DOOLITTLE: A Biography

by Lowell & Edward Jabionski Thomas ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 19, 1976

Jimmy Doolittle was an adventurous aviator from his first glider attempt at age thirteen; this popular recall of his exploits, including the famous Tokyo Raid, will satisfy those who want the essential facts and a fair representation of his feisty character. Known for daredevil stunts and the first transcontinental flight, he nevertheless had a good grounding in theory as well as an Sc.D. from M.I.T. During WW II he flew the B-25 Special Project commonly known as Doolittle's Tokyo Raid, a source of pride back home although at the time he regretted the loss of planes. Later in North Africa he took charge of ""Torch"" despite the reservations of a hostile Eisenhower and then acted as Commander of the Eighth Air Force in England prior to a brief return to the Pacific, where he also irritated MacArthur. Many of those military maneuvers--and the intricate play of personalities at headquarters--are detailed here, and the anecdotes are amusing, such as Churchill's appropriation of one of Doolittle's heavily brandied comments for a Parliamentary speech. His return to civilian life was accompanied by many awards, appointments to numerous government committees, and the only stopover on this flight, the suicide of his older son. Conceived by Thomas in the Thirties, shelved again following WW II until 1972 (when Jablonski joined in the work), this is a conventional appreciation of a scrappy pilot.

Pub Date: Nov. 19, 1976

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1976

Categories: NONFICTION