A Higher Call: The Incredible True Story of Heroism and Chivalry During the Second World War

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December, 1943: A badly damaged American bomber struggles to fly over wartime Germany. At the controls is twenty-one-year-old Second Lieutenant Charlie Brown. Half his crew lay wounded or dead on this, their first mission. Suddenly, a Messerschmitt fighter pulls up on the bomber’s tail. The pilot is German ace Franz Stigler—and he can destroy the young American crew with the squeeze of a trigger… The narrative illuminates what the life of a fighter pilot was like in the Luftwaffe. For example in telling the story of Stigler’s service in North Africa, the sand, bad food and probably more importantly the comradeship between pilots and their crew chiefs/mechanics is well drawn. In fact, when North Africa falls, Stigler along with most of his squadron mates squeeze their mechanics into their airplanes when they are transferred to Sicily rather than let them be captured. During this period Stigler’s ambition to win a Knights Cross is emphasized.

There was no going forward—in front of the column, from the slope of a field, ten German tanks blasted away. There would be no retreat—behind the American column, another five German tanks shot down from a hilltop, silhouetted by the moon. The woods were a killing zone too. The tree line blinked with small-arms fire from SS infantry stationed at both ends of the route. With nowhere to run, all that remained for most Americans was to hide.” Adam's coverage of the German fighter pilot's side was the most complete I have ever read and it provided new insight into a side of things I never thought I'd be able to read. And American B-17 bomber pilot Charley Brown's insistance that Adam focus on German figher pilot Franz Stigler's side as the real story turned it from an interesting story to a poignant personal story of how things really were. Thank God that Charley Brown knew where the real story was and pushed for it to be told from that point of view. That turned the book from just a very good book into an amazing read.This blend of beautiful and harrowing experiences, written together with incredibly researched work makes this such a well executed book. Notable Alumni". Lycoming College. Archived from the original on November 20, 2022 . Retrieved November 20, 2022. HistoryRider wrote:It was a FANTASTIC book and a fascinating read!!!! I can't wait to see this build!!! a b Ward II, Thomas E. (14 May 2014). "A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of Wo". Air University (AU). According to A Higher Call, Stigler was a German fighter pilot credited with shooting down 45 allied aircraft during his 400-plus combat missions. He probably killed more than a hundred enemy airmen and continued to fly missions up until the very end of the war. He advanced in rank from corporal to first lieutenant in the span of his three years of service. This was a person who, at best, was fully committed to the killing that was required of a German fighter pilot; or at worst, was fully indoctrinated into the Nazi Party.

I have to say this book is mainly about the German pilot who according to his amarican counterpart was the ‘hero of this story’. Anyone who has professes to have a genuine interest in the human side of war, especially if you are willing to think about the War in Europe from the perspective of either side, represented by German ace Franz Stigler, and the American side, represented by B-17 pilot Charlie Brown; this book is a must read for you. I was deeply moved while reading many parts of this book-several times to tears, such that I closed it up for a while to let the visual pictures in my head reside there, quietly. This isn’t a work of war, it’s a song of common men coming together for a brief moment in time to remind them that valor, bravery and decency are a common denominator. While ace records keepers might wonder where his score would be today since he claimed hardly any kills for years after sparing this one crew - that's the point! He clearly was in the company of ace 'giants' whose actual scores were public. For Mr. Stigler, such things were a shameful burden he avoided, and he refocused his job on keeping the rookies alive and competent for their own sakes, and the illusory glory of war was lost to his earlier overachieving self.

Who stars in A Higher Call: Cast List

Adam has written a stunning, eye-opening, and breathtaking story of the lives of WWII pilots from both sides of the European Theater, and I dare say his is probably the most complete and best accounting I have ever read, especially from the German fighter pilot's side...it is absolutely brilliant. And as one who has been reading WWII and fighter pilot books for 30+ years, it stands head and shoulders above all the others in my opinion. December, 1943: A badly damaged American bomber struggles to fly over wartime Germany. At the controls is twenty-one-year-old Second Lieutenant Charlie Brown. Half his crew lay wounded or dead on this, their first mission. Suddenly, a Messerschmitt fighter pulls up on the bomber’s tail. The pilot is German ace Franz Stigler—and he can destroy the young American crew with the squeeze of a trigger... Four days before Christmas 1943, a badly damaged American bomber struggled to fly over wartime Germany. At its controls was a 21-year-old pilot. Half his crew lay wounded or dead. It was their first mission. Suddenly, a sleek, dark shape pulled up on the bomber’s tail—a German Messerschmitt fighter. Worse, the German pilot was an ace, a man able to destroy the American bomber in the squeeze of a trigger. What happened next would defy imagination and later be called the most incredible encounter between enemies in World War II. In December 1943, there were 235 men in K company. The amount who ended up alive and well at the end of Okinawa was 19.”