A Higher Call - Discussion Thread

[☻Nikki☻]

The discussions for this book will start July 1st.

Please be courteous to others and don't post too many "spoilers" without at least posting what chapter you are on so others know if you are further ahead than what they themselves are. You may even use spoiler tags if you wish.

Most of all...Enjoy the book & the discussions.

[☻Nikki☻]

Just started this today. The narrator's voice is pretty deep so it took me a few minutes to get used to it. I'm only about 45 minutes into it but I believe this will be a good book.

[Tomerobber]

Hi Nikki,
I just started this today as well . . . good read so far . . . I'll probably finish it by tomorrow . . .

[Tomerobber]

Hi Nikki . . . what do you think? . . . I think this has to be one of the BEST books that I've read this year . . . I've got about 2-3 hrs. left . . .

[Tomerobber]

Well I finished this . . . a truly amazing story . . . WOW!!

[☻Nikki☻]

Wow Tomerobber...you are fast. I only listen during my work commute so I haven't gotten very far yet. Franz just taught his brother & flew him home for vacation. So far I'm enjoying it. I have to travel tomorrow so I hope to get some listening time in.

[Bradley]

Just finished this on my vacation. This is one the best non-fiction book I've ever read. It compares to Bonhoeffer and Fearless: Adam Brown story. Read my review for more.

[☻Nikki☻]

I only have about 2 hours left of this book & I have definitely enjoyed it. I can't help but compare it to Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption which I thought was excellent. I have to say the one minor issue I have is that there were so many characters to try to keep track of, mainly the Germans. Maybe it was where their names weren't easily remembered, but I would have to think really hard about who they would be talking about.

(view spoiler)[The first 1/3 of the book was holding my interest but once I got to the Americans bomber being shot all to "you know where" and Franz flying with them to get them to safety. I was on the edge of my seat during that entire section. I definitely perked up when Charlie Brown was introduced during the story. He was a West Virginia Farm boy...since that is where I was born & raised, I was really rooting for him & his crew.

Franz...Very upstanding guy. I know he was upset with his brother's death & joined the air force to "get back" at those he considered at fault for his brother's death. But, he soon realized, it wasn't worth it.

I honestly never thought much about the German side of the war. I, like the author, was more interested in the American side. I didn't realize though, that just because you were German that it didn't mean you were part of the Nazi Party. I just assumed all in their military were. Very naive on my part, I know. To see the conflict these pilots went through having to follow their governments orders when it went against what they believed in, very eye-opening.

I shed quite a few tears during the telling of this story. I still have 2 hours to go so I don't know exactly how it will all be concluded. We know that Franz & Charlie lived since interviews were conducted with them.

I just finished the part where Franz is with the JV44. Steinhoff's plane crashed on the runway & he was severely burned. Lutzow was has just flown away from the group...assumed to be dying. Very sad.

Just in case anyone is interested. I found a youtube clip of Franz & Charlie meeting for the first time in 1990. Thought I'd share it http://youtu.be/_8EkmyoG83Q

(hide spoiler)]

I will definitely be classifying this book as one of my favorites. Very good book!!

[Tomerobber]

Hi Nikki,
I have Unbroken in my TBR stack as an eBook but haven't read it yet. Glad you are liking the book . . . it has to get my vote as an attention grabber of the year so far! Thanks for the video link . . . I'm sure someone in Hollywood will be thinking of a movie about this story . . .

[☻Nikki☻]

I think it would make a good movie as well Tomerobber. I finished it and the ending tied it all together. I really enjoyed it. Definitely one of my top reads of 2013.

I think you will enjoy Unbroken. It's the same time period but follows mainly one man & some of his crew. It's excellent on audio as well...it's narrated by Edward Herrmann. He does an excellent job.