Customer Reviews (5)

THE BOOK ON THE ROLE OF THE SPITFIRE IN THE BATTLE OF MALTA!
Christopher Shores et al. have produced a first-rate book on the contributions made by the Spitfire in the defense of Malta against a determined Axis assault.

From 1940 to 1942, Malta served as a linchpin in Britain's efforts to retain a presence in North Africa and the Mediterranean against the Axis Powers.From Malta, British air and naval vessels would harry German and Italian ships sending supplies to Rommel in the Western Desert during the height of the fighting there in 1941-42. Ship sinkings became almost prohibitive to the Axis, so both the Germans and Italians resolved to destroy Malta through air assault.

The first Spitfires arrived in Malta in February 1942 to supplement and replace the few remaining Hurricane fighters who had helped defend Malta since 1940.

This book reads almost like a daily diary of the war in, around, and over Malta throughout 1942.The reader gets a keen appreciation for the sacrifices made by the pilots, soldiers, and civilians in Malta who stood up to the Axis, and won.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

THE BOOK ON THE SPITFIRE'S ROLE IN THE DEFENSE OF MALTA
Christopher Shores et al. have produced a first-rate book on the contributions made by the Spitfire in the defense of Malta against a determined Axis assault.

From 1940 to 1942, Malta served as a linchpin in Britain's efforts to retain a presence in North Africa and the Mediterranean against the Axis Powers.From Malta, British air and sea vessels would harry German and Italian ships sending supplies to Rommel in the Western Desert during the height of the fighting there in 1941-42. Ship sinkings became almost prohibitive to the Axis, so both the Germans and Italians resolved to destroy Malta through air assault.

The first Spitfires arrived in Malta in February 1942 to supplement and replace the few remaining Hurricane fighters who had helped defend Malta since 1940.

This book reads almost like a daily diary of the war in, around, and over Malta throughout 1942.The reader gets a keen appreciation for the sacrifices made by the pilots, soldiers, and civilians in Malta who stood up to the Axis, and won.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

THE BOOK ON THE SPITFIRE'S ROLE IN THE BATTLE OF MALTA!!!
Christopher Shores et al. have produced a first-rate book on the contributions made by the Spitfire in the defense of Malta against a determined Axis assault.

From 1940 to 1942, Malta served as a linchpin in Britain's efforts to retain a presence in North Africa and the Mediterranean against the Axis Powers.From Malta, British air and naval vessels would harry German and Italian ships sending supplies to Rommel in the Western Desert during the height of the fighting there in 1941-42. Ship sinkings became almost prohibitive to the Axis, so both the Germans and Italians resolved to destroy Malta through air assault.

The first Spitfires arrived in Malta in February 1942 to supplement and replace the few remaining Hurricane fighters who had helped defend Malta since 1940.

This book reads almost like a daily diary of the war in, around, and over Malta throughout 1942.The reader gets a keen appreciation for the sacrifices made by the pilots, soldiers, and civilians in Malta who stood up to the Axis, and won.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

THIS GUY CAN RESEARCH !
Shores and Cull really can write about WW II aviation. Their books are marvellous, action-packed, accurate, full of data. I just don't know why all their booksare so expensive. I bought "249 at War", butthis one I had to borrow from a friend of mine.

A Fantastic Book
First of all I would like to say,that if you haven't already read Christopher Shores "HURRICANE YEARS"I suggest you do so.Malta The Spitfire Year 1942 is the second volume of the air battle in malta. TheAuthor Chrisopher Shores has done a superb job on this book.There are morethan 200 rare photographs and more detail regarding the air battle ofMalta. Thankyou Christopher Shore for a memorable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Lying in the centre of the Mediterranean, Malta is a natural staging post for migrant birds crossing from Africa to Europe in spring as well as for migrants returning from their breeding grounds in Europe to the African continent in autumn. Birds have attracted man's attention for a long time, and this book shows images of birds in pre-history, in art, on stamps, coins, antique embroidery, etc. It also speaks about birds in all aspects of Maltese culture, from folklore to language. Additionally, it is a photographic record of many of the birds that regularly visit the islands and features ones that are rare or have been recorded only a handful of times. The book also contains several unpublished records dating back from 1958. ... Read more

