Paul Maier never wanted to fly, preferring the comforting aroma of an old book over the pungent smell of aviation fuel. Yet no son of a senior Luftwaffe commander ever has much of a say when it comes to the choice of career, particularly in the midst of a global war. Fresh out of flight training, Paul now finds himself the pilot of "Dora", an aging bomber assigned to the massive air fleet tasked with destroying the Royal Air Force and paving the way for a German invasion of the British Isles.

Pressed by the demands of a ruthless commander, Paul and his comrades are repeatedly hurled into the teeth of British defenses. Only Dora seems immune to the carnage, protected by uncanny luck and the increasing skills of her young crew. Yet with other German bombers falling like ninepins under the guns of British fighters, Paul begins to harbor doubts about the possibility of victory and, ultimately, the nature of the Nazi regime he until now so dutifully served.