Colonel James Doolittle, who engineered and led the expedition, took place on 18/04/1942. It wasted resources, risks the lives of some of the most talented pilots in the USA, caused next to no damage and provided absolutely no strategic advantage whatsoever. But it was a complete success. It boosted the morale of the American public whilst causing fear in Japan. A sleeping giant had been awoken.
I was impressed with Target Tokyo. It is inspiring, exciting and horrifying all at the same time. Doolittle and the rest of the crews involved where brave and talented men. Events such as Pearl Harbour bring people together, and this brought the best out of them. Doolittle was a pioneer and a genius, he was able to teach the crews how to fly army bombers off aircraft carriers. This ensured that they could sneak upon Japan in away that no one could expect. This was the key to the success, as Japan only expected an attack from the west, the USSR or China the ability to launch such a raid was a huge physiological factor in the Battle of Midway just two months later, the turning point of the war. Following the bombing the fate of the crews is tense and varied. Some got to China and were safe, one flew to Russia and were interred, others were captured. Some executed and other imprisoned until the end of the war. There is real recognition of the brutality of the Japanese here and the burden of China in the war, which are to be appreciated.
Target Tokyo is well written, James M Scott knows how to write history. The men involved have made their way into history and the raid will never be allowed to be forgotten by Americans. I suspect this is a story well told in the USA for me, an Englishman it’s lesser known but still considered to be greatly important. My criticism of the book is that it is aimed towards an American audience, so there is only a sweeping context to Pearl Harbour. I appreciate why the author has done this though. There also no references or footnotes, for the more serious historian. Otherwise Target Tokyo is a fantastic book on one of the greatest stories of retribution.
Following the shocking attack on Pearl Harbour on 07/12/1941, the USA was not ready straight away to engage Imperial Japan. But the attack could not go unanswered. What the Americans came up with was risky, outrageous, broke every rule in the military book, but utterly fantastic. They would fly 16 B-25 bombers from an aircraft carrier, bomb Tokyo and then carry on towards China where they would bail out of the planes, avoid Japanese troops and then find their way home. The Doolittle Raid as it was to be known, after the brilliant and charismatic, but tiny Lieutenant-Colonel James Doolittle, who engineered and led the expedition, took place on 18/04/1942. It wasted resources, risks the lives of some of the most talented pilots in the USA, caused next to no damage and provided absolutely no strategic advantage whatsoever. But it was a complete success. It boosted the morale of the American public whilst causing fear in Japan. A sleeping giant had been awoken.
I was impressed with Target Tokyo. It is inspiring, exciting and horrifying all at the same time. Doolittle and the rest of the crews involved where brave and talented men. Events such as Pearl Harbour bring people together, and this brought the best out of them. Doolittle was a pioneer and a genius, he was able to teach the crews how to fly army bombers off aircraft carriers. This ensured that they could sneak upon Japan in away that no one could expect. This was the key to the success, as Japan only expected an attack from the west, the USSR or China the ability to launch such a raid was a huge physiological factor in the Battle of Midway just two months later, the turning point of the war. Following the bombing the fate of the crews is tense and varied. Some got to China and were safe, one flew to Russia and were interred, others were captured. Some executed and other imprisoned until the end of the war. There is real recognition of the brutality of the Japanese here and the burden of China in the war, which are to be appreciated.
Target Tokyo is well written, James M Scott knows how to write history. The men involved have made their way into history and the raid will never be allowed to be forgotten by Americans. I suspect this is a story well told in the USA for me, an Englishman it’s lesser known but still considered to be greatly important. My criticism of the book is that it is aimed towards an American audience, so there is only a sweeping context to Pearl Harbour. I appreciate why the author has done this though. There also no references or footnotes, for the more serious historian. Otherwise Target Tokyo is a fantastic book on one of the greatest stories of retribution.
January 23, 2016
Mr. Scott has written a very readable, exhaustively researched look at the U.S.'s first strike on the home islands of the Empire of Japan in World War II. The author tells the story from its genesis in a comment FDR made shortly after Pearl Harbor that he wanted to strike the Japanese home islands to the final release of the raiders that Japan had captured after the war had ended. This book could well be subtitled, “Everything you wanted to know about the Doolittle Raid, but were afraid to ask” to paraphrase a famous title from the '60s.
In telling of the raid, Mr. Scott also tells James Doolittle’s story. He looks at where he came from, his qualifications to both lead the raid and decide on the aircraft to be used, what modifications the aircraft needed, select the aircrew to fly on the mission etc. Contrary to common understanding, the people selected to fly the mission were not the best of the best. Almost all of them came from one bomb group, the 17th. That group not elite in any way and just happened to be the only one flying the B-25 at the time.
In telling the story the author also includes various tidbits that I found fascinating. For instance when the carriers were discovered by Japanese picket boats, one of the accompanying cruisers, the USS Nashville, was tasked to sink it with naval gunfire. Much to the embarrassment of the Nashville’s skipper it took more than 800 rounds of main gun ammunition to accomplish this task. The author also tells Doolittle’s reaction when he realized that all of the B-25s had been lost on the raid. He felt that he would be court martialed and dismissed from the service – if he was lucky. He was given a pep talk by his crew chief and returned to the U.S. to a promotion to Brigadier General and a Medal of Honor.
The author also includes quite a few pages on the Japanese preparations for an air attack and the schism between the Navy and the Army. The leader to the Navy, Adm Yamamoto, was concerned about the possibility and did what he could to prepare in face of the Army’s almost total disregard of the possibility. This included stationing picket boats well into the Pacific.
The raid itself occurs about half way through the narrative. The rest tells the story of two crews that fell into Japanese hands and the one crew that diverted to the Soviet Union and the Japanese reaction to the raid. I found the story of the crew the diverted to the USSR really fascinating. To say they weren’t treated as heroes is an understatement. They were interned by the Soviets and kept in deplorable conditions and moved several times. Finally they were moved close enough to the Iranian border, they escaped to Iran in 1943. The author felt that they were allowed to escape to let the USSR off the hook with the US gov’t.
The story of the 8 captured crewmen is also told in detail. 3 were eventually executed for war crimes, 1 died in captivity and 4 were eventually released after the war. In some ways their story is the hardest to read. All four of the men who survived had trouble adjusting to a freedom and one of them had such a hard time he returned to the United States in a strait jacket! In telling the story of the prisoners, Mr. Scott also tells the fate of the Japanese commanders who were in charge of them. 4 were prosecuted for war crime and convicted – though there sentences were fairly lite.
Finally in telling the story, Mr. Scott also tells of the fate of the Chinese who assisted the Raiders. The Japanese reaction in some ways made the Rape of Nanking look like minor misunderstanding. The Japanese were absolutely ruthless in dealing with the Chinese populations in areas they controlled. They killed an estimated 250,000 Chinese in retaliation.
All in all this is an excellent look at the Raid, it’s political beginnings, the actual nuts and bolts on how it was carried out, the effect on morale in both the U.S. and in Japan and finally he takes on the question of "Was it worth it?" considering the Japanese reaction and the lack of military results that were inherent in the such a minor raid - A definite 5 star read.
In telling of the raid, Mr. Scott also tells James Doolittle’s story. He looks at where he came from, his qualifications to both lead the raid and decide on the aircraft to be used, what modifications the aircraft needed, select the aircrew to fly on the mission etc. Contrary to common understanding, the people selected to fly the mission were not the best of the best. Almost all of them came from one bomb group, the 17th. That group not elite in any way and just happened to be the only one flying the B-25 at the time.
In telling the story the author also includes various tidbits that I found fascinating. For instance when the carriers were discovered by Japanese picket boats, one of the accompanying cruisers, the USS Nashville, was tasked to sink it with naval gunfire. Much to the embarrassment of the Nashville’s skipper it took more than 800 rounds of main gun ammunition to accomplish this task. The author also tells Doolittle’s reaction when he realized that all of the B-25s had been lost on the raid. He felt that he would be court martialed and dismissed from the service – if he was lucky. He was given a pep talk by his crew chief and returned to the U.S. to a promotion to Brigadier General and a Medal of Honor.
The author also includes quite a few pages on the Japanese preparations for an air attack and the schism between the Navy and the Army. The leader to the Navy, Adm Yamamoto, was concerned about the possibility and did what he could to prepare in face of the Army’s almost total disregard of the possibility. This included stationing picket boats well into the Pacific.
