Target Tokyo

Target TokyoExplore the gripping narrative of a pivotal moment in World War II with this compelling title. In December 1941, amid the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, U. S. President Franklin Roosevelt gathered military leaders to plot an audacious counterstrike against Japan: a daring air raid on Tokyo. This book chronicles the remarkable Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942, where sixteen U. S. Army bombers, led by the legendary Jimmy Doolittle, embarked on a perilous

Explore the gripping narrative of a pivotal moment in World War II with this compelling title. In December 1941, amid the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt gathered military leaders to plot an audacious counterstrike against Japan: a daring air raid on Tokyo. This book chronicles the remarkable Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942, where sixteen U.S. Army bombers, led by the legendary Jimmy Doolittle, embarked on a perilous mission to strike key military targets in Japan. This event not only marked a significant psychological victory for the United States but also had devastating repercussions for China, which faced severe retaliation from the Japanese forces, leading to a tragic loss of life and widespread destruction. This carefully researched account highlights not only the strategic intricacies of the mission but also the personal stories of the brave young airmen who volunteered for this high-risk operation. With 672 pages packed with rich historical detail and character depth, this book is essential reading for history enthusiasts and anyone interested in the complexities of wartime decisions. Published in 2016 by W W Norton & Company with an ISBN of 9780393352276, this brand new edition promises to be a valuable addition to your collection of historical literature.

Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780393352276
Year: 2016
Publisher: W W Norton & Company
Pages: 672


Description:


In December 1941, as American forces tallied the dead at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt gathered with his senior military counselors to plan an ambitious counterstrike against the heart of the Japanese Empire: Tokyo. Four months later, 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 the enemy's factories, refineries, and dockyards and then escape to Free China. For Roosevelt, the raid was a propaganda victory, a potent salve to heal a wounded nation. In Japan, outraged over the deaths of innocent civilians”including children”military leaders launched an ill-fated attempt to seize Midway that would turn the tide of the war. But it was the Chinese who suffered the worst, victims of a retaliatory campaign by the Japanese Army that claimed an estimated 250,000 lives and saw families drowned in wells, entire towns burned, and communities devastated by bacteriological warfare.


At the center of this incredible story is Doolittle, the son of an Alaskan gold prospector, a former boxer, and brilliant engineer who earned his doctorate from MIT. Other fascinating characters populate this gripping narrative, including Chiang Kai-shek, Lieutenant General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, and the feisty Vice Admiral William "Bull" Halsey Jr. Here, too, are indelible portraits of the young pilots, navigators, and bombardiers, many of them little more than teenagers, who raised their hands to volunteer for a mission from which few expected to return. Most of the bombers ran out of fuel and crashed. Captur