Customer Reviews

Return Of The Enola Gay

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I am proud to say that I come from the town of Quincy, Illinois. Probably one of the most important people ever to come from Quincy is Paul W. Tibbets, though it's very likely that even most Quincians wouldn't know his name. In fact, Col. Tibbets is the man who trained the crews and commanded the mission that dropped the atomic bomb over Hiroshima. Return of the Enola Gay is Col. Tibbets' story, told in his own words.

To be honest, though I very much wanted to like this book, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Col. Tibbets prose is somewhat unpolished but his folksy, colloquial style is in the classic storytelling tradition and it is very readable. Reading this book, I often felt like I was sitting at my grandfather's feet, listening to stories of the war. He may come across as a little arrogant at times (like most of the great soldiers) but Tibbets' stories are always worth hearing.

And stories are something that Col. Tibbets has in great supply. The heart of the story is the organization and training of the squads that will ultimately compose the strike forces dropping "fat man" and "little boy" and, certainly, hearing Col. Tibbets describe his experiences on August 6, 1945, is gripping. However, Col. Tibbets was involved with many other important figures and events of World War II of which I was not even remotely aware. He trained (and shot skeet) with George Patton before the war. He piloted the first daylight bombing raids over Nazi occupied Europe. He flew Eisenhower and other important soldiers crucial to the Allied invasion of North Africa and flew a number of raids there.

And even though the stories of war might be enough to make a good book, Col. Tibbets does much more. He tells us the story of his life--the moving around, military school, leaving medical school to become a pilot, his years after the war and his ultimate retirement from the air force. He gives us insight into many of the famous and important people he met, like Patton and Doolittle. He describes how the Nagasaki bombing and the first nuclear test at Bikini atoll were near disasters. In particular, I was fascinated by his insights into the politics of the military, how certain people earn promotions and assignments. All in all, it is an absorbing account of an important period of American history told by a man who lived it.

A warning: an anti-war reader looking for an apology for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will have to look elsewhere. Col. Tibbets is proud of his role in what he often points out are the attacks that ended World War II, likely saving the lives of millions of Allied and Japanese soldier despite what revisionist "historians" would like to say. And, though I am leery of American tendencies to jump into war, I also think that Monday-morning quarterbacking 60 years later is an easy way to get up on a soapbox for people who didn't have to make the hard choices. I am proud to have Col. Tibbets as a sterling representative of my hometown and its values, well-reflected in this book.

Just about all anyone knows about Paul Tibbets is that he was the pilot of the B-29 from which the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, ultimately leading to the quick and decisive end of World War II. But besides this action, which saved hundreds of thousands of Japanese and American lives, Tibbets also had a wide and varied career both in and out of the military. This book tells the story of his life and of his aviation career.

For Tibbets, it all began in 1927 when, as a 12 year old boy, he tossed parachute-rigged Baby Ruth candy bars from an open cockpit plane flying over Florida's Hialeah race track as an advertising gimmick. It then ran a full gamut of adventures until 1986 when, at 71 years of age, Tibbets finally decided that it was time to give up flying. During the intervening years, Paul Tibbets entered the flying service; became friends with and part-time pilot for then Lt. Col. George S. Patton; led the first U.S. bombing mission over Europe; was selected to fly General Dwight D. Eisenhower to Gibraltar at the start of the invasion of North Africa; led bombing missions over Bizerte; was assigned to the staff of a pompous Colonel named Norstad and almost court-martialed (Tibbets confronted the desk-bound colonel in an operations meeting and, in discussing an ill-planned bombing raid, announced that he would fly the mission if the Colonel would be his co-pilot.); was saved from a possible court-martial by General Jimmy Doolittle who transferred him back the States; helped develop the B-29 into a safe aircraft; taught two women to fly the B-29 so as to allay the fears of his male pilots; was put in command of the 509th Composite Group which he pulled together and trained while the atom bomb was under development; and finally flew the Enola Gay, which he named for his mother, on the fateful bombing raid to Hiroshima.

These and many other adventures are the subjects of this outstanding autobiography. It is fun, interesting, and easy reading. Go for it.

This book is a fascinating history of one man whose place in history will never be forgotten. He was the man who dropped the bomb on Japan. This is the story of his life, time in service and what he did latter in life and it makes for a fascinating first person account of the first time atomic weapons were used in combat.

I found it interesting that Tibbets spent quite a bit of time writing about the political forces within organizations that drive men crazy. I saw this first hand. My father did too. These "clicks" and self promoting officers created a living hell for him. He could be right about one topic and regardless the negativity and jealously of others became counterproductive and have lasting affects.

One of the things I liked most about this book is the fact that Tibbets sets the record straight on his crew. None of them held remorse or had physiological issues after the war regarding the bombing of Hiroshima. They understood this was an act of war...and one that could save many lives...regardless of what a destructive and devastating blow it was to the military and civilian population of the city.