Product Description
Malta remains the most bombed place on earth. In March and April 1942, more explosives were dropped on this tiny Mediterranean island - an island smaller than the Isle of Wight - than on the whole of Britain during the first year of the Blitz. Malta had become one of the most strategically important places in the world. From there, the Allies could attack Axis supply lines to North Africa; without it, Rommel would be able to march unchecked into Egypt, Suez and the Middle East. For the Allies this would have catastrophic. The battle that ensued stretched the civilian population and their defenders to the limits of human endurance. Slowly but surely they fought back, taking the fight back to the enemy. Without Malta, El Alamein could not have been won. As Churchill said, Malta had to be held 'at all costs.'A Beacon of Hope follows the story through the eyes of those who were there; young men such as twenty-year-old fighter pilot Raoul Daddo-Langlois, and anti-aircraft gunner Ken Griffiths; American Art Roscoe and submariner Tubby Crawford - who served on the most successful Allied submarine of the Second World War; cabaret dancer-turned RAF plotter Christina Ratcliffe, and her lover, the brilliant and irrepressible reconnaissance pilot, Adrian Warburton. Their stories and others provide extraordinary first hand accounts of heroism, resilience, love, and loss, highlighting one of the most remarkable stories of World War II. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

One Excellent War Story
I was very impressed by this book as you can guess by the Title of this Humble Review of mine. For some reason, Malta does not get the respect that is due for its part in the ETO of WWII. Basically it was a monkey wrench in the supply line for the Axis forces in the Med. and North Africa. For this it paid a very heavy price for this, which is outlined in this very well written book.
If one wants to get a good idea of what this gallant island did the the war. Then one would be advised to check this book out. (Hint -It really earned its George Cross for which even today it proudly flies on it's national flag.)

malta's role
This is a good historical account of malta during wwII. The author puts himself in the coockpit of several of the airbourne fighters and describes the action. He also puts us in the eyes of som eof the local maltese people. Some of the descriptions of the photos are a little lame sounding 'his eyes betray his depression'--a tad bit too dramatic. overall a good book.

HISTORYCOMINGALIVE
I HAVE LISTENED TO MY FATHER-IN-LAW, WHO WORKED AS A MECHANIC FOR THE RAF, WAS MALTESE AND LIVED THROUGH THE WAR ON THE ISLAND, TELL STORIES STORIES ABOUT THE BOMBINGS AND THE DAMAGE INFLICTED ON THE ISLAND BACK THEN.MY WIFE, AS A YOUNG GIRL, CONFIRMED HIS STORIES, AS SHE TOO LIVED ON MALTA DURING THE WAR.

JAMES HOLLAND MAKES YOU LIVE IT AS WELL!!! HIS BOOK IS A TRUE ENCOUNTER, SO REAL, THE READER WILL FEEL THE ACTION TAKING PLACE BEFORE HIM/HER.YOU WILL LAUGH, YOU WILL CRY, YOU WILL CHEER...MOST OF ALL, YOU WILL NEVER FORGET MALTA.

I HAVE BEEN THERE SEVERAL TIMES IN TYHE PAST, BUT MY NEXT VISIT WILL MEAN SO MUCH MORE.

I SALUTE JAMES HOLLAND, AND AM LOOKING FORWARD TO READING HIS OTHER BOOKS.

QUENTIN L. MILANO

Not a bomb, but a blast!
Fortress Malta by James Holland tells the story of the battle for Malta from 1940 thru 1943. Mr. Holland nicely merges personal remembrances with the historical events around the siege. He opens the story by telling us about the British defenses (or the lack there of) and the opening moves of the war in the Mediterranean.Italian aircraft raiding the island and the defenders trying to cope with the attacks.Two topics during the 1940 portion of the book that were interesting were Faith, Hope, and Charity (the Gloster Gladiators that defended the island) and the British attack on Taranto and how Malta contributed to the attack.Other sections of the book deal with the German intervention over Malta (actually twice) and the Pedestal Convoy.

While Mr. Holland is mainly focused on telling us the history of Malta during WWII, Mr. Holland does an excellent job of telling us the stories of the people that were caught up in events.Whether it's the native Malta people surviving the raids, gun crews living there through-out the time period (Army personnel seem to have been there for the duration), the pilots (due to the stress, the RAF was replacing crews about once every three months), or the Naval personnel.My personal favorite was Adrian Warburton and his exploits doing photo recon work.Simply amazing!

