Michael J Kaufling This book’s setting is World War II with a lot of the story talking about the fighter pilots and dog fights over Northern Europe. The first fight results in an American nicknamed Montana getting shot down over Belgium and how his canopy on the plane almost does not open because it was stuck. He finally is able to eject, seemingly after he promises God “anything”, and parachute to the ground only to realize the Germans occupying the area have seen him and he has to run and hide. He ends up shooting a human being for the first time. It then talks about how he was picked up by people with the French Resistance movement and how they worked to get him and others to England. This part of the book involved a lot of descriptive information about the long journey they took, and the hiding and battles against the Germans along the way. The other main character in the book is a German pilot who has shot down over two hundred enemy aircraft. He is fighting to restore Germany to its glory as he had heard of it from his father who fought in World War I, lost his leg and received many metals. He talks of his love for his family and the good times he had growing up in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Rolf is doubting God and unsure of his faith since his fiancé burned in the fires at Hamburg. He also had a bad encounter with a Gestapo officer when he tried to choke the man after the Gestapo ordered the execution of two men at the bar where Rolf was trying to celebrate after his air victory. The book goes into more details about Rolf falling in love again and then being willing to die in an attempt to blow up Hitler, if his parents and sister were spared. It also recounts his final air battle where he meets up with Billy “Montana” Hochreiter. Billy and his flying buddies also experience much loss and difficulty and face these times in different ways to try to get through it all. Billy received a “Dear John” letter from his girlfriend back home, and then thinks he has found a new British girlfriend but things change again when she receives a letter. He continues to try to make life work, to do his duty, and then a Frenchman that works in the mess hall comes up with the answer to his prayers.
This book’s setting is World War II with a lot of the story talking about the fighter pilots and dog fights over Northern Europe. The first fight results in an American nicknamed Montana getting shot down over Belgium and how his canopy on the plane almost does not open because it was stuck. He finally is able to eject, seemingly after he promises God “anything”, and parachute to the ground only to realize the Germans occupying the area have seen him and he has to run and hide. He ends up shooting a human being for the first time. It then talks about how he was picked up by people with the French Resistance movement and how they worked to get him and others to England. This part of the book involved a lot of descriptive information about the long journey they took, and the hiding and battles against the Germans along the way.
The other main character in the book is a German pilot who has shot down over two hundred enemy aircraft. He is fighting to restore Germany to its glory as he had heard of it from his father who fought in World War I, lost his leg and received many metals. He talks of his love for his family and the good times he had growing up in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Rolf is doubting God and unsure of his faith since his fiancé burned in the fires at Hamburg. He also had a bad encounter with a Gestapo officer when he tried to choke the man after the Gestapo ordered the execution of two men at the bar where Rolf was trying to celebrate after his air victory.
The book goes into more details about Rolf falling in love again and then being willing to die in an attempt to blow up Hitler, if his parents and sister were spared. It also recounts his final air battle where he meets up with Billy “Montana” Hochreiter.
Billy and his flying buddies also experience much loss and difficulty and face these times in different ways to try to get through it all. Billy received a “Dear John” letter from his girlfriend back home, and then thinks he has found a new British girlfriend but things change again when she receives a letter. He continues to try to make life work, to do his duty, and then a Frenchman that works in the mess hall comes up with the answer to his prayers.