The raid itself occurs about half way through the narrative. The rest tells the story of two crews that fell into Japanese hands and the one crew that diverted to the Soviet Union and the Japanese reaction to the raid. I found the story of the crew the diverted to the USSR really fascinating. To say they weren’t treated as heroes is an understatement. They were interned by the Soviets and kept in deplorable conditions and moved several times. Finally they were moved close enough to the Iranian border, they escaped to Iran in 1943. The author felt that they were allowed to escape to let the USSR off the hook with the US gov’t.
The story of the 8 captured crewmen is also told in detail. 3 were eventually executed for war crimes, 1 died in captivity and 4 were eventually released after the war. In some ways their story is the hardest to read. All four of the men who survived had trouble adjusting to a freedom and one of them had such a hard time he returned to the United States in a strait jacket! In telling the story of the prisoners, Mr. Scott also tells the fate of the Japanese commanders who were in charge of them. 4 were prosecuted for war crime and convicted – though there sentences were fairly lite.
Finally in telling the story, Mr. Scott also tells of the fate of the Chinese who assisted the Raiders. The Japanese reaction in some ways made the Rape of Nanking look like minor misunderstanding. The Japanese were absolutely ruthless in dealing with the Chinese populations in areas they controlled. They killed an estimated 250,000 Chinese in retaliation.
All in all this is an excellent look at the Raid, it’s political beginnings, the actual nuts and bolts on how it was carried out, the effect on morale in both the U.S. and in Japan and finally he takes on the question of "Was it worth it?" considering the Japanese reaction and the lack of military results that were inherent in the such a minor raid - A definite 5 star read.
September 4, 2020
Even before rescuers could remove all the dead from the oily Hawaiian waters following Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, American war planners started work on an ambitious counterassault, a strike against the heart of the Japanese Empire: Tokyo. This raid led by Army Forces Lt. Col. and famous stunt and racing pilot Jimmy Doolittle tested American ingenuity and gambled the precious few warships in the Pacific Fleet's battered arsenal, but also boosted American morale and jolted the Japanese out of the mistaken belief they were immune to attacks on their home soil.
Sixteen Army bombers crewed by eighty volunteers eager to work alongside the legendary Doolittle and specially trained in carrier takeoffs thundered into the skies over Tokyo and key industrial cities, bombing refineries, factories, and dockyards, and then escaped to China. In the USA the mission derailed questions over the government's failure to deter the raid on Pearl Harbor, and Jimmy Doolittle came to personify the counterattack's success, his grinning image plastered nationwide on war bond posters.
Postwar records and interviews revealed that Doolittle's audacious raid had achieved far more, convincing the reluctant Japanese military leaders of the need to extend the nation's defensive periphery and destroy America's aircraft carriers to prevent possible future strikes. The plan would focus on the capture of a Pacific atoll, one the Japanese knew America would risk its precious flattops to protect, and would culminate in the Battle of Midway, which would end in utter defeat for Japan and become the key turning point of the war, setting the stage for the Navy's offensive drive across the Pacific that would overwhelm Emperor Hirohito's empire.
Yet, declassified records in both nations together with long-forgotten missionary files show a more nuanced history. Japanese documents reveal that the raiders – albeit unintentionally – bombed private homes and a school, and killed civilians, including women and children. Records also demonstrate how Roosevelt's administration, desperate for positive press, deliberately deceived the Americans about the mission's actual losses and even the capture of some of the airmen, sparking a propaganda warfare between the USA and Japan. In one of the story's uglier chapters, General Douglas MacArthur's chief of intelligence secretly protected the Japanese general who allegedly signed the death order of some of the captured bombers, considering him too valuable a postwar asset to be prosecuted in the war-crime trials.
The worst part was, however, Japan's brutal retaliatory campaign of rape and murder against the Chinese, triggered by the brazen raid that had humiliated the Japanese leaders. Enemy troops reduced whole cities, towns, and villages to rubble; they cut the ears and noses off people, set others on fire, raped all women between 10 and 60 years of age, and drowned entire families in wells. Especially cruel they were to those villagers who had sheltered Doolittles's airmen after the raid on Tokyo. Seeing a souvenir left by them in one house, the Japanese made the owner's wife set him on fire herself. The heinous slaughter that claimed the lives of as many as a quarter million Chinese had been anticipated by senior American leaders even before Doolittle's raid.
Target Tokyo is a highly compelling account of the attack on Tokyo from its genesis to its aftermath, emphasizing Jimmy Doolittle's remarkable talent as a commander. James M. Scott describes the practical difficulties of the mission, such as the drastic adjustments to Doolittle's B-25s and the risks of launching such massive planes from the carrier Hornet, whose flight deck was a much shorter runaway than the bombers normally used. He graphically narrates the physical and mental torture of the captured pilots and of their Chinese rescuers.
James M. Scott has created a gripping tale of Doolittle's nearly-suicidal attack, and it deserves much more than 5 stars. Outstanding.
Sixteen Army bombers crewed by eighty volunteers eager to work alongside the legendary Doolittle and specially trained in carrier takeoffs thundered into the skies over Tokyo and key industrial cities, bombing refineries, factories, and dockyards, and then escaped to China. In the USA the mission derailed questions over the government's failure to deter the raid on Pearl Harbor, and Jimmy Doolittle came to personify the counterattack's success, his grinning image plastered nationwide on war bond posters.
Postwar records and interviews revealed that Doolittle's audacious raid had achieved far more, convincing the reluctant Japanese military leaders of the need to extend the nation's defensive periphery and destroy America's aircraft carriers to prevent possible future strikes. The plan would focus on the capture of a Pacific atoll, one the Japanese knew America would risk its precious flattops to protect, and would culminate in the Battle of Midway, which would end in utter defeat for Japan and become the key turning point of the war, setting the stage for the Navy's offensive drive across the Pacific that would overwhelm Emperor Hirohito's empire.
Yet, declassified records in both nations together with long-forgotten missionary files show a more nuanced history. Japanese documents reveal that the raiders – albeit unintentionally – bombed private homes and a school, and killed civilians, including women and children. Records also demonstrate how Roosevelt's administration, desperate for positive press, deliberately deceived the Americans about the mission's actual losses and even the capture of some of the airmen, sparking a propaganda warfare between the USA and Japan. In one of the story's uglier chapters, General Douglas MacArthur's chief of intelligence secretly protected the Japanese general who allegedly signed the death order of some of the captured bombers, considering him too valuable a postwar asset to be prosecuted in the war-crime trials.
The worst part was, however, Japan's brutal retaliatory campaign of rape and murder against the Chinese, triggered by the brazen raid that had humiliated the Japanese leaders. Enemy troops reduced whole cities, towns, and villages to rubble; they cut the ears and noses off people, set others on fire, raped all women between 10 and 60 years of age, and drowned entire families in wells. Especially cruel they were to those villagers who had sheltered Doolittles's airmen after the raid on Tokyo. Seeing a souvenir left by them in one house, the Japanese made the owner's wife set him on fire herself. The heinous slaughter that claimed the lives of as many as a quarter million Chinese had been anticipated by senior American leaders even before Doolittle's raid.
Target Tokyo is a highly compelling account of the attack on Tokyo from its genesis to its aftermath, emphasizing Jimmy Doolittle's remarkable talent as a commander. James M. Scott describes the practical difficulties of the mission, such as the drastic adjustments to Doolittle's B-25s and the risks of launching such massive planes from the carrier Hornet, whose flight deck was a much shorter runaway than the bombers normally used. He graphically narrates the physical and mental torture of the captured pilots and of their Chinese rescuers.
James M. Scott has created a gripping tale of Doolittle's nearly-suicidal attack, and it deserves much more than 5 stars. Outstanding.
August 11, 2023
I was wary of this book for a long time because it seemed from the title that it would be more of a general book on the topic and not really an in-depth history. But then I read Matt’s review (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) which is, as always, excellent - and saw that he had had the same reservations but read it anyway and really liked it, so I picked it up.
So glad I did, it’s a fantastic book. Scott starts the way seemingly every WWII book starts - with a detailed look at Pearl Harbor through the eyes of FDR. I’ve read a million of those, and this one had some interesting parts I hadn’t heard before.
But after the Pearl Harbor intro the book is all Doolittle raid, and you get everything - the men selected, their training, life on board the Hornet on the way to the raid, and the raid itself are all covered in the first half of the book. It’s very well-written, very interesting, and never bogs down (and it helps that I really didn’t know anything about the raid beforehand).
