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

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It was disgusting to watch how the Third Reich died,” wrote a German sergeant. “None of its leaders came to the foxholes to defend it to the last man as they had promised. They all abandoned their posts and fled, afraid of being held responsible, or cowardly died by suicide.” War II. I was a little skeptical about the use of the word "incredible" in the title. I discovered that the author chose it for the best of reasons- it's totally accurate. This is an incredible book to read and experience from a personal and historical point of view; plus the story it weaves about two pilots from opposing sides is truly incredible! It is difficult to write this review without sounding sappy or as if I am gushing...it is that good. I sometimes hesitate to recommend certain books because they can be a chore to read. Adam Makos books are different. They read like novels and they always start out painless, maintain the reader’s interest and end with a reunion of the combatants. It is recipe for success. A Higher Call is an incredible account of gallantry that is nothing short of miraculous.

A Higher Call is an incredible account of gallantry that is nothing short of miraculous. The story is told through the eyes of the two principal pilots and covers their lives before, during, and after the war. A Higher Call is riveting from beginning to end, and both pilots’ points of view are woven seamlessly throughout the book. The majority of the story is told from the German perspective and gives the reader invaluable insight into the Nazis’ fight under Hitler’s leadership and the disillusionment that came toward the end of the war for the German people. For me, the book served to confirm what I already knew: not every German was a callous killer, and wearing the gray for many was not a matter of choice. German fighter pilots in particular had a code of conduct that forbade gunning down enemy flyers descending in parachutes and on a number of occasions rescued Allied POWs from SS troops and angry civilian captors. I think this is an uplifting read, demonstrating that even in the horror and wastefulness of war there are still men who can see past flags and uniforms and pardon a defenseless enemy he could easily kill. I'll leave you with the words of the famous Ace Gerd Barkhorn who, when asked why he had encouraged a terrified Russian pilot to bail out of a doomed aircraft, answered: "Bubi, you must remember that one day that Russian pilot was the baby son of a beautiful Russian girl. He has his right to life and love the same as we do," (P.314) The final section of the book is how the two men eventually met and became fast friends until their deaths in 2008. After the war Stigler spent many years trying to find fate of the men he spared but, was unsuccessful until they finally met at reunion in the late '80s. 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. Of the twenty-eight thousand German fighter pilots to see combat in WWII, only twelve hundred survived the war.”Franz Stigler started flying gliders at age 12 and soloed in a bi-plane in 1933. He joined Lufthansa, becoming an Airline Captain, before joining the Luftwaffe in 1940. There, he became an instructor pilot, with one of his students being Gerhard Barkhorn, who would later become the second highest scoring Ace in history with over 300 victories. 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.

I guess you would say this book is flogging a dead bomber. The story is worth 1000 words, maybe 2000 but having been there and done that, the authors have gone on to stretch it into a book. Its a lot of stretching. While this book is the story of the two pilots, Charlie Brown (yes that’s really his name) who was piloting the B-17 and Franz Stigler, who was flying the ME109, this narrative is mainly Stigler's story. At the time of the encounter Stigler was just a victory away from completing the requirements for being awarded a Knights Cross, one of Germany's highest awards for valor. Remarkably, Franz decides to let the B-17 go and even escorted through a flak belt until it reached the North Sea. While Mr. Makos tells both men’s story the majority of the narrative follows Lt Stigler. The author follows Stigler through his war and how he became a fighter pilot and eventually to fly the ME-262 jet fighter in the closing days of the war. Never a Nazi, Stigler is portrayed as a man who was fighting the good fight for a bad cause. A prewar Lufthansa pilot, he became civilian instructor pilot for the Luftwaffe, where he taught many of the men who flew with the Condor Legion in Spain. He was eventually dragooned into the Luftwaffe when he complained that he got no respect from the aviation cadets because he was a civilian. they knew that you would someday read this book, even if they were not around to read the final copy themselves. This book is their gift to us.”

A Higher Call is mostly the story of Franz Stigler, an ace WWII German fighter pilot who came upon a heavily damaged and helpless American B-17 bomber struggling to return to England. Stigler could have easily shot the bomber down, but instead he escorted them past an anti-aircraft battery and flew along side them for a while out over the North Sea. Stigler knew he would be court-martialed if anyone found out what he had done. For years he wondered if the bomber had made it home safely and he wondered, "Was it worth it?". It took 46 years for Stigler to find out that the bomber did return home safely and to finally meet the American bomber pilot, Charlie Brown. The final part of the book covers Franz and Charlie during their post-war lives, including their unlikely reunion. It is often said that ‘war is hell’—and it is—however, this story reveals how the human spirit can shine in the darkest hours. A Higher Call is an eye-opener.”—Colonel Charles McGee, Tuskegee Airman, WWII Their code said to fight with fearlessness and restraint, to celebrate victories not death, and to know when it was time to answer a higher call.”