Doolittle's Men: A Novel of the Air Raid on Tokyo

January, 1942. With Pearl Harbor still smoldering, President Roosevelt seeks to give America hope that all is not lost. The resulting mission called for renowned aviator, Jimmy Doolittle, to lead eighty men in sixteen army bombers off the deck of the carrier, USS Hornet. They would bomb targets in Japan, proceed to allied bases in China, and give America that hope. Almost nothing would go as planned.

In this novelization of the Doolittle raid, we follow three of those sixteen crews as they struggle off the storm-tossed flight deck of the Hornet, attack their targets, and escape against all odds to the Chinese mainland where their most harrowing experiences await.

Doolittle's Men is more than an edge-of-your-seat telling of an iconic war story. It is also an analysis of the human qualities required of those facing unimaginable challenges.

Pauls Next Book:

Duvida: a novel of Theodore Roosevelt, his son, and death on the River of Doubt

Coming in 2025

Customer Reviews

  • "Did not expect much from this, but boy was I surprised!!! Great novelisation of the Doolittle raid. Characters are beautifully done. The author especially does a beautiful job with the launch sequence. You actually can almost feel Hornet pitching underfoot!!!! Hopefully this author has more in the tank!!!!!!"

    Dennis J Rooney

  • "A great-looking book with an even better story inside. If you think historical fiction is dry, you haven't read this book. I liked the story and felt I knew the characters by the end. This is a real page-turner. I highly recommend it to everyone."

    Fred Fanning

  • "I have read many books about the Doolittle raid and this is absolutely the most detailed description I have ever read. You feel like you are in the aircraft and with the men throughout the entire mission."

    Daniel Kennedy

Editorial Review

  • “The secret to getting invested in a dangerous mission like this is to bring each of the characters entering the lion’s den to life, a feat that Paul D. Burgess accomplishes in spades ... Doolittle’s Men is a treat of historical fiction that handles the source material with respect in sharing an important part of US history without compromising on the suspense, action, and thrills.” 

    Lexie Fox, Readers' Favorite

  • “The pace of the book is riveting. The end of each chapter forces the reader to turn the page. The airmen in the book were real people, living real lives, in an extraordinary time. Burgess brings them to life for us.”

    Pat Walkow, Military Writers Society of America

  • “Wow! This is a terrific book with a gripping story, deftly defined characters and spot on dialogue. The author's writing style is so smooth and the story so compelling that I couldn't put it down. An award-worthy book.”

    IndieBRAG