Two Flights to Victory: From the Doolittle Raid to the Enola Gay

The story of the Doolittle Raid and Hiroshima—two air attacks that changed the world, with new interviews with Doolittle Raid veterans Using extensive research and previously unpublished information, this is an account of events that transformed combat, as the long-range bomber emerged as the most important strategic strike tool in modern warfare, and changed the political landscape of the 20th century. As World War II drew to a close, the U.S. launched two air attacks that would secure victory and peace, but at a terrible cost. The only such attacks on Japan that were not part of the overall battle plan, they changed the course of human history, and one man was involved in both actions. Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle was the leader of the Doolittle Raid in which 16 B-25 bombs struck at Tokyo and neighboring cities, forcing the withdrawal of Japanese troops—the outcome was that the Allies never lost another battle all the way to Japan. When it was deemed necessary to drop the atomic bomb, it was Doolittle who put forward his 12th Air Force comrade Paul Tibbets, the pilot who flew the Enola Gay with its deadly cargo to Hiroshima. This book presents the fascinating story of these significant air attacks connected by one man, and reveals why they were developed apart from the main Allied strategy and how the pilots were selected for their missions.