But the second half of the book is where the story shines - the aftermath. Sixteen crews trained, rode out to the middle of the Pacific, launched successfully from a carrier, and bombed Tokyo. But from there the stories of the crews all veer off in different directions. You ride in the plane with them to all their different destinies. I won’t get into it here because it would be a spoiler (I knew nothing about it and it enhanced my experience greatly).
But it wouldn’t be a spoiler to tell you that the “success” of the raid is ambiguous at best. Was it worth it to bomb Tokyo in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor? It was a public relations bonanza in a United States that was desperate for good news. But 250,000 innocent civilians received fates far worse than death in the days that followed because of the raid. Scott doesn’t take a side, he just gives you all the fascinating/horrifying facts.
Don’t read anything about the Doolittle raid ahead of time, go in with as little information as possible, and soak it all in.
One small disclaimer - I listened to this book, and sometimes it was hard to tell the crews apart as he went from plane to plane. This is only a minor critique, it didn’t hurt the story for me, and I’m still glad I listened to it. The narrator was great.
So glad I did, it’s a fantastic book. Scott starts the way seemingly every WWII book starts - with a detailed look at Pearl Harbor through the eyes of FDR. I’ve read a million of those, and this one had some interesting parts I hadn’t heard before.
But after the Pearl Harbor intro the book is all Doolittle raid, and you get everything - the men selected, their training, life on board the Hornet on the way to the raid, and the raid itself are all covered in the first half of the book. It’s very well-written, very interesting, and never bogs down (and it helps that I really didn’t know anything about the raid beforehand).
But the second half of the book is where the story shines - the aftermath. Sixteen crews trained, rode out to the middle of the Pacific, launched successfully from a carrier, and bombed Tokyo. But from there the stories of the crews all veer off in different directions. You ride in the plane with them to all their different destinies. I won’t get into it here because it would be a spoiler (I knew nothing about it and it enhanced my experience greatly).
But it wouldn’t be a spoiler to tell you that the “success” of the raid is ambiguous at best. Was it worth it to bomb Tokyo in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor? It was a public relations bonanza in a United States that was desperate for good news. But 250,000 innocent civilians received fates far worse than death in the days that followed because of the raid. Scott doesn’t take a side, he just gives you all the fascinating/horrifying facts.
Don’t read anything about the Doolittle raid ahead of time, go in with as little information as possible, and soak it all in.
One small disclaimer - I listened to this book, and sometimes it was hard to tell the crews apart as he went from plane to plane. This is only a minor critique, it didn’t hurt the story for me, and I’m still glad I listened to it. The narrator was great.
March 9, 2022
A book of two parts, really. The first half introduces us to Jimmy Doolittle, a sort of miniature biography, and then we go into preparations for the raid on Tokyo and then the details of the raid itself. It is all great stuff. But the book really becomes powerful when the raid is complete and the raiders have all ended up in China or Russia: the years of imprisonment for a handful of raiders, the destruction and murder of hundred of thousands of Chinese as punishment for assisting the raiders, the subterfuge in Russia's handling of one of the crews, and of course the war crimes trials after the conclusion of the war. Some of this stuff will move you to tears. It's a wonderful book and makes one proud of The Greatest Generation.
June 26, 2018
Very enjoyable and informative read about the Doolittle raid on Japan. Growing up and studying history in school I knew about Jimmy Doolittle but after reading this book I learned how little I really knew.
In December 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt gathered his senior military staff to plan an ambitious counterstrike against the heart of the Japanese Empire ... Tokyo.
“The president was insistent,” Arnold recalled, “that we find ways and means of carrying home to Japan proper, in the form of a bombing raid, the real meaning of war.”
Jimmy Doolittle, son of an Alaskan gold prospector, a former boxer, daredevil pilot, and a graduate from MIT volunteered to lead the mission. The story follows the process on the decision of which bombers to use, how many bombers, the training, and the targets. When they took off from the deck of the USS Hornet it was a one-way mission. They would drop their bombs on Japan and then head for Free China. Maps were poor, as was the weather, and fuel was tight. This isn't just the story of FDR, Jimmy Doolittle, Lieutenant General Joseph “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell, and Vice Admiral William “Bull” Halsey. In this story you meet the pilots, navigators, and bombardiers who raised their hands and volunteered for a mission from which few expected to return. Most of the bombers ran out of fuel and crashed. Several of the raiders were captured and suffered torture and starvation in Japan's notorious POW camps. Those who were not captured had to escape across China ... on foot, rickshaw and boat with the Japanese army in pursuit.
I have read about the atrocities committed by Japan during the war but was not aware of the impact on the people of China. In a retaliatory campaign the Japanese Army killed some 250,000 people. Women from 10 to 65 were raped. Families were drowned in wells. Entire towns were burned, and communities were devastated by bacteriological warfare. The barbarism of the Japanese Army was unfathomable. It was said that the only barbarism not committed was cannibalism.
The raid was a propaganda victory for Roosevelt:
"the Roosevelt administration, desperate for positive press, deliberately deceived the American people about the mission’s actual losses"
"The Doolittle mission promised a potent tonic to the frustration brought on by Pearl Harbor, Wake, Guam, and now Bataan."
As difficult as it was to read about the horrors of war and the suffering I came away with a new admiration of Jimmy Doolittle and the men who volunteered for this mission. And I learned a lot that I hadn't known before.
If you enjoyed Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand I believe you would enjoy this book too.
In December 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt gathered his senior military staff to plan an ambitious counterstrike against the heart of the Japanese Empire ... Tokyo.
“The president was insistent,” Arnold recalled, “that we find ways and means of carrying home to Japan proper, in the form of a bombing raid, the real meaning of war.”
Jimmy Doolittle, son of an Alaskan gold prospector, a former boxer, daredevil pilot, and a graduate from MIT volunteered to lead the mission. The story follows the process on the decision of which bombers to use, how many bombers, the training, and the targets. When they took off from the deck of the USS Hornet it was a one-way mission. They would drop their bombs on Japan and then head for Free China. Maps were poor, as was the weather, and fuel was tight. This isn't just the story of FDR, Jimmy Doolittle, Lieutenant General Joseph “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell, and Vice Admiral William “Bull” Halsey. In this story you meet the pilots, navigators, and bombardiers who raised their hands and volunteered for a mission from which few expected to return. Most of the bombers ran out of fuel and crashed. Several of the raiders were captured and suffered torture and starvation in Japan's notorious POW camps. Those who were not captured had to escape across China ... on foot, rickshaw and boat with the Japanese army in pursuit.
I have read about the atrocities committed by Japan during the war but was not aware of the impact on the people of China. In a retaliatory campaign the Japanese Army killed some 250,000 people. Women from 10 to 65 were raped. Families were drowned in wells. Entire towns were burned, and communities were devastated by bacteriological warfare. The barbarism of the Japanese Army was unfathomable. It was said that the only barbarism not committed was cannibalism.
The raid was a propaganda victory for Roosevelt:
"the Roosevelt administration, desperate for positive press, deliberately deceived the American people about the mission’s actual losses"
"The Doolittle mission promised a potent tonic to the frustration brought on by Pearl Harbor, Wake, Guam, and now Bataan."
As difficult as it was to read about the horrors of war and the suffering I came away with a new admiration of Jimmy Doolittle and the men who volunteered for this mission. And I learned a lot that I hadn't known before.
If you enjoyed Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand I believe you would enjoy this book too.
January 29, 2024
There is no way the Doolittle raiders, 80 men in all, would survive. It was the question whether their airplanes could even get off an aircraft carriers, yet all 16 planed did. Due to lack of fuel they had to ditch or land in unknown territory, or even Japanese occupied territory. Yet 78 survived.
This story is about the preparation, the bombing and the aftermath. A story of courage, faith and miracles. In meticulous detail James M. Scott tells the story. The landing in unknown territory, the brutal capture by the Japanese, the torture and the Japanese revenge that would take the death of some 250.000 innocent Chinese.
James M. Scott provides an unique emotional perspective of the battle. Highly recommended for those that want to delve in this lesser known story of World War II.
This story is about the preparation, the bombing and the aftermath. A story of courage, faith and miracles. In meticulous detail James M. Scott tells the story. The landing in unknown territory, the brutal capture by the Japanese, the torture and the Japanese revenge that would take the death of some 250.000 innocent Chinese.
James M. Scott provides an unique emotional perspective of the battle. Highly recommended for those that want to delve in this lesser known story of World War II.
