Malta: A Traveller s Anthology

by Deborah Manley (editor)

?Always vulnerable due to their strategic position in the Mediterranean, Malta and Gozo have been invaded and occupied by successive Greeks, Romans, Muslims from North Africa, Normans, Spaniards, the Knights Hospitaller of St. Johnwho built the city of VallettaNapoleonic troops, and the British, who remained until independence in 1964. Each period of Maltas turbulent history has added to its rich cultural fabric, and produced its own literature, which is gathered in this original collection. These extracts reveal how generations of writers have viewed the landscapes of Malta and Gozo, the people of the islands, the splendours of Valletta and its famous harbor, and the celebrated festas.

282 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2011

Reviews

[Stuart Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting compilation of travellers' anecdotes on Malta from over the centuries. The book has a somewhat idiosyncratic choice of material with some aspects receiving a great deal of courage (e.g. Valletta) whilst others (e.g. the Second World War) are barely mentioned.

It suffers somewhat from having a surfeit of quotations on some matters leading to repetition which could have been avoided with more judicious editing. It isn't brilliantly illustrated either with a simple map of Malta and the occasional black and white photograph being all you get. It would have been nice to have a plan of Valletta with the different surrounding forts marked which would have aided comprehension of the text.

Despite its flaws this was an entertaining book and worth reading if you are interested in Malta.