Eighteen-year-old Max Edwards, the self-educated son of a butler, lives on a grand Irish country estate. He dreams of a better life and unexpectedly finds love with the owner's new Japanese bride, but class differences make their love impossible.

World War I erupts, and Max faces the nightmarish Battle of the Somme. Wounded in combat, he meets a commander who transfers him to the Royal Flying Corps to be a pilot. In the air, he fights the famous Red Baron and befriends a German flying ace. But the deadly skies may be Max's undoing. His best friend Bentley is his only comfort as he undergoes a trial by fire.

Can Max survive the war, navigate his complicated friendship with the enemy, and win his true love?