A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II

Discuss the concept of honor as presented in A Higher Call. How does the book define it for pilots on both sides? In what ways do these personal codes conflict with the ideological demands of their nations, and what does this reveal about individual agency in war?

Evaluate A Higher Call as an example of creative nonfiction. How does Makos blend rigorous historical research with novelistic storytelling techniques? Discuss specific scenes or structural choices that illustrate the tension between fact and narrative drive.

Examine the role of trauma in shaping both Stigler’s and Brown’s wartime and postwar identities. How does the book portray memory, guilt, and survival? How might this fit into broader discussions of PTSD or the psychological cost of war?

Explore the historical context of the Luftwaffe’s declining power in the later years of WWII. How does A Higher Call depict the collapse of German air superiority, and what commentary emerges about leadership, morale, and the ethics of loyalty in a failing regime?

Consider the significance of A Higher Call being written decades after the events it depicts. How does the passage of time affect the framing of wartime experience? Discuss the advantages and limitations of retrospective storytelling.

Analyze how A Higher Call engages with the notion of mythmaking—both in wartime propaganda and in veteran memory. How does the book confront, perpetuate, or subvert heroic archetypes?

Discuss the cultural memory of WWII in American and German contexts as reflected in A Higher Call. How does the book handle national narratives of victimhood, guilt, and redemption? What challenges arise in balancing empathy with historical responsibility in a book about Nazi Germany?

Evaluate the ethical dimensions of violence and mercy in air combat as depicted in A Higher Call. How does the book invite readers to question the rules of engagement, military necessity, and personal morality?