I Could Never Be So Lucky Again: An Autobiography

I COULD NEVER BE SO LUCKY AGAIN, written when Jimmy Doolittle was in his nineties, is a thoroughly refreshing glimpse through a glass lightly at a truly rare bird, a genuine American hero. Written in the nonrevisionist tenor of PRIDE OF THE YANKEES, Doolittle's life story is told in a straightforward style in which the man fairly leaps off the page at you to grab you in a bear hug. Jimmy Doolittle lived to be nearly one hundred, and his zest for life explains why. Best known for leading the "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" Raid of 1942, Doolittle did so much more. A true aviation pioneer,barnstormer, inventor, and rugged individualist, he was also the holder of an engineering doctorate, literally dozens of piloting records, and was a happily married man, to boot. There are no skeletons unearthed, and no deep critiques of the literally thousands of people who passed through Jimmy Doolittle's life, including gold miners and Presidents. This is a memoir in the best sense, not character assassination masquerading as autobiography. Sometimes silence is golden. On the other hand, Doolittle's self-effacing, humorous brand of Self is reflected in the amusing letters he received from friends such as Roscoe Turner and General "Georgie" Patton. His was an era of true loyalties and good old fashioned gumption. Jimmy Doolittle was a man who loved life, and it shows.

Intelligent, courageous, and honest, Jimmy Doolittle is an excellent example of a true American hero. He proved his worth as a test pilot during the early years of aviation, as commander of the 8th Air Force during World War II, and as chairman of NACA, the predecessor of today's NASA. His view that dishonesty is a form of cowardice and his determination to serve his fellow human beings well into his old age is refreshing in an era of selfishness, half-truths, and outright deceit.Doolittle's autobiography does a wonderful job of portraying his life. And what a life! If only one could achieve less than half of what Jimmy Doolittle had, he or she would already have a very full and worthwhile life. Let the reader be warned, however, the book is written as only a lifelong engineer could write it; succinct, precise, and relatively technical. Yet among the descriptions of aerodynamics experiments and strategic bombing raids over World War II Germany one also finds heartfelt accounts of his family life. Doolittle reveals that the one thing that has sustained him throughout is the support of his beloved wife, Josephine.While I would primarily recommend the autobiography of Jimmy Doolittle to aviation and World War II history buffs, I would also recommend it to anyone interested in the life of a real hero of American history whose sacrifices will benefit mankind for years to come. Thanks to remarkable individuals such as Jimmy Doolittle, I'm proud to call myself an American.

I knew nothing of Jimmy Doolittle when I purchased the book except for his part as leader of the famous 'Tokyo Raiders.' What a man! What an American hero! There were times in this book where I had to sit back in amazement at all he experienced and all he accomplished, and his life was fascinating before WWII even started! It got even better as he became an integral part in America's war effort and shared experiences with such people as General Patton, Presidents Roosevelt and Truman, General Eisenhower, Carrie Grant, the king and queen of England! The list goes on . . . It was so refreshing to read unembellished stories of a modest man who did so much. This book is not for everyone. Doolittle's love for aeronotics, engineering and flying is immediately apparant, and there is much detail that those without similar interests will find difficult to wade through. But if you have an interest in flight, and you want to learn about one of the most influential people who pioneered the art of flying, then this book is for you. If you want to learn about a true American hero who accomplished much more than planning and flying one monumental bombing mission over Japan, then this book is for you.

Jimmy Doolittle is a giant in the aviation world. Although most remember him for the Tokyo bombing raid if 1942 (see the movie Pearl Harbor for his latest incarnation), Doolittle was responsible for many of the safety measures now taken for granted by pilots in the world today in the early daus of test flying in the Army Air Corps. He left the service, did some private consulting, and when World War II loomed ahead of us, he returned to duty, rising to a position of senior leadership in the war in Europe.Doolittle achieved great success in the air, but this book will also teach the reader about his scientific abilities, and his corporate roles played in life, as well as his influence on some major policy movements in the US Government and the military after his retirement.For just the story on his involvement in the Tokyo Riad, this would be well worth the read. However, this book is much more than that, and very well told by a modest, gentleman warrior of a different era.For another account of the Tokyo Raid, I would suggest Ted Lawson's Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.

General Doolittle's book is refreshing to me because (1) it is a real autobiography that sets forth more hare-brained crash scenarios than most men would admit to, and (2) he is an extremely modest man. Unlike most WW II "historical accounts" that spice up the language (if not the action) with colorful detail that cannot be documented, General Doolittle sets forth many excerpts from his log books and other historical documents with no color added. His modesty and self-effacement are charming. He is remembered primarily for his spectacular Tokyo raid and his leadership role in the 8th Air Force, but perhaps his greatest contributions to our victory in the Big One were the invention of instrument flying and his between-the-wars role in the development of high-octane aviation fuel, which gave us an advantage in aerial combat that is not sufficiently appreciated. Doolittle was an effective leader in part because he flew representative dangeroous missions with his men and tended to manage his outfits from the cockpit, despite instructions to the contrary from Eisenhauer. His creativity and innovation derived from his unique technical grasp of aeronautics rank him alongside MacArthur's Gen. Kenny for military effectiveness in the confusion of conflict, but some of greatest contributions are in the civil arena following the war. The book is not written in the style of great literature, but it is factually correct and well documented as one might expect, coming from a distinguished pioneeer with a PhD in Aeronautical Engineering rather than a PhD in Literature from Oxford. He tells us how it was. This is the most book I have gotten for the dollar in a long time.