August 26, 2024
― “Admiral Ernest King retired to his cabin on the evening of Saturday, January 10, 1942. Much to the frustration of the sixty-three-year-old Ohioan, who served as commander in chief of the U.S. Fleet. Christmas and New Year’s had passed without any reprieve from the bad news that dominated the Pacific.”
― James M. Scott, Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor
Admiral King’s frustration reflected the feelings of desperation that plagued President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his military leaders in the months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The surprise military attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor had decimated US naval power in the Pacific. All nine of the battleships stationed at Pearl Harbor sustained significant damage. According to the author, the Japanese Navy was now “more powerful in that ocean than the combined navies of the United States, Great Britain and the Netherlands.”
Often lost in the discussion about that infamous day is that, shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack, Japanese dive bombers struck American bases on Guam and Wake Island. Japanese bombers and fighters also attacked Clark Field, the main American air base in the Philippines, destroying or badly damaging all the B-17 Flying Fortresses located there. In the ensuing struggle for the Philippines, the President warned Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall to “anticipate the possibility of disaster,” writes author James M. Scott.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his military leaders were desperate to come up with a retaliatory measure that would help lift national morale. “The Japanese needed to experience the same shock, humiliation, and destruction that America had suffered.”
― “‘The President was insistent,’ (Lt. Gen. “Hap”) Arnold recalled, ‘that we find ways and means of carrying home to Japan proper, in the form of a bombing raid, the real meaning of war.’”
― James M. Scott, Target Tokyo
It was Captain Francis Low, Admiral Ernest King’s operations officer, who came up with the idea of putting bombers on a carrier to bomb the mainland of Japan. Working with Captain Donald Duncan, they determined that the twin-engine B-25 was best suited for the mission. Its wingspan was short enough to take off a carrier without hitting the tower. When General Arnold ran the idea by his staff troubleshooter, forty-five-year-old Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, he received an enthusiastic endorsement. At the same time, American newspapers thought the possibility that “America might actually strike back at Japan was viewed as impossible, if not laughable.”
― “The plan laid out by General Arnold was the perfect operation for Jimmy Doolittle, a man who on first glimpse did not appear to be such a formidable fighter. The gray-eyed Doolittle stood just five feet four—two inches shorter than Napolean.”
― James M. Scott, Target Tokyo
Doolittle had captured national attention over the years as a stunt and racing pilot in an age when Americans were fascinated with airplanes. He was chosen to lead the mission against Japan. He asked for volunteers for the dangerous mission, but he could not tell the men what that mission entailed. Doolittle couldn’t even tell his own wife. Nonetheless, eighty men volunteered.
With the help of a naval aviator with carrier experience, the men trained for weeks on short takeoffs. It wasn’t until they had boarded the aircraft carrier USS Hornet and were out of radio range of San Francisco that the volunteers and the crew of the Hornet were told of the mission. Their mission, the men were told, was to bomb Tokyo and other key cities in Japan. Excitement coursed throughout the ship; they would attack at the very heart of the enemy.
Readers who are only moderately familiar with the raid might expect that the rest of the book covers the successful raid and the return of the pilots to fame and acclamation. However, the story isn’t quite that simple. Not by a long shot. The Hornet encountered the picket boat Nitto Maru 800 miles from the coast of Japan. Fearing that the task force had been reported, Admiral Halsey had the raiders prepare for takeoff—300 miles further out from Japan than had been planned.
Fuel would now be a very real concern. After dropping their bombs, the sixteen bombers planned to fly to air bases in China, flying far enough into China to avoid Japanese controlled Manchuria. Heading into a stiff headwind, most of the planes were using fuel at a rate faster than expected.
― “The gravity of the raid sunk in for many. ‘We figured there was only a 50-50 chance we would get off the Hornet,’ Nielsen remembered. ‘If we got off , there was a 50-50 chance we’d get shot down over Japan. And, if we got that far, there was a 50-50 chance we’d make it to China. And, if we got to China, there was a 50-50 chance we’d be captured. We figured the odds were really stacked against us.’”
― James M. Scott, Target Tokyo
After the bombers reached Japan, the navigators had some trouble finding their targets, despite having extensively reviewed maps of their targets. Encountering anti-aircraft fire and being harassed by fighter planes, most of the planes ended up choosing targets that seemed best to them. Many of the bombs missed even these targets, and many homes and even a school and a hospital were struck. The casualties included some children.
Perhaps the most successful attack was a strike on the former submarine tender Taigei that was in a shipyard being converted into a new carrier. Damage to the ship would set back its conversion four months. While the raid was not a huge success in terms of targets damaged or destroyed, the Japanese had failed to shoot down a single raider. After dropping their bombs, the raiders turned their planes toward China.
The second half of the book covers the flight of the planes to China, although one chose to go to Russia. To be honest, this is when the story really gets interesting. Although the news of the bombing was received with much rejoicing back in the States, the bomber crews were facing the toughest part of their mission. Reaching the coast of China at night, in the middle of bad weather, and running out of fuel, the pilots and crew faced the difficult task of bailing out of their planes.
― “Cole hovered over the hatch, staring down at the dark void. ‘I was one scared turkey,’ he recalled. ‘Being in an airplane that was about to run out of fuel and looking down at the black hole that would exit you into a foreign land, in the dark of the night, in the middle of bad weather was not exactly what one envisioned when enlisting.’”
― James M. Scott, Target Tokyo
Of the fifteen planes that headed for China, none made it to the landing strips that had been chosen. All of the planes crashed into the coastal area or the mountains. A few crewmen who did not bail out were killed and some seriously injured. While most of the crews found their way to Chinese resistance fighters or American missionaries, two crews were captured by the Japanese and imprisoned. The crew of one plane was taken to Tokyo, and three of them were executed. The others were nearly starved to death.
The assistance given to the American pilots by the Chinese led to serious reprisals by the Japanese. A three-month campaign of terror was conducted in which “local farmers and villagers were raped, murdered, and poisoned as a consequence of America’s raid.” The United States had purposely withheld details of the raid from Chiang Kai-shek, knowing the Japanese would certainly retaliate. The vengeance of the Japanese claimed an estimated 250,000 lives—a terrible cost for the Chinese.
Author James M. Scott has written a gripping, highly readable account of the effort and sacrifice that went into the Doolittle raid. This is a must-read for any history fan.
― James M. Scott, Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor
Admiral King’s frustration reflected the feelings of desperation that plagued President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his military leaders in the months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The surprise military attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor had decimated US naval power in the Pacific. All nine of the battleships stationed at Pearl Harbor sustained significant damage. According to the author, the Japanese Navy was now “more powerful in that ocean than the combined navies of the United States, Great Britain and the Netherlands.”
Often lost in the discussion about that infamous day is that, shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack, Japanese dive bombers struck American bases on Guam and Wake Island. Japanese bombers and fighters also attacked Clark Field, the main American air base in the Philippines, destroying or badly damaging all the B-17 Flying Fortresses located there. In the ensuing struggle for the Philippines, the President warned Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall to “anticipate the possibility of disaster,” writes author James M. Scott.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his military leaders were desperate to come up with a retaliatory measure that would help lift national morale. “The Japanese needed to experience the same shock, humiliation, and destruction that America had suffered.”
― “‘The President was insistent,’ (Lt. Gen. “Hap”) Arnold recalled, ‘that we find ways and means of carrying home to Japan proper, in the form of a bombing raid, the real meaning of war.’”
― James M. Scott, Target Tokyo
It was Captain Francis Low, Admiral Ernest King’s operations officer, who came up with the idea of putting bombers on a carrier to bomb the mainland of Japan. Working with Captain Donald Duncan, they determined that the twin-engine B-25 was best suited for the mission. Its wingspan was short enough to take off a carrier without hitting the tower. When General Arnold ran the idea by his staff troubleshooter, forty-five-year-old Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, he received an enthusiastic endorsement. At the same time, American newspapers thought the possibility that “America might actually strike back at Japan was viewed as impossible, if not laughable.”
― “The plan laid out by General Arnold was the perfect operation for Jimmy Doolittle, a man who on first glimpse did not appear to be such a formidable fighter. The gray-eyed Doolittle stood just five feet four—two inches shorter than Napolean.”
― James M. Scott, Target Tokyo
Doolittle had captured national attention over the years as a stunt and racing pilot in an age when Americans were fascinated with airplanes. He was chosen to lead the mission against Japan. He asked for volunteers for the dangerous mission, but he could not tell the men what that mission entailed. Doolittle couldn’t even tell his own wife. Nonetheless, eighty men volunteered.
