Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege 1940-1943 (CASSELL MILITARY PAPERBACKS) [Paperback]

This is the best military history book to be published since (and I'd rank it right up there with) last year's "An Army At Dawn" by Rick Atkinson. High praise, indeed, since that book won a Pulitzer Prize. If you've read the Atkinson book, you'll find that "Fortress Malta" complements it nicely, since both books end with the Allies poised for the invasion of Sicily. Mr. Holland, to judge by his photo on the dustjacket, looks to be still in his twenties.(This is his first book.) If he is indeed that young, that makes this book even more of an accomplishment. The quality of the writing and the way the book is structured demonstrate a great deal of skill and maturity. This is because the author has a lot of balls to juggle: he has to tell us about the aerial war; the surface naval battles; the submarine war; strategy and tactics, etc. This part of the story is well-told: there are many exciting sequences dealing with dogfights and convoys being stalked by submarines. But what elevates the book to the superior level is Mr. Holland's ability to bring home to us the human element. We get to know a lot of the pilots and submariners as real people- quirks and all. (Two people who "leap out" from the pages are Adrian Warburton and George "Screwball" Beurling. Warburton, despite being a reconnaissance pilot, managed the rare feat of becoming an "ace"- which means he shot down at least 5 planes. He was unorthodox. He once flew over Sicily to take some photographs, then made an unauthorized side trip to Greece to pick up some booze for the boys back at the base. He got away with such behaviour because he always got his photographs- no matter what. Beurling was the highest scoring Allied ace of the war, with over 30 confirmed kills, with an incredible 4 in one day.) The same is true regarding the civilian population. Everyone was under incredible stress- day after day, month after month, and year after year. For much of the time the island was under almost constant attack. There were severe housing and food shortages. Some people lived in underground "cubicles." Inadequate nutrition led to sickness and disease. On the military side, in the early-going, there weren't enough planes to defend the island. Often, 3-4 Hurricanes or Spitfires would go up to do battle with 50 or more enemy aircraft. As the Axis powers were in control of the areas both north and south of Malta, getting convoys through with essential supplies (planes, fuel, spare parts, food, etc.) was extremely difficult. Plus, there was the added psychological stress of being "trapped" on a small island. The entire island was awarded the George Cross, the highest civilian award for valour. The action was unprecedented. It was also well-deserved. After reading about these people for almost 400 pages I felt that I knew them. As I approached the end of the book I hoped Mr. Holland would tell us what happened to them after the siege of Malta was over. The author, once again, did not disappoint. There is a postscript which follows the lives of all the major "characters." As you might expect, this section is filled with both joy and sorrow. Some of the people led short and tragic lives, some long and happy. A surprising number are still alive today. (One is the well-known British actor Frederick Treves, known to this anglophile through his performances in the David Suchet "Poirot" and Joan Hickson "Miss Marple" stories.) The book has 7 pages of maps, placed in the beginning, which allow you to get your geographic bearings and follow the action. There are also over 80 wonderful black-and-white photographs. The dustjacket mentions that the author is