Synopses & Reviews
In 1942, Jimmy Doolittle led the Tokyo Raid ("Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo"). It was America's first strike against Japan and was credited with changing the course of World War II. Although best known for the Raid, Doolittle's contributions to aviation had an even greater impact on history. He was a scientist with a doctorate in Aeronautical Engineering from MIT, an aviation pioneer, a barnstormer well known for aerobatics, a popular racing pilot, and a four-star general. The Air and Space Centennial Issue lists Doolittle as number one on the list of the top ten "most important aviators," and a section of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is dedicated to him. Calculated Risk is a firsthand account written by his granddaughter that brings readers inside the public and private world of Jimmy Doolittle and his family and sheds light on the drives and motivation of one of America's greatest heroes. The book also features many never-before-seen photographs from the Doolittle Library archives.
Synopsis
Famous for leading the Tokyo Raid, America's first strike against Japan in World War II, Jimmy Doolittle led a remarkable life as an American pilot. This firsthand account by his granddaughter reveals an extraordinary individuala scientist with a doctorate in aeronautical engineering from MIT, an aviation pioneer who was the first to fly across the United States in less than 24 hours and the first to fly blind” (using only his planes instruments), a barnstormer well known for aerobatics, a popular racing pilot who won every major air race at least once, recipient of both the Congressional Medal of Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom, a four-star general, and commander of both the 8th, 12th and 15th Air Forces. This memoir provides insights into the public and private world of Jimmy Doolittle and his family and sheds light on the drives and motivation of one of America's most influential and ambitious aviators.
About the Author
Jonna Doolittle Hoppes is the granddaughter of Jimmy Doolittle. She teaches classes at the United States Air Force base in Los Angeles and has written about her grandfather in
Smithsonian Air and Space magazine. She lives in Huntington Beach, California.