Vanishing Act: The Enduring Mystery Behind the Legendary Doolittle Raid over Tokyo

(Hardback)

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Description

After the devastating Pearl Harbor attacks in the spring of 1942, the United States was determined to show the world that the Axis was not invincible. Their bold plan Bomb Tokyo. On April 18, 1942, sixteen B-25s, known as the Doolittle Raiders, hit targets across Japan before escaping to China. The eighth plane, however, did not return with the rest of the raiders. Instead, Plane 8's pilots, Captain Edward "Ski" York and Lieutenant Bob Emmens, did not attack Tokyo, but headed across Japan to the Soviet Union, supposedly due to low fuel. Yet, this bomber was the only plane on the mission with maps of the Soviet Union aboard. And why did Plane 8's flight plans, recently discovered in the Japanese Imperial Archives, show them nowhere near their target The facts have long indicated that bombing Tokyo was merely a cover for Plane 8's real mission, but what was their secret objective No one, aside from the two pilots and whoever sent them on this mission, truly knew why they were there, nor has the reason ever been revealed. Until now. In Vanishing Act, for the first time, retired fighter pilot Dan Hampton definitively solves the final mystery of the Doolittle Raid, including never-before-published documents and photographs in exclusive collaboration with Japanese researchers and the Raiders' descendants.

Reviews

Praise for Vanishing Act:

"With the determination of a cold case detective, Dan Hampton penetrates the mists of an 80-year-old mystery, revealing the story behind the errant bomber from the fabled Doolittle Tokyo Raiders mission of 1942... It's all there: the technical and operational factors but especially the long-secret geopolitical reasons not even known to Jimmy Doolittle at the time." -Barrett Tillman, author of Whirlwind: The Air War Against Japan, 1942-1945

"Suspenseful...This WWII caper captivates." -Publishers Weekly

"Intriguing." -Kirkus Reviews

"One of the great mysteries of World War II...for those who are eager to do a deep dive into how the war in the Pacific was prosecuted in its first months." -Booklist

Praise for Dan Hampton:

"A captivating portrait of courage and determination during wartime." -Publishers Weekly on Valor

"Hampton's one of the most decorated pilots in Air Force history...We may never see his like again." -New York Post on Viper Pilot

"Outstanding...A painstaking account [that] succeeds in placing readers in the cockpit of the Spirit of St. Louis." - Library Journal (starred review) on The Flight

"World War II adventure at its finest." -Adam Makos, New York Times bestselling author of Spearhead on Valor

"Valor reads like an action/adventure thriller...I could literally not put this book down." -Nelson DeMille, New York Times bestselling author of The Maze

"Operation Vengeance is a whacking great read every bit as exciting as the real mission." -Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of The Russia Account

Author Bio

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) DAN HAMPTON flew 151 combat missions during his twenty years in the U.S. Air Force. For his service, Col. Hampton received four Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor, a Purple Heart, eight Air Medals with Valor, five Meritorious Service medals, and numerous other citations. He is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School and USAF Special Operations School. He is a frequent guest on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC and the nationally bestselling author of eight books.