With the help of a naval aviator with carrier experience, the men trained for weeks on short takeoffs. It wasn’t until they had boarded the aircraft carrier USS Hornet and were out of radio range of San Francisco that the volunteers and the crew of the Hornet were told of the mission. Their mission, the men were told, was to bomb Tokyo and other key cities in Japan. Excitement coursed throughout the ship; they would attack at the very heart of the enemy.
Readers who are only moderately familiar with the raid might expect that the rest of the book covers the successful raid and the return of the pilots to fame and acclamation. However, the story isn’t quite that simple. Not by a long shot. The Hornet encountered the picket boat Nitto Maru 800 miles from the coast of Japan. Fearing that the task force had been reported, Admiral Halsey had the raiders prepare for takeoff—300 miles further out from Japan than had been planned.
Fuel would now be a very real concern. After dropping their bombs, the sixteen bombers planned to fly to air bases in China, flying far enough into China to avoid Japanese controlled Manchuria. Heading into a stiff headwind, most of the planes were using fuel at a rate faster than expected.
― “The gravity of the raid sunk in for many. ‘We figured there was only a 50-50 chance we would get off the Hornet,’ Nielsen remembered. ‘If we got off , there was a 50-50 chance we’d get shot down over Japan. And, if we got that far, there was a 50-50 chance we’d make it to China. And, if we got to China, there was a 50-50 chance we’d be captured. We figured the odds were really stacked against us.’”
― James M. Scott, Target Tokyo
After the bombers reached Japan, the navigators had some trouble finding their targets, despite having extensively reviewed maps of their targets. Encountering anti-aircraft fire and being harassed by fighter planes, most of the planes ended up choosing targets that seemed best to them. Many of the bombs missed even these targets, and many homes and even a school and a hospital were struck. The casualties included some children.
Perhaps the most successful attack was a strike on the former submarine tender Taigei that was in a shipyard being converted into a new carrier. Damage to the ship would set back its conversion four months. While the raid was not a huge success in terms of targets damaged or destroyed, the Japanese had failed to shoot down a single raider. After dropping their bombs, the raiders turned their planes toward China.
The second half of the book covers the flight of the planes to China, although one chose to go to Russia. To be honest, this is when the story really gets interesting. Although the news of the bombing was received with much rejoicing back in the States, the bomber crews were facing the toughest part of their mission. Reaching the coast of China at night, in the middle of bad weather, and running out of fuel, the pilots and crew faced the difficult task of bailing out of their planes.
― “Cole hovered over the hatch, staring down at the dark void. ‘I was one scared turkey,’ he recalled. ‘Being in an airplane that was about to run out of fuel and looking down at the black hole that would exit you into a foreign land, in the dark of the night, in the middle of bad weather was not exactly what one envisioned when enlisting.’”
― James M. Scott, Target Tokyo
Of the fifteen planes that headed for China, none made it to the landing strips that had been chosen. All of the planes crashed into the coastal area or the mountains. A few crewmen who did not bail out were killed and some seriously injured. While most of the crews found their way to Chinese resistance fighters or American missionaries, two crews were captured by the Japanese and imprisoned. The crew of one plane was taken to Tokyo, and three of them were executed. The others were nearly starved to death.
The assistance given to the American pilots by the Chinese led to serious reprisals by the Japanese. A three-month campaign of terror was conducted in which “local farmers and villagers were raped, murdered, and poisoned as a consequence of America’s raid.” The United States had purposely withheld details of the raid from Chiang Kai-shek, knowing the Japanese would certainly retaliate. The vengeance of the Japanese claimed an estimated 250,000 lives—a terrible cost for the Chinese.
Author James M. Scott has written a gripping, highly readable account of the effort and sacrifice that went into the Doolittle raid. This is a must-read for any history fan.
May 31, 2022
One of those books that keep coming up as a greatly recommended book.
It was a great read, but felt somewhat disappointed in some parts. It was surprisingly engaging read, although I have some sort of pet peeve against these minor raids/missions that are over inflated in their coverage and importance. Doolittle raid, was the bombing of Japanese cities by some 16 medium bombers, in early years of the Pacific War. It did little damage to Japanese, lead to little losses to US Forces and led to tremendous catastrophe to Chinese.
The book is very well written for my taste, it's exciting to read and is a very personal in it's coverage. The experiences of the crews are meticulously covered and overall the structure of the book is good in terms of how much is spent on preparation, the actual mission and the aftermath. I got some new information from it, mainly the reasons and results of the operation.
The book is somewhat critical of the operation, but not enough. For my taste Scott tries too hard to stay in the background. He avoids making any synthesis in the end, which I think is somewhat outrageous. He does all the work, but refuses to play to the end and instead goes for the story driven happy endings where crew meets after the war. Where's the criticism for the operation, what were the actual benefits, what were the actual benefits that the planners did and could count on? What were the risks, what were the costs. He mentions all these things here and there but doesn't really form them into a coherent conclusion. Instead he goes for the story driven history where we follow every meal and torture scene of the fliers and suddenly food they eat has more importance than the actual operation. 250 000 chinese died for this operation without consent, I think they deserve a bit more 70 years after.
The lack of maps, and the lack of any sort of additional info apart from few pictures is somewhat outdated method to writing history. At least he could've thrown the name of the planes and name of their crews to one appendix. But no, there's absolutely nothing, no maps, no flight routes, nothing to supplement the text apart from some few pictures in the mid. This of course might be a problem to a certain editions of the book.
It was a great read, but felt somewhat disappointed in some parts. It was surprisingly engaging read, although I have some sort of pet peeve against these minor raids/missions that are over inflated in their coverage and importance. Doolittle raid, was the bombing of Japanese cities by some 16 medium bombers, in early years of the Pacific War. It did little damage to Japanese, lead to little losses to US Forces and led to tremendous catastrophe to Chinese.
The book is very well written for my taste, it's exciting to read and is a very personal in it's coverage. The experiences of the crews are meticulously covered and overall the structure of the book is good in terms of how much is spent on preparation, the actual mission and the aftermath. I got some new information from it, mainly the reasons and results of the operation.
The book is somewhat critical of the operation, but not enough. For my taste Scott tries too hard to stay in the background. He avoids making any synthesis in the end, which I think is somewhat outrageous. He does all the work, but refuses to play to the end and instead goes for the story driven happy endings where crew meets after the war. Where's the criticism for the operation, what were the actual benefits, what were the actual benefits that the planners did and could count on? What were the risks, what were the costs. He mentions all these things here and there but doesn't really form them into a coherent conclusion. Instead he goes for the story driven history where we follow every meal and torture scene of the fliers and suddenly food they eat has more importance than the actual operation. 250 000 chinese died for this operation without consent, I think they deserve a bit more 70 years after.
The lack of maps, and the lack of any sort of additional info apart from few pictures is somewhat outdated method to writing history. At least he could've thrown the name of the planes and name of their crews to one appendix. But no, there's absolutely nothing, no maps, no flight routes, nothing to supplement the text apart from some few pictures in the mid. This of course might be a problem to a certain editions of the book.
April 21, 2022
How did I not know about this?
I vaguely remember in some history class hearing about the Doolittle Raid, but I certainly never remembered any details about it. Luckily, James Scott takes care of the details.
The entire episode reads like an amazing mini-series and yet it is all true. Pearl Harbor happened and Americans wanted revenge. Enter James Dootlittle who was legitimately out of his mind. When people say “daredevil,” they mean him. He recruited a bunch of pilots who were never told what they were going to do. They basically all signed up because Doolittle was a superstar of pilots.
The logistics of the raid are equally mindboggling. Apparently, you can’t just get any plane to take off from an aircraft carrier. Why didn’t I know that? I was in the U.S. Army, not the U.S. Navy. I make good choices.
This only gets you to the point of the story when the planes take off. Then it gets really wild. It’s a fantastic book and a must read.
I vaguely remember in some history class hearing about the Doolittle Raid, but I certainly never remembered any details about it. Luckily, James Scott takes care of the details.
The entire episode reads like an amazing mini-series and yet it is all true. Pearl Harbor happened and Americans wanted revenge. Enter James Dootlittle who was legitimately out of his mind. When people say “daredevil,” they mean him. He recruited a bunch of pilots who were never told what they were going to do. They basically all signed up because Doolittle was a superstar of pilots.