Mr. Holland's work is his Freshman work (1st) and is very nicely put together.On an Amazon scale, I'll give it 4.5 stars, but since they only deal in whole stars, I'll give it the nod to 5 stars because of the Mr. Holland's writing style, merging history with personal remembrances, and dealing with a topic that hasn't been written about heavily.I'm looking forward to reading other histories from Mr. Holland, assuming he can do half as well or better.

A Battle History giving voice to those who endured
As some other reviewers have noted, Holland's focus is on the civilians and the warriors who endured the horror that was Malta, 1940-43.In a time of 'embedded' reporters and 'computer games' warfare, it is vital that we hear from those who have lived the actual horror that is war.Too many war books and 'armchair warriors' forget the ordinary people who actually experience "Shock and Awe" as it is now called.Wars always start with cheers but end in tears.Courage comes in many forms.We should honour those who offer their lives to defend freedom but we must give full acknowledgement of what war means for civilians.

One of my relatives was an Australian spitfire pilot in 603 Squadron RAF who survived Malta.Sadly he was one of those who only found himself in war.Afterwards he could not cope with peace.He and his family paid dearly for his Malta exploits and their inevitable consequences.Truly all who experience war become casualties, in one way or another.Holland has done great service to the memory of those who survived and those who did not.He reminds us again of the tragedy and falsehood that is "Dulce et Decorum est pro patria mori".The world would be a far better place if all politicians and political leaders (of all parties and faiths) were made to read this book.Most highly recommended.

Elizabeth, this book is the key to much of your parents' lives.

greyollie,
Australia
... Read more

Product Description
Illustrated throughout, this book is a record of Malta's many achievements. It should give pleasure to all who have affection for, and who respect the independence of this island and its people. ... Read more

Product Description
This second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Malta compiles the unusually rich and long history of the islands comprising the country of Malta. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-reference dictionary entries describing all of the major places, persons, institutions, and events that have shaped the history of the archipelago. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Review of The Historical Dictionary of Malta
This is an excellent book, well written and expertly researched.
Dr. Berg has provided a superb historical overview of this marvelous country and its rich history. ... Read more

Product Description
In the summer of 1942, twenty-five thousand feet above Malta, RAF Spitfires fought combat after bitter combat with clouds of German and Italian bombers and fighters. One of those Spitfire pilots was the Canadian George Beurling who, in fourteen flying days, destroyed twenty-seven Axis aircraft, damaged eight others, and probably destroyed three more. Malta Spitfire tells Beurling's remarkable story and that of the outnumbered but dogged Spitfires which, day after day, climbed into the skies to defend the most bombed patch of land in the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Exciting reading!
George Frederick Beurling... Top-scoring Canadian ace of World War II... A guy bound only to fly, to fly at all costs, with almost total disregard for authority and RAF hierarchy. But not a "madman" by any standards. Instead, a precise, dedicated and cunning fighter pilot, a lethal weapon around the skies of Malta in the summer of 1942.

Sent back to Canada while convalescing after being shot down in October 14th, 1942, Beurling assignment was to help selling war bonds. During 17 days, he was interviewed by journalist Leslie Roberts and, in 1943, the result was published in this exciting book, which describes his flying career up to that point.

It's a fast reading, full of action, desperate struggle and death, but not a fictious one or an exaggerated one.

Unfortunately, after going back do England in 1943 Beurling never adjusted to the precise operational flying at Western Europe. Insubordination grew to a point that a fighter pilot with 31 1/3 confirmed victories to his credit was dismissed from the Service in October, 1944, with the war still going strong!

Flying was his only desire and Beurling enlisted to fly for Israeli Air Force in 1948. While flying a Norseman aircraft, he crashed during take-off from Rome. He died instantly at age 27. ... Read more

Product Description

Published here for the first time, this volume presents a superb range of insights into this crucial effort of the Second World War.

This Naval Staff History describes the vital role of the Arctic Convoys, 1941-1945 and was first issued by the Historical Section of the Admiralty as a confidential study for use within the Royal Navy in 1954. It grew out of the earlier Battle Summary No. 22 compiled by Commander J. Owen of the Admiralty’s Historical Section and issued in 1943 to cover the convoys run to North Russia in the last half of 1942 and early 1943. That wartime Battle Summary was subsequently revised and expanded by Commander L.J. Pitcairn-Jones to include all the main convoys run from August 1941 until the end of the war using all the historical records which were at hand after the war.

