Malta: Island Under Siege

by Paul R. Williams

Malta: Island Under Siege not only relates the decisive military action from World War II but also details the religious, historical and political events that led to the Axis forces' attempts to conquer and occupy Malta, putting the reader in the meeting rooms of the military leaders and politicians, on board the convoys, in the cockpits of the bombers and with the civilian population sheltering beneath Malta's fortresses while trying to live as normal a life as possible.Wartime locations on the island, many often ignored by the guidebooks and tourist maps, are explored and their relevance to Malta's resistance examined alongside the people, on both sides of the conflict, who helped shape the Mediterranean island's destiny before, during and after the Second World War.

Malta is now a holiday destination to many, but it's easy to forget how much the people of the island, its British garrison and the sailors of the Merchant Navy and Royal Navy had to endure to ensure the Allies kept a toe-hold in North Africa and southern Europe at a time when Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy were threatening to sweep all before them.

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2009

Reviews

[Ceri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed Island Under Siege from my Dad as I plan to visit Malta in a couple of months time and I wished to learn a little about its history before I went. Island Under Siege offers a very interesting insight into the role Malta played during the second World War. The book also opens with a brief history of the island and closes with a list of places you can now visit in modern day Malta which relate to what was described in the book. The book contains many photos from during the war. Very interesting book for anyone with an interest in World War 2.