The logistics of the raid are equally mindboggling. Apparently, you can’t just get any plane to take off from an aircraft carrier. Why didn’t I know that? I was in the U.S. Army, not the U.S. Navy. I make good choices.
This only gets you to the point of the story when the planes take off. Then it gets really wild. It’s a fantastic book and a must read.
January 3, 2021
Imagine taking a slice of Ian Toll's Pacific Crucible, putting it under a magnifying glass, and then realizing there is a whole book there, waiting to be written, read, and explored. That's what you have here, and written with the same verve that Toll writes. Impeccably researched but also remarkably human; it grips you from the start. And there are so many fascinating episodes, like York's crew's escape from the Soviet Union, that play out within the bigger Doolittle episode, that itself plays out within the WWII saga. If a better book could be written on the Doolittle Raid, I really can't imagine it.
December 2, 2020
I would give anything to sit in the cockpit of a B-25 as Jimmy Doolittle piloted that airplane off the USS Hornet in 1942. What an incredible feat it must have been. Holding down the brakes and racing the airplanes engine until its ready to blow up is an adrenaline release in itself. Then he releases the brakes and takes off with only 500 feet left on a ship carrying 2,000 pounds of bombs, and travels 2,000 miles with a full crew. All of this being done on a carrier deck without hitting the superstructure of the ship's island.
James Scott has written a tremendous, concise, detailed account of the Doolittle raid. Four months after Pearl Harbor, with American Pacific Fleet in shambles, and American Pacific bases either in the hands of Japanese or about to fall, FDR and military leaders decide to bomb Tokyo. Scott carries the reader along as each of the 16 planes attack dropping their bombs and the impact they will have. Its remarkable reporting of what happened. By the end of the raid however the reader is only half done. There are hours of reading ahead to learn the fate of 80 men. A gripping story that is well researched, as Scott takes the reader up close to the raid, well done and hard to put down.
James Scott has written a tremendous, concise, detailed account of the Doolittle raid. Four months after Pearl Harbor, with American Pacific Fleet in shambles, and American Pacific bases either in the hands of Japanese or about to fall, FDR and military leaders decide to bomb Tokyo. Scott carries the reader along as each of the 16 planes attack dropping their bombs and the impact they will have. Its remarkable reporting of what happened. By the end of the raid however the reader is only half done. There are hours of reading ahead to learn the fate of 80 men. A gripping story that is well researched, as Scott takes the reader up close to the raid, well done and hard to put down.
May 27, 2015
James M. Scott has produced a formidable account of one of the greatest military missions in the US history. The air raid executed by Jimmy Doolittle and his elite squad of pilots and crews in 1942 gave US citizens a reason to believe we could win a war in territory on the other side of the world. It also defined the new role of air power. In WWI, aircraft provided the context for a one-on-one conflicts and dog-fights in the sky. The Doolittle raid on Japan changed the mission for air war—to attack the enemy’s resources to limit their ability to make war and to demoralize the population.
In 400+ pages of narration, Scott provides a complete account of the raid, including how the Japanese were thinking. We also get an insight into the air corps heroes—especially the pilots. These young recruits were in their twenty’s from all parts of the US. For them, life and death decisions became the norm.
While the Jimmy Doolittle narrative dominates the first third of the book, once the bombing run is completed, we get insights into how the other pilots made decisions once they were over enemy territory. The most difficult passages come near the end of the book as we read about the harsh imprisonment in POW camps.
The book nicely mixes the broad strategies of the raid on Tokyo with lots of details of the planning, the attacks, and the recovery in China. The details come out thanks in part of the dialogue among the flyers. What’s missing are the profanities that young guys with limitless courage must have used.
There continues to be a debate about the impact of the Doolittle raid. Scott addresses this in the end of the book. The loss of all the planes, the malicious treatment of the men captured, and the inconsistent impact of the bombers has to be measured against the surge of patriotism created in the US by the raids.
As a young reader in the mid 1950's, I read 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, a first hand account by one of the pilots of the Doolittle warriors. It engaged me fully in the excitement and glamour of war. Now, almost five decades later, I am glad that we have a much more thoughtful understanding of the event.
In 400+ pages of narration, Scott provides a complete account of the raid, including how the Japanese were thinking. We also get an insight into the air corps heroes—especially the pilots. These young recruits were in their twenty’s from all parts of the US. For them, life and death decisions became the norm.
While the Jimmy Doolittle narrative dominates the first third of the book, once the bombing run is completed, we get insights into how the other pilots made decisions once they were over enemy territory. The most difficult passages come near the end of the book as we read about the harsh imprisonment in POW camps.
The book nicely mixes the broad strategies of the raid on Tokyo with lots of details of the planning, the attacks, and the recovery in China. The details come out thanks in part of the dialogue among the flyers. What’s missing are the profanities that young guys with limitless courage must have used.
There continues to be a debate about the impact of the Doolittle raid. Scott addresses this in the end of the book. The loss of all the planes, the malicious treatment of the men captured, and the inconsistent impact of the bombers has to be measured against the surge of patriotism created in the US by the raids.
As a young reader in the mid 1950's, I read 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, a first hand account by one of the pilots of the Doolittle warriors. It engaged me fully in the excitement and glamour of war. Now, almost five decades later, I am glad that we have a much more thoughtful understanding of the event.
October 14, 2016
Totally absorbing account of the Doolittle Raid on Japan, which created our first victory of any type in the Pacific. After Pearl Harbor and the losses one after another in the Pacific Theater the moral in the States was falling and the outcome of the war was starting to look glum. That is why this highly risky raid was put together that the Navy and Army Air Force would risk so much for a propaganda victory that was designed for that sole purpose.
James M. Scott gives us an intimate portrait of all of the men involved in the planning and execution of this attack in 1942 on Tokyo and its surrounding suburbs through the planning, the recruitment, the raid itself and the crash landing of many of the 16 B-25s on beaches and in the ocean,s many in Japanese controlled territory. The story carries us through for some their imprisonment and their escapes, and for those who survived their return to America.
Strangely my father was stationed at all of the air bases mentioned in the planning and training stages except for Oregon. We were stationed in Newfoundland years after Doolittle made his historic transAtlantic run. We were in Dayton just after the war, and returned there to visit friends in my summer after 3rd grade when my Dad took me up on that catwalk at Wright Patterson in that multi stories hanger and we looked down at a gigantic Super fortress the B-29 which awed me as it was so much larger than the Gooneybirds I'd been flying in as we transferred from base to base...then we headed toward Texas. all of these bases still visable places in my mind.
This text covers the retribution against China for becoming the place the Doolittle crews attempted to get to, the kindness of Chinese citizens who helped the Americans avoid the Japanese and capture. The Japanese killed around 250,000 people in retribution polluting waterways and drinking wells, slaughtering the men women and children of entire towns, destroying farm animals and crops then disbursing produced in laboratories bacteriological diseases across water and soil as they retreated.
A unique look at the very young men that made up the crews of Doolittle's squadron that was the first offensive action in the Pacific. The battle scenes were so graphic you could feel the tensions in each sortie. An excellent narrative
James M. Scott gives us an intimate portrait of all of the men involved in the planning and execution of this attack in 1942 on Tokyo and its surrounding suburbs through the planning, the recruitment, the raid itself and the crash landing of many of the 16 B-25s on beaches and in the ocean,s many in Japanese controlled territory. The story carries us through for some their imprisonment and their escapes, and for those who survived their return to America.
Strangely my father was stationed at all of the air bases mentioned in the planning and training stages except for Oregon. We were stationed in Newfoundland years after Doolittle made his historic transAtlantic run. We were in Dayton just after the war, and returned there to visit friends in my summer after 3rd grade when my Dad took me up on that catwalk at Wright Patterson in that multi stories hanger and we looked down at a gigantic Super fortress the B-29 which awed me as it was so much larger than the Gooneybirds I'd been flying in as we transferred from base to base...then we headed toward Texas. all of these bases still visable places in my mind.
This text covers the retribution against China for becoming the place the Doolittle crews attempted to get to, the kindness of Chinese citizens who helped the Americans avoid the Japanese and capture. The Japanese killed around 250,000 people in retribution polluting waterways and drinking wells, slaughtering the men women and children of entire towns, destroying farm animals and crops then disbursing produced in laboratories bacteriological diseases across water and soil as they retreated.
