This first-hand account of the Doolittle Raid over Tokyo—the secret preparations, the raid itself and the almost unbelievable adventures of the airmen in the weeks that followed—is one of the greatest stories of American bravery and ingenuity that has ever been written.

Ted Lawson piloted one of the planes that roared over Tokyo. In the subsequent crack-up on the Chinese coast, he sustained injuries that ultimately cost him a leg. The story of his rescue, told simply and directly, makes thrilling and moving reading, serving again to remind all of us the great acts of sacrifice and heroism performed by the members of our armed forces during World War II.

Originally published for adults in 1943, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo became a best-seller overnight, and later was made into a great motion picture. Voted by many teachers and librarians throughout the country as a book that deserves to be read by boys and girls, it has been carefully edited to conform with the standards already established in the Landmark series.

From the book