Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege 1940-1943
Jan 2013 · Hachette UK
4.3star
13 reviewsreport
Ebook
464
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About this ebook
The extraordinary drama of Malta's WWII victory against impossible odds told through the eyes of the people who were there.
In March and April 1942, more explosives were dropped on the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta - 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 been catastrophic. As Churchill said, Malta had to be held 'at all costs'.
FORTRESS MALTA follows the story through the eyes of those who were there: young men such as twenty-year-old fighter pilot Raoul Daddo-Langlois, 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.
In March and April 1942, more explosives were dropped on the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta - 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 been catastrophic. As Churchill said, Malta had to be held 'at all costs'.
FORTRESS MALTA follows the story through the eyes of those who were there: young men such as twenty-year-old fighter pilot Raoul Daddo-Langlois, 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.
Ratings and reviews
4.3
13 reviews
Nick Ibbitson
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October 12, 2024
a detailed and moving account of an era now long past. Vividly displays both extraordinary individuals and a populace in the most extreme of brutal circumstances. Read it and be humbled.
Eamonn O'sullivan
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July 31, 2021
The story of the Malta war years, written about the experiences of those that were actually in the thick of it. A must read for anyone who is visiting Malta who enjoys a little history, also a beautiful real love story that keeps the reader turning page after page.
John Hopkins
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April 24, 2014
An excellent introduction to the Siege of Malta. By using the lives of those who were present as hooks on which to hang the historical narrative it is a very readable account.
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
James Holland studied history at Durham University. He writes articles and reviews for Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times, The Times, Sunday Express and New Statesman on twentieth Century social history and the second world war. He has also worked in the publicity departments for major publishing houses most recently responsible for the publicity on Anthony Beever's number one bestseller 'Berlin'.
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