Customer Reviews

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (Aviation Classics)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having read "Four who came Home", a story written from the prespective of Doolittle Raiders who were captured, I decided to read this famous title of a movie. I once again was not disappointed. This book goes into more detail of the training and the schedule the pilots kept prior to the raid. It also goes into depth about the trip to Japan and the great job the Navy did in their support role.

But the highlight of the book is the raid and exactly what they saw during the raid. This is followed by a harrowing crash and month in China staying one step ahead of the Japanese. This part of the story shows the value of the Chinese people who helped even though it put their life in danger. Did I mention hardship? Imagine having your leg amputated in a field hospital with little medical equipment.

These men are truly valiant heroes and it's great to read their stories of valor.

To me the most interesting part of WWII was the battle for the Pacific Ocean. I had read many books about the Battle of Midway and Iwo Jima. They all told you about the war and the battles. The book Thirty Seconds over Tokyo tells you not only of the battles, but also the months of preperation for the surprise riad on Japan, it told you about the long month afterward in which the Chinese helped them recover and hide them from the Japanese. It tells of the crash landing on the Chinese coast and the horrible nights that followed, not knowing if they were going to turned over to the enemy or not. The book Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo is a great read for anyone who likes WWII becuase it not only tells of the battles, it gives the account of the emotional expenses a group of people were forced to go through. I liked this book and I hope you will too.

This is one of the best books I have ever read and should be a must read for all history students. In addition to the historical importance of the Doolittle Raid, this book brings the reader a personal narrative of the event. If you are a fan of aviation or WWII history, then this is book is for you. I enjoyed it so much that I read it cover-to-cover, back-to-back! I haven't done that with a book in a long time.

I read this book when I was in grade school. It was a great book. Recently I saw a reprint of this book in the supermarket, so I decided to read it again. What a great story! Mr. Lawson, since deceased, spelled out how he began his flying career and how he got involved in the mission. His flying experience over Tokyo (amounting to thirty seconds) was a small factor in this book. What really makes the story are the heroic Chinese who saved Lawson and his crew from the Japanese. In the crash itself, Lawson injured his arm, leg, and head. The resulting infection of his leg resulted in amputation. His travels in his injured state were the main focus of most of the second half of the book.
This is such a great read. Not only is the author a humble, patriotic man but his story details those who made his escape possible. A great read for anybody.

The term "hero" seems to be much overused in the media today. You put on a uniform, and you are automatically a hero. Here is a thrilling story about a group of genuine heroes. It is April, 1942. In the four months since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States has suffered a series of stunning defeats and lost many of its Pacific bases. To counter the seeming invincibility of Japan, Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle leads sixteen, twin-engine B-25 bombers from the deck of an aircraft carrier to bomb targets in Japan. They cause consternation in Japan, but a longer flight than planned and bad weather cause the bombers to crash in China. Some flyers are captured and executed by the Japanese, some are killed, and many are injured. Their escape from capture by the Japanese is an epic of courage and amazing help by Chinese peasants. The story is as thrilling today as it was when first published in 1943, and it is well worth reading.

As a junior high school student and avaition/WWII buff, 33yrs ago, this was just the kind of book for me. I used this book for numberous book reports through out my school career. I recommend this book for all young people to read and remind them what their grandparents went through to help keep this country free of tyrannny I will always remember, April 18,1942, the "Ruptured Duck" and "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo".

I'd seen the film adaptation of this book many times, and when I finally read the book awhile back, I could not believe how good it was. It was if I could remember everything as it had happened in the film. If you've seen the film, read the book, and if you haven't, read the book first, then see the film.

It tells the famous story of Doolittle's raid on Tokyo, as seen through the eyes of Captain Ted Lawson, one of the pilots. We learn about Lawson, his crew, and his plane, affectionately known as "The Ruptured Duck." We read of the preparations for the raid, and then the raid itself. Lawson and his men crash in China, and their harrowing journey to safety, and ultimately back to the USA is told in a gripping style, making you feel as if you were there when it happened.

One of the best WWII books I've ever read, and I've read a lot of them!

First of all, I think everyone should have to read this in history or social studies class. What a great book! I got my book for fifty cents when my school library was going to throw it away! What a waste that would of been, just because it looked old!

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo shows the true picture of what war was really like. Not like kids playing, fall down, get back up. Full of death and danger.

As a kid, I was not a big reader but the first time I read this story I could imagine what it must have been like to be in a B-25 over Japan. This is truly an inspiring WWII read.