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Bill Farrow: Doolittle Raider This book covers the short life of Lt. William G. Farrow, the pilot of the 16th Doolittle Raid B-25 bomber. It gives an overview of his life from his difficult, yet warm upbringing in South Carolina, through his death in front of a Japanese firing squad. Mr. Griffin's research into Lt. Farrow's home life and upbringing is apparent and thoughtful. The book opens with a fast-forward look at Lt. Farrow's last days in a Japanese Prison, rewinds to his early life, and tells the story through his death.The book is very similar in concept to the book Tall and Free as Meant by God by Margaret Meadows Stem (Lt. Farrow's aunt) but covers many more details and is based more on Lt. Farrow's friends' and fellow Doolittle Raiders' memories of him. The book contains more information about Lt. Farrow's background, family life, and beliefs. Mr. Griffin placed a special emphasis on the various turns in his life that led to his eventual participation in the Tokyo Raid and capture by the Japanese. It also is respectful of Lt. Farrow's religious upbringing and apparently strong Christian beliefs. Another interesting aspect of the book is that it seems to provide more information about when and where the two Raider crews were kept while in captivity. The book concludes with a fairly up-to-date look at the surviving members of the captured Doolittle Raider crews. You may notice that in a few places you seem to be reading a cut and paste of something you've already read before. I believe that this is for emphasis, and is not seriously distracting to the overall story. As noted before, the research for this book seems to have been pretty good, but I've personally heard what seems to me to be a slightly different version of the story of the sixteenth crew's capture. On the other hand, this could just be insufficient research on my part. This scene is also my main caution about the book because there is some fairly graphic depiction of Japanese barbarism (regrettably, this is probably accurate) and some rather horrific acts they committed. It might not be appropriate to read to a younger audience. Whether or not the scene is exactly accurate, it is certainly appears to be similar to other Japanese atrocities we know about in China. I would recommend this book to any adult or young adult interested in the Doolittle Raid and the story of the sixteenth crew. It provides a closer look at the men who flew the mission, the culture of the time, and the courage of the men involved. Details: Click here to purchase Lt. Bill Farrow: Doolittle Raider The Life and Death of the USS Hornet This DVD, recently released by US Military Videos is actually a film from World War Two, with actual footage of the USS Hornet. The film is almost entirely actual footage of the USS Hornet and those who took a part in it's exploits. |
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