"Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," by Capt. Ted Lawson

This was the first, very first book I ever read. I read it the first time in the 3rd grade, and that was a long, long time ago. Yet, I always remembered that. Then I picked it up and read it again as a refresher to post on this blog. I wondered if it was good for someone beyond the 3rd grade to read,
And, yes, I must say, it certainly is. In fact, as a much older person, I saw much more in the book than I'd ever have known to put in it in the third grade.
For example, I did not remember how well Capt. Lawson was to fly that B-25 to bomb Japan. Yet, the book reminds me that he'd studied aeronautical engineering in college, worked in a plant that built the plane and actually had a part in designing parts of the plane. Then he became a pilot and then joined the Army Air Corps where he flew the B-25 for a year or more before war was declared and he made that flight to Tokyo.
The bombing of Japan that April 1942 did little damage, but it lifted American spirits, certainly, and that was something considering at that time so much of what Americans had heard had been depressing: the bombing of Pearl Harbor and then the fall of the Philippines.
So, what I am saying here again, is if you like to read, get the book and read it. You will enjoy it for what it will tell you about the war at that stage and also what you will learn about airplanes. There were some very large and advanced airplanes at that time, which also is rather surprising.
I end with this about the book. First Capt. Lawson reports that every time one of the B-25 flew off the deck of the carrier Hornet on its way to Japan, the sailors on board cheered. And, on his own take-off from the deck, he said:
"I just went off at deck level and pulled out in front of the great ship that had just done its best to plant us in Japan's front yard."
Capt. Lawson said after each aircraft took off, it circled around and lined up for its run to Japan by flying back over the carrier that was pointed in the direction of Japan. Most amazing is he says the plane flew at 20 feet above the water all the way to Japan. That was low!
I once flew with an Air Force unit that bragged about flying 125 feet above ground level! But, wow, 20 feet above sea level would have amazed even them.
Again, read the book, you will love it--for what it tells about the Americans who fought the war, for what it tells about the home front and what it tells about airplanes of that era.
Oh, before I forget, one interesting side light about the book is how Capt. Lawson withheld telling his wife anything about a terrible injury he had sustained in the wreck of his plane at the end of the Tokyo mission. What an interesting story!