A unique look at the very young men that made up the crews of Doolittle's squadron that was the first offensive action in the Pacific. The battle scenes were so graphic you could feel the tensions in each sortie. An excellent narrative
December 16, 2015
It's difficult to discuss this chronicle of ace aviator Jimmy Doolittle and his raiders' bombardment of Tokyo without revealing too much of the story, but let me begin by saying that this is a fabulous account of a largely underexamined theater of World War II.
As a fan of WWII literature, I'm familiar with some of the conflicts and personal stories emanating from the Pacific theater, including the Battle of the Midway, Admiral Nimitz and the more recent "Unbroken," the riveting story of Louis Zamperini penned by Laura Hildenbrand and brought to the screen by Angelina Jolie. But this story is one that's escaped my attention, and I'm probably not alone as such. I'm thankful that author James Scott elected to provide this most recent--and riveting--account.
It was immediately after Pearl Harbor when President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his military leaders sought revenge against the Japanese for laying waste to much of the Pacific fleet as it harbored in Hawaii, seemingly oblivious to the attack that would "officially" announce the United States' entry into the war. While much of Dollittle's mission was, in fact, military in nature (they would target military and industrial targets in and around Tokyo), the impetus behind the decision to launch a surprise attack against those who had surprised us was more to demonstrate America's engagement to its citizens, to show them that the U.S. was prepared, involved and willing to defend its soil and its ideas, even if it meant flying to the western edge of the Pacific Ocean to do so. The country's spirit and morale were at stake, and in Doolittle the brass chose a well-known aviator famous for all sorts of flying records to lead the charge (although the very nature of the mission meant that very few people were even aware of it, including those who took part).
The target was Tokyo, the capital of Japan. The idea was to bomb it, to send a message that would be heard around the world. The obstacles included getting as near to it as possible undetected, and flying bombers off the deck of a carrier ship when it had never been done. Modifying a fleet of B-25s to carry the requisite munitions was part of it; they also had to be reconfigured to hold enough fuel to fly farther than they'd ever flown. Oh, yeah. Even if they launched and bombed successfully, returning to land a bomber on a carrier was out of the question. So where would they land? And whom, if anybody, could they tell without jeopardizing the entire operation?
Enter China, about whose concurrent war with Japan I know too little of to comment articulately. Suffice it to say that China's airfields, some of which had to be covertly modified to accommodate the B-25s, were about the only option for landing and refueling post-bombing.
Scott goes into great detail about most of the 80 volunteer airmen who comprised the 16 crews of five each. (Included among his discoveries is no small amount of personal correspondence, impressive not only for the grace and dignity with which these men communicated with one another and their families, but the equanimity and acceptance demonstrated by each in the face of such peril.)
That they were asked to risk their lives for a mission which held such low probability of success was no more a surprise than their willingness to do so. They were part of "The Greatest Generation," when few questions were asked and all was given in name of home and country. Their stories, sacrifices, commitment and bravery are no less compelling than those authored by millions in every other theater.
The consequences of their raid would be in large part paid by the Chinese, whose seemingly benign and after-the-fact complicity in the raid would end up costing the lives of roughly 250,000 Chinese civilians, a number greater than those Japanese vanquished in the subsequent nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This was not only news to me, its details were news to Scott, who describes their often merciless, barbarous and torturous deaths with a gut-wrenching nuance that only serves to remind the reader of how vicious war is and how inhumanely humans can behave toward one another.
That the loss of so many innocent Chinese was contemplated and predicted by American leaders is a discussion I wish Scott had spent more time on, especially in light of how few Japanese were actually killed during Doolittle's raid. Surely paying such a huge price for America's retribution was not something China would have willingly agreed to, even if they had known in advance of its cause. Roosevelt and his advisors knew this, and I would love to know more about the debates and discussions that yielded their final decision.
While it was but a gut punch compared to the devastation of Pearl Harbor, the effect of the raid on America's psyche cannot be overestimated, and Scott once again does an admirable job of chronicling its reaction. The tide began to turn, eventually cresting more than three years later, a few days after the Enola Gay dropped her payload, when some of Doolittle's men still survived as prisoners of war subjected to only the cruelest of treatment.
This is a must-read for any fan of American history in general and World War II specifically. Bravo, Jimmy Doolittle, to you and each of your raiders. And well done, James Scott.
As a fan of WWII literature, I'm familiar with some of the conflicts and personal stories emanating from the Pacific theater, including the Battle of the Midway, Admiral Nimitz and the more recent "Unbroken," the riveting story of Louis Zamperini penned by Laura Hildenbrand and brought to the screen by Angelina Jolie. But this story is one that's escaped my attention, and I'm probably not alone as such. I'm thankful that author James Scott elected to provide this most recent--and riveting--account.
It was immediately after Pearl Harbor when President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his military leaders sought revenge against the Japanese for laying waste to much of the Pacific fleet as it harbored in Hawaii, seemingly oblivious to the attack that would "officially" announce the United States' entry into the war. While much of Dollittle's mission was, in fact, military in nature (they would target military and industrial targets in and around Tokyo), the impetus behind the decision to launch a surprise attack against those who had surprised us was more to demonstrate America's engagement to its citizens, to show them that the U.S. was prepared, involved and willing to defend its soil and its ideas, even if it meant flying to the western edge of the Pacific Ocean to do so. The country's spirit and morale were at stake, and in Doolittle the brass chose a well-known aviator famous for all sorts of flying records to lead the charge (although the very nature of the mission meant that very few people were even aware of it, including those who took part).
The target was Tokyo, the capital of Japan. The idea was to bomb it, to send a message that would be heard around the world. The obstacles included getting as near to it as possible undetected, and flying bombers off the deck of a carrier ship when it had never been done. Modifying a fleet of B-25s to carry the requisite munitions was part of it; they also had to be reconfigured to hold enough fuel to fly farther than they'd ever flown. Oh, yeah. Even if they launched and bombed successfully, returning to land a bomber on a carrier was out of the question. So where would they land? And whom, if anybody, could they tell without jeopardizing the entire operation?
Enter China, about whose concurrent war with Japan I know too little of to comment articulately. Suffice it to say that China's airfields, some of which had to be covertly modified to accommodate the B-25s, were about the only option for landing and refueling post-bombing.
Scott goes into great detail about most of the 80 volunteer airmen who comprised the 16 crews of five each. (Included among his discoveries is no small amount of personal correspondence, impressive not only for the grace and dignity with which these men communicated with one another and their families, but the equanimity and acceptance demonstrated by each in the face of such peril.)
That they were asked to risk their lives for a mission which held such low probability of success was no more a surprise than their willingness to do so. They were part of "The Greatest Generation," when few questions were asked and all was given in name of home and country. Their stories, sacrifices, commitment and bravery are no less compelling than those authored by millions in every other theater.
The consequences of their raid would be in large part paid by the Chinese, whose seemingly benign and after-the-fact complicity in the raid would end up costing the lives of roughly 250,000 Chinese civilians, a number greater than those Japanese vanquished in the subsequent nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This was not only news to me, its details were news to Scott, who describes their often merciless, barbarous and torturous deaths with a gut-wrenching nuance that only serves to remind the reader of how vicious war is and how inhumanely humans can behave toward one another.
That the loss of so many innocent Chinese was contemplated and predicted by American leaders is a discussion I wish Scott had spent more time on, especially in light of how few Japanese were actually killed during Doolittle's raid. Surely paying such a huge price for America's retribution was not something China would have willingly agreed to, even if they had known in advance of its cause. Roosevelt and his advisors knew this, and I would love to know more about the debates and discussions that yielded their final decision.
While it was but a gut punch compared to the devastation of Pearl Harbor, the effect of the raid on America's psyche cannot be overestimated, and Scott once again does an admirable job of chronicling its reaction. The tide began to turn, eventually cresting more than three years later, a few days after the Enola Gay dropped her payload, when some of Doolittle's men still survived as prisoners of war subjected to only the cruelest of treatment.
This is a must-read for any fan of American history in general and World War II specifically. Bravo, Jimmy Doolittle, to you and each of your raiders. And well done, James Scott.
