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

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The story is well told. Adam Makos presents the lives and fates of the American and the German pilots in parallel, as a joint fictionalized memoir, in third person narration. He spent some 8 years on interviewing the protagonists, researching, and finally writing the book. Makes you see that in war not everybody wants to go and kill other people. Most off them are there because they have to. Additionally, I learned a great deal of new information from this book, and have a better idea what it might have been like to be part of a B-17bomber crew, or what it took to become an Ace in the Luftwaffe, without caving in to the incredible pressures exerted by Goerring, or the Gestapo. the twenty-eight thousand German fighter pilots to see combat in WWII, only twelve hundred survived the war.” 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.

Captain Charlie Brown of the U.S. Army’s 8th Air Force and his B-17 crew are vividly portrayed in the book as well. That unit lost “more men in the war than the U.S. Marine Corps.” They fought in intolerable conditions, with below freezing temperatures causing frostbite if you weren’t careful, sitting in seats as a pilot for seven or eight hours a mission, and having to use oxygen because of the thin air at 25,000 feet. Meanwhile, Franz Stigler was in need of one more bomber on his victory list to qualify for the coveted Knight’s Cross. But when he caught up with Charlie’s plane, he could see it was missing most of a rudder, and through the numerous holes, he could see the injured crew members trying to patch each other up. For some reason, Franz decided to let the injured bomber go. He didn’t shoot—in fact, he escorted it through a flak zone. Franz was credited with 28 confirmed victories and over thirty probables. He flew 487 combat missions, was wounded four times, and was shot down seventeen times, four by enemy fighters, four by ground fire, and nine times by gunners on American bombers. He bailed out six times and rode his damaged aircraft down eleven times. The story is their stories but the author didn’t neglect the larger forces swirling around these two fliers and how significant players in the world conflict, especially Hitler and Goering, impact the futures of these men, their families, and their countries. a b "Meet the Author: Adam Makos". The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022 . Retrieved November 21, 2022.Muchos años después de este encuentro, ambos pilotos lo seguían teniendo presente en su memoria. Charlie Brown, el piloto norteamericano, se preguntaba quién sería aquel piloto que les había perdonado la vida y por qué lo habría hecho. Franz Stigler, el piloto alemán, también se preguntaba si aquel bombardero lograría llegar hasta la costa británica, y si hizo lo correcto ayudando a escapar a un bombardero enemigo que, de salvarse, volvería a volar en otra misión de bombardeo sobre Alemania. I realized while reading this how easy it is to come up with a pre-judged idea of one side during a war. I learned so much about the German Air Force that I never knew...they were NOT joined with the SS and one place said many of the German pilots feared Goering more than the Allied pilots. That just barely scratches the service of the details given that I know I will be referencing in the future. Adam Makos, the author of this remarkably poignant book, asks a question in the beginning: “Can good men be found on both sides of a bad war?” By “bad war” he says he means an “imprudent” one, one that’s impractical with no sense attached to it. I would have asked the question without the “bad” attached to the word war. All wars are imprudent and senseless in their violence and cruelty. That modified question, however, is answered through the encounter of two flyers, Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown, who fought in World War II and whose lives and connection are perceptively and compellingly chronicled in this book. When I first phoned the World War II bomber pilot named Charlie Brown, all I wanted was thirty minutes of his time. But what I found was a beautiful story worth every minute of eight years.” Novak, Steve (February 23, 2019). "A tank rolled down the streets of Allentown, an homage to a 95-year-old World War II hero". lehighvalleylive.com . Retrieved February 28, 2019.

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. 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. El autor del libro es un periodista norteamericano especializado en temas militares que, de forma casual, conoció esta bonita historia y enseguida supo que tenía un libro entre manos. Entrevistó en numerosas ocasiones a ambos pilotos, reunió información en archivos, reconstruyó sus respectivas biografías y el resultado es este libro.A Higher Call exemplifies beautifully the brotherhood of warriors and will forever change how you look at World War II.” As the war drags on, Stigler’s ambition for glory wanes. He often gives the credit for airplanes he shoots down to young pilots in his squadron. Finally in the waning days of the war, he requests permission to join VG-44 and Adolf Galland in flying the ME-262. His story of the last days of the war is heart rending, esp when he gives in to the pleas of one of his young pilots, who really has no business flying such a high performance aircraft, and lets the young man fly a combat sortie. The young pilot crashes on landing, is horribly burned and eventually dies.

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