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

Franz Stigler was a German Luftwaffe ace whose story anchors A Higher Call. Born in Bavaria, he grows up immersed in aviation culture—building gliders with his brother August and absorbing lessons about craftsmanship and responsibility from his WWI-veteran father. Early on, Stigler embraces flying as both art and discipline, joining Lufthansa as a civilian pilot before the Luftwaffe drafted him as an instructor. His early combat experience in North Africa with Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27) introduces him to brutal air battles against the Desert Air Force, but also to a professional code of honor under leaders like Gustav Roedel.

Stigler’s character arc is central to the book’s moral message. Despite early ambitions to win the Knight’s Cross, he grows increasingly disillusioned with Nazi leadership, propaganda, and the human cost of war. His refusal to shoot down the crippled B-17 “Ye Olde Pub” over Germany in December 1943 becomes the defining moment of his life—an act of mercy that cost him personal glory but preserved his sense of honor.

Makos traces Stigler’s evolution beyond combat: from postwar poverty and alienation in ruined Germany to his immigration to Canada and difficult manual work. Despite the loss of comrades and ideals, Stigler eventually finds peace in his friendship with Brown, the American pilot he once spared.