A new preface provides additional context for the convoys, highlighting support provided to Russian forces in their struggle against Germany, for the original Staff History was narrowly focused on the naval aspects of the Arctic Convoys to Russia.

This is an excellent resource for all students with a particular interest in the Arctic Convoys, the Second World War and in maritime and military history.

Product Description
The small churches of the Maltese Islands, which are such an essential feature of their urban and rural topography has stimulated greater interest in their preservation and continued existence. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a translation of the archaic German book Christliche Helden Insel Malta written by Johann Friedrich Breithaupt and published in 1632. The book describes the journey to Malta via Italy and Sicily undertaken by Breithaupt and his two companions. Once in Malta, the detailed description ranges from the landscape, the people and the fashion to the fortifications, the palaces and the election of a Grand Master. Malta: Island of Christian Heroes was the most detailed description of the island until Gio Francesco Abela published his Descrittione di Malta in 1647. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the most enigmatic figures in Malta's chequered history was certainly 'Padre Ottomano', alledgedly first born son of Sultan Ibrahim. This mysterious character and his mother Sultana Zafira were captured by the Knights of Malta when they seized a giant galleon on 28th September 1644. ... Read more

Product Description
The Malta Maritime Museum aims at illustrating Malta's maritime history from ancient times to the present day. It illustrates the fascination of the sea within the Mediterranean context, without neglecting the overall global nature of seafaring. These aims are achieved by the constant search for identification and acquisition of artifacts related to the museums mission. ... Read more

Product Description
This book presents for the first time the whole collection of the Cronologia Dei Gran Maestri Dello Spedale Della Sacra Religione Militare Di S. Gio. Gerosolimitano E Dell' Ordine Del Santo Sepolcro Oggi Detti Di Malta (Chronology of the Grand Masters of the Hospital of the Sacred Military Religion of St John of Jerusalem and the Order of the Holy Sepulchre now known as the Order of Malta). The collection consists of two series of engraved portraits of the Grand Masters. The first series starts with the founder of the Order, Fr. Gerard - 1st Rector of the Hospital of Jerusalem (c.1099) and ends with Fr. Emmanuel de Rohan - 69th Grand Master of the Order (1775). The second series starts with Fr. Ferdinand von Hompesch - 71st Grand Master of the Order (1797), and ends with Fr. Angelo de Mojana di Cologna - 77th Grand Master of the Order (1962). ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive survey of Maltas architecture in the last 200 years. This new book follows logically from the definitive initial publication by Dr Quentin Hughes and Dr Conrad Thake, 'Malta: The Baroque Island' which surveyed the buildings from the Mannerist and Baroque periods (1530-1798) which adorn the Islands. Malta: War and Peace is different and takes up the story of the more recent architectural heritage, bringing its history up to the millennium in the form of a colourful gazetteer. Once again the outstanding photographs taken by Daniel Cilia embellish a publication that documents and does justice to the richness of the architecture of the post-Renaissance Modern period. His pictures build on the entrancing effects of light found on the islands during summer reflecting in their sharpness and immediacy the warmth of the sun and the profiles of shadow-filled facades.Thus, the two separate publications can be seen as complementary, bringing heritage history together in a rich and formidably diverse array of examples. They depict an island that one commentator claimed has more buildings and monuments per square kilometre than that in any other other part of Europe! This book inevitably as its title suggests charts the history of the evolution of military structures underlining the awful tremors of conflict and wars that have besieged the islands over the past two hundred years.The new book is organized into building types which conveniently coincide with historical periods. They range from the early military naval Hospital at Bighi, now serving in part as the headquarters for the Malta Centre for Restoration and upon the initiative of Edward de Bono as a World Centre for New Thinking. The hospital complex was rebuilt and restored but it still dominates the Grand Harbour environs and alerts every visitor to its strong gaunt colonial Neo-Classical style. There are very few examples of what one might call Modern Movement (MoMo) architecture of the interwar period.The post-war period is different and productively rich with examples of work that clearly have a shared relationship with modernism and the various international movements and ideas current in other parts of the world. ... Read more