This book starts off kinda slow, like most military books I know. In the beginning it introduces all of the officers and major figures in the raid. The description of the actual raid and the events afterward, however, is amazing.

The Doolittle Raid was our first strike against Japan after Pearl Harbor. A squadron of B-25 Bombers took off from an aircraft carrier in the Pacific and bombed Japan! It did not accomplish much militarily, but it severely hurt the morale of the Japanese. They had always regarded their homeland as sacred and invincible, so their spirits were deeply hurt.

The bravery of these men was incredible! Because the carrier was spotted by a Japanese boat, the men had to take off hours before their scheduled launch. They did not know if they would have enough fuel to fly over Japan and reach China on the other side. Even if they did reach China, they had no assurance that they would reach safe territory (that was not controlled by Japanese troops). They had no radios and no homing beacons to tell them where to land. These men blindly flew straight into the heart of the enemy, truly not knowing if they would ever see home again.

This moral victory was the first shimmer of light for Americans in World War II. It had been six months since the attack on Pearl Harbor, and morale was very low. The Doolittle Raid, like most great feats of courage, inspired Americans and gave them hope to defeat Japan.

This book went a little slow, but it was still a good read. I think it's good to remind myself what some people have been through to protect me. It's also inspiring to read about the courage in great men, and about how they can change the course of history.