Jimmy Doolittle, master of the calculated risk

by Carroll V. Glines

Fine Paperback Missoula, Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 2002. First edition, 2002. Softcover in fine condition, looks and feels new and unread, tight binding, clean pages, no names or other markings.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Fine. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall.

202 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Carroll Vane Glines, who retired from the United States Air Force as a colonel after twenty-seven years of service, is historian for the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders and curator of the Doolittle Library at the University of Texas at Dallas. He has been published in a number of publications and written and co-authored numerous books on military and aviation history.

Reviews

[Marc Liebman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book as a present as a present for a speech to the Daedalians chapter in LA. General Doolittle was a member of the chapter and this book has personal meaning to me. My father met General Doolittle twice in his AF career. Once in 1942, as a brand new second lieutenant fresh out of the Army Air Corps Training command when he volunteered for what became the Doolittle raid. Unfortunately, my Dad had very little time in the B-25 and was not selected. Later in 1943 after the invasion of North Africa, General Doolittle pinned his first Distinguished Flying Cross on his chest.

I've read many books about this famous aviator but not is memoir/autobiography. I was far more interested in his contributions to aviation prior to World War II and then what he did post-War. The book is a fascinating insight into one of the greatest pilots of all time and who's pioneering work benefited all of us who came later. Doolittle is mostly known for being the first person to take off and land on instruments. That was only one. He earned a PhD in aeronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and helped develop the fuels that gave our planes an advantage, changes in aircraft structure that make the planes we now fly safer and the list goes on and on.

I highly recommend reading the book. If you are interested in aviation, this book is for you. If you spend a lot of time on airplanes and often wonder what made all this possible, it is because of the efforts of men like Doolittle and this book is for you.