Fortress Malta

The OutroPlaneta blog from Portugal recommends the book 'Fortress Malta' by James Holland. Reviewer Peter Turvey from Christchurch, Dorset in the UK writes about the book on amazon.com:

I normally choose to read novels but during the past year I have also read three books about the Second World War : "Stalingrad" by Anthony Beevor, "A Bridge Too Far" by Cornelius Ryan, and now "Fortress Malta". The biggest compliment I can pay to "Fortress Malta" is that although the other two books have received much deserved praise, in my opinion "Fortress Malta" is the best of the three.

It tells the story of Malta's war from the moment Italy entered the war in the summer of 1940 to the summer of 1943 by which time Rommell had been defeated in North Africa and the Allies were preparing to invade Sicily.Throughout the book the reader is kept informed of the events in Malta and their relationship to the rest of the War. But the thing that makes this book outstanding is the way the author introduces a wide range of characters : civilian workers, fighter pilots, nurses, sub-mariners etc. and tells the story of their lives.

I found "Fortress Malta" fascinating and each evening when I got home from work I couldn't wait to pick up the book and find out a bit more about Frank Rixon, Nat Gold, Meme Cortes, John Agius, Ken Griffiths et al.

A review of 'Fortress Malta' on the Guardian