It's interesting to note that his grandson spent time in the air force flying B2 bombers designed to deliver modern versions of his grandfather's atomic bomb. As Tibbets said, he is grateful his grandson never had to perform such a mission, but it is good to know that someone stands ready to defend or nation.

If you enjoyed this book and are interested in more history of the atomic bomb program I would suggest reading Richard Rhoads, The Making of the Atomic Bomb. I would also recommend the masterpiece, American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. In addition I would suggest, Now it Can be told, by General Leslie Groves, the man in charge of the project to build the bomb.

I bought this book in 1999. Gen. Tibbetts was at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson to talk about his life and his book was available. I have a photo of him signing my book, yet I didn't read it for nine years. That was my loss.

Paul Tibbetts is an authentic American hero. I recetly read Masters of the Sky which is a detailed and exhaustive recounting of the work of the Eighth Air Force during WW2. In it, Tibbetts is mentioned as a pilot who led early raids in Europe and North Africa. He is best known for being the pilot of the Enola Gay, the plane to drop the first atomic bomb in WW2. Yet, long before that, he was an authentic hero and pilot who warriors such as Gen. Curtis Lemay had appreciated and wanted in their command.

His autobiography testifies to the kind of man he was. Proud, talented and a patriot of the first order.

He got screwed over from time to time by the the politics of the military. Yet, he accepted that as the cost of doing business as a career officer.

He saw it all in WW2, from the early raids on Europe as a member of the 8th Air Force to the final dropping of the first atom bomb on Hiroshima as a member of the 509th. For those who enjoy first person accounts, you can't do much better than this book from a man who saw it all.

It may do a bit of digging to find a copy, but it will be well worth while.

On August 6, 1945, Col. Paul Tibbets and crew flew the first atomic bomb to Hiroshima, Japan, on the Enola Gay (named after his mother) B-29 from Tinian, and dropped the lethal load, thereby bringing on the end of World War II. By doing so, thousands of GI and Japanese lives were saved and negated the need for an invasion of the Japanese home islands. Before this heroic act, Tibbets had been involved in the bombing of Europe and North Africa. He had already served his country well even before he got into the Japanese Theater. Tibbets received numerous medals, including the Distinuished Service Cross, and was eventually promoted to brigadier general. After World War II, he went to work for several aviation companies and as a test pilot, flew the new six-jet bomber B-47 in 1951. For his part when asked if he regretted dropping the bomb, Tibbets replied, "Not in the least..." Winston Churchill said about the bomb, "People will not condemn those who struggled for their benefit amid the horrors and the miseries of this gruesome and ferocious epoch (WW II)." This is a fine autobiograpy and an integral part of history. General Tibbets was seen several times after the war on Tinian and Saipan as a guest of honor by the local government and the VFW. He recently died.

I purchased this for my mother, who values WWII items. She was wow'ed by the fact that this book was autographed by Paul Tibbets himself. She greatly enjoys the book as well.

"Return of the Enola Gay" is perhaps the most accurate and unbiased story of the first atomic bomb mission ever written. It describes well the events leading up to the Hiroshima attack on August 6, 1945, as well as its aftermath. Intertwined with this informative, intriguing, and easy-to-read narrative are discussions of General Tibbets' personal life and other relevant events. These include a brief history of the Tibbets family, highlights of the General's military assignments both before and after the Hiroshima mission, a description of the ill-fated second atomic mission (Nagasaki), the political implications of both drops, and the Smithsonian Institution's shamefully biased attempt, during the 1990's, to display the Enola Gay as the centerpiece of an anti-war, anti-American exhibit. All told, General Tibbet's book contains a wealth of great information about the only two combat uses of atomic weapons in history.

The book is not without its faults, however. Chief among these are too many instances of the General patting himself on the back. Although his many outstanding military accomplishments certainly warrant high praise, it's a bit annoying for such kudos to come from Gen Tibbets himself. In addition, there are many minor (but distracting) errors related to grammar and historic facts. For instance, the terms Army, Navy, and Air Force (when referring to the American military services) begin with lower case letters instead of caps throughout the book. The names of at least two professional Air Force officers are misspelled: Gen George Kenney appears as "Kenny" and Gen Karl Truesdell is referred to as "Carl Truesdale." The name of the B-29 flown on the Nagasaki mission is shown as two words ("Bock's Car") rather than the one word "Bockscar" that is actually painted on the aircraft. In describing one post-World War II event, the old designation "Air Corps" is used; in actuality, that term was abolished in 1947 when the U.S. Air Force became a separate service. Finally, the stealthy B-2 Spirit, America's newest bomber, is mistakenly called the B-2 Stealth Spirit.

Despite the minor glitches described, however, this reviewer strongly encourages potential readers to give this fine book a shot. Its overall superb content, written by one of history's most important figures, greatly outweighs its few shortcomings.

I want to say that it was quick shipping and the book is in Excellent Condition. Dad was very pleased with it.
Thank You and hope to order from you again.
Shane