Tokyo Raid: best book?

[Sabrejet]

I want to read up a bit more about Jimmy Doolittle's Tokyo Raid (B-25s) and would like to go for the most accurate/complete version. However when I look at publisher's descriptions or Amazon reviews I'm left thinking that most are flawed in some way, either by concentrating on one aspect, or by just not being detailed enough. I've also looked at the Tokyo Raiders website but their 'books' page won't open for me. These are a few I found, with my comments where I've managed to look at book descriptions/reviews@

Target Tokyo : Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor (James M Scott): Amazon reviews indicate it's just a re-hash of earlier and better books?
Vanishing Act: The Enduring Mystery Behind the Legendary Doolittle Raid over Tokyo (Dan Hampton): seems to only cover the loss of "Plane 8".
The Doolittle Raid: The First Air Attack Against Japan, April 1942 (John Grehan): seems a little 'thin' at 184 pages.
Calculated Risk: The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Doolittle Aviation Pioneer and World War II Hero (Jonna Doolittle): a biography rather than specific to the Raid?
Four Came Home (Carroll V Glines): limited to two crews?
I Could Never Be So Lucky Again (Carroll V Glines): possibly not exclusively Tokyo Raid? (but a good Doolittle book?)
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (Ted W Lawson): looks promising?
The First Heroes: The Extraordinary Story of the Doolittle Raid (Craig Nelson): Amazon review: "It is unfortunate that the story...was handed to a ... writer with no knowledge of ... WWII aviation"???
Doolittle's Tokyo Raiders (Carroll V Glines): another Glines book. Is one of them the 'definitive' book?
Guests of the Kremlin (Robert G Emmens): limited scope?
The Doolittle Raid: America's Daring First Strike Against Japan (Carroll V Glines); This one looked promising but Amazon review indicates it doesn't have full crew coverage?
Raid of No Return (Nathan Hale): 128 pages. I assume it's an overview but not detailed enough?
Destination Tokyo: A Pictorial History of Doolittle's Tokyo Raid (Stan Cohen): 136 pages. A good companion for a 'text' book?
The Doolittle Raid (Duane P Schultz): looks promising?
Doolittle Raid Doctor: A Firsthand Account of Bombing Tokyo and Escaping Occupied China from Flight Surgeon "Doc" White (Maj Thomas R White) - not yet released
The Doolittle Raiders: What Heroes Do After a War (George A Nolta): 144 pages...

I know there are others, including one due out in April which only deals with the pilot's stories (!?). I'm really hoping that there is something out there that is factually correct, doesn't rely on 'padding' and covers all crews and all aircraft. I'd appreciate any comments.

 

[special ed]

I remember Ted Lawson's book well as it was one of the first accounts I read and the basis for for the movie as I remember.
While I have read other books by Duane Schultz and found them full of informative details, I have not seen this book, but if it is as well done as his others, it should be a good read.

 

[MIflyer]

I've always been interested in the Doolittle Raid. Aside from the movie I grew up seeing, one of my high school teachers was Bomb/Nav on Plane #10.

"30 Sec Over Tokyo" is great. Read it in elementary school and picked up a new copy several years ago.

I have "The First heroes" but have not read it.

I am sure I have read the Glines book but recall little about it. He is an experienced and capable writer and I'd guess it to be one of the very best.

This book is available to be read on line "Dick Cole's War" https://archive.org/details/dickcoleswardool0000oker

Even for a single event like the Doolittle Raid there are many aspects of it and no one book can cover them all. For example, the story of the crew that landed in Russia and eventually made their way out via Iran is a whole books worth in its own right; originally they were not supposed to go on the mission and just showed up at the Hornet without being invited and Doolittle put them on board just to keep things quiet.

And here is one I'd never heard of before:

 

[Barrett]

Lawson's book was published in 1943 and therefore is of limited use as a reference owing to security concerns although it's certainly personal. IMO a rare instance of The Movie being better than The Book!

I was slightly acquainted with C.V. Glines though I knew "General Jimmy" better. "CV" definitely had the inside track with him!

Scott is sort of a colleague though we've never met. His book is more than "a rehash" as it involves primary sources.

Hampton's "Vanishing Act" is impressive as a cold-case assessment.

Stan Cohen's book is worthwhile; his Pictorial Histories series included other WW II volumes that stand up well.

 

[buffnut453]

I'd count Glines' "The Doolittle Raid" as the definitive overview of the raid. It includes photos of all the crews and he worked very closely with the surviving crew members.

 

[MIflyer]

It includes photos of all the crews

Yes, and that is why I bought it. It's an odd thing for me to walk into a bookstore and find a picture of someone you know.

 

[Sabrejet]

Thanks all for the suggestions. For now I've pushed the button on the Glines book but may go for others later.