June 6, 2016
It is April the 18th 1942… I sit in the co-pilots seat of the first B25 commanded by Colonel Doolittle. I look to my right at the bridge of the Hornet and see the officers on the bridge watching and waiting for the launch of these 16 bombers eager to bomb Japan and avenge December 7th. I feel the engines being brought up to full power the Mitchell bomber is vibrating along with the pitch of the Hornets deck and the wind as it rushes across the bow of the mighty carrier. All at once Colonel Doolittle releases the brakes the B25 lurches forward and down the deck of the carrier we go headed for Imperial Japan… That was my imagination run wild thanks to James M. Scott writing, all through this book Mr. Scott put me in situation after situation along with the Raiders… To me this is great writing when I become immersed not only in the story but along with the characters. When the story ended I wanted more so I bought another James Scott book... "The War Below"
April 9, 2018
This book is the best book I have read on the Doolittle Raid. The books gets into the personalities of those flying the mission. It has very descriptive narrative on the individual bombing missions and the after math of the 8 that got taken prisoner in Japan and Siberia. Their letters home to loved ones even as some were sentenced to death by firing squad were both heartbreaking and inspiring! The research involved in the writing of this book was simply outstanding and must have been painstakingly time consuming. I am very appreciative to the author for writing it. I highly recommend this book as it shows what selfless service and sacrifice are!
August 22, 2015
The story of the Doolittle raid is one of the most well known events of World War II. Nevertheless, it has been a while since someone has tackled this subject. James M. Scott had access to historic records that were not available for previous histories so this is sure to become the best book on the subject. Highly readable and highly recommended.
November 7, 2024
"Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor" by James Scott is a meticulously researched and compellingly written account of one of World War II's most audacious military operations. Scott expertly weaves together narrative strands to provide a comprehensive view of the events leading up to and following the Doolittle Raid, an operation that, despite its limited strategic impact, had profound psychological and symbolic significance. The book delves deep into the lives of the men who participated in the raid, offering readers a personal glimpse into their motivations, fears, and the sheer bravery required to undertake such a perilous mission. Scott's portrayal of Jimmy Doolittle, the charismatic and innovative leader of the raid, is particularly noteworthy. Doolittle emerges not just as a skilled pilot and tactician but also as a man of complex emotions and remarkable leadership qualities. Scott's narrative prowess shines as he vividly describes the technical challenges and meticulous planning that went into launching 16 B-25 bombers from the deck of the USS Hornet, an unprecedented feat at the time. The tension and anticipation leading up to the raid are palpable, drawing the reader into the cockpit alongside the aviators. The book also contextualizes the raid within the broader scope of the war, illustrating how this bold strike on the Japanese mainland served as a crucial morale booster for the United States in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack. Scott does not shy away from examining the raid's consequences, including the harsh reprisals faced by Chinese civilians who aided the downed aviators. Overall, "Target Tokyo" stands out for its detailed research, engaging storytelling, and balanced perspective. Scott's ability to humanize the historical figures involved while maintaining a broader strategic lens makes this work a valuable addition to World War II literature. Whether you're a history enthusiast or a newcomer to the subject, Scott's account offers a rich and insightful exploration of a pivotal moment in history.
January 25, 2023
I'd known about the Doolittle raid but not the details. This is a very well written account of courage and endurance. From the idea behind the raid itself to the terrible conditions endured by those who spent time in Japanese prisons to the ultimate sacrifice made by the men who were executed after a sham trial, this book is a poignant tribute to the air crews.
November 3, 2022
Captivating Story
Enjoyed reading. Covered many aspects beyond the heroics of the raiders. Some great insight into the wartime politics that occurred with the planning and news coverage after the raid. Even though I knew the outcome, the narrative of the launch gave me goosebumps.
Enjoyed reading. Covered many aspects beyond the heroics of the raiders. Some great insight into the wartime politics that occurred with the planning and news coverage after the raid. Even though I knew the outcome, the narrative of the launch gave me goosebumps.
February 15, 2019
Spectacular story, spectacularly told.
September 19, 2020
An incredibly interesting and well written book. It covers the conception, recruitment, training, execution and aftermath of the raid. It was the Chinese who paid the highest price with an estimated 250,000 people killed in retaliation.
May 1, 2022
Incredible book. Amazing storytelling and makes one grateful for the sacrifices of those who came before.
May 8, 2025
Masterpiece
June 26, 2025
Great and inspiring book. 3.75/5 I can’t comprehend the grit and perseverance these men needed during this time.
September 27, 2020
An excellent narrative of the Doolittle raid, its context and its consequences. If anything, a bit overly detailed, but very interesting.
December 6, 2020
AWEsome! Breathtaking! Riveting! Holy cow! …and I could go on and on and on!!!
My Full Review
My Full Review
June 5, 2021
Target Tokyo is a meticulous retelling of the 79 men who accompanied airman-extraordinaire Jimmy Doolittle on a history-making mission of landing the first attack on the Japanese homeland. The research is incredibly detailed and yet the research is incorporated so well that it add to the vivid epic like it was a story created to tantalize instead of memorialize.
I learned much from this book. History, military tactics, WWII tactics, the politics of wartime decisions to name a few. I also gleaned much about the culture and outlook of three nations at war: America, Japan, and China, and how their national ethos drove their soldiers to make extreme decisions. I intentionally chose the term “extreme” over heroic, brave, and patriotic because it is abundantly evident that though this is an Americanized perspective, all sides suffered to extreme degrees.
These are all worthy lessons to take away and there are a few things that I learned about myself:
1. as an American, I have been presented with factoids about Nazi Germany all my life but the main public school lessons I received on the Pacific side of the war could be succinctly summarized as “Japan attacked Pearl Harbor so America bombed Japan.” Beyond the East being secondary, what is also ignored is that an estimated 15-20 million Chinese citizens and 22 million Russians died during WWII. I mean zero disrespect to the resilient Jewish communities around the world, but I’ve come to believe that the figures for Chinese and Russian civilian losses should be mentioned in the same breath as the 6 millions Jews who perished by Nazi forces.
2. as a Japanese American, I cringe every since time I hear Jap. It was very disturbing to hear it so many times even though I know it’s a product of that time. I found myself envying that Germans could be distinguishable from Nazis, and I wished the same type of name had been available for the Imperial Army of Japan. It was difficult to Jap spit out with such venom during certain quoted dialogue but it does certainly lend color to the narrative
3. The end of the story touched on the Japanese war tribunals and much like #1, I believe America’s world history has done their citizens a great disfavor by leaving it out of the general education process. Furthermore, I believe it is true to say that even Japan’s history politely skips mention of their nations incriminating acts against the people massacres (and worse) during its conquest to absorb Asia’s resources. Chapter 24 was excruciating to listen to but once you do, I think you’d agree that Japan’s atrocities should be held to the same candle that shines a light of remembrance over the deeds of a Nazi nation.
I would absolutely recommend Target Tokyo to anyone interested in WWII and the Pacific theater.
I learned much from this book. History, military tactics, WWII tactics, the politics of wartime decisions to name a few. I also gleaned much about the culture and outlook of three nations at war: America, Japan, and China, and how their national ethos drove their soldiers to make extreme decisions. I intentionally chose the term “extreme” over heroic, brave, and patriotic because it is abundantly evident that though this is an Americanized perspective, all sides suffered to extreme degrees.
These are all worthy lessons to take away and there are a few things that I learned about myself:
1. as an American, I have been presented with factoids about Nazi Germany all my life but the main public school lessons I received on the Pacific side of the war could be succinctly summarized as “Japan attacked Pearl Harbor so America bombed Japan.” Beyond the East being secondary, what is also ignored is that an estimated 15-20 million Chinese citizens and 22 million Russians died during WWII. I mean zero disrespect to the resilient Jewish communities around the world, but I’ve come to believe that the figures for Chinese and Russian civilian losses should be mentioned in the same breath as the 6 millions Jews who perished by Nazi forces.
2. as a Japanese American, I cringe every since time I hear Jap. It was very disturbing to hear it so many times even though I know it’s a product of that time. I found myself envying that Germans could be distinguishable from Nazis, and I wished the same type of name had been available for the Imperial Army of Japan. It was difficult to Jap spit out with such venom during certain quoted dialogue but it does certainly lend color to the narrative
3. The end of the story touched on the Japanese war tribunals and much like #1, I believe America’s world history has done their citizens a great disfavor by leaving it out of the general education process. Furthermore, I believe it is true to say that even Japan’s history politely skips mention of their nations incriminating acts against the people massacres (and worse) during its conquest to absorb Asia’s resources. Chapter 24 was excruciating to listen to but once you do, I think you’d agree that Japan’s atrocities should be held to the same candle that shines a light of remembrance over the deeds of a Nazi nation.
I would absolutely recommend Target Tokyo to anyone interested in WWII and the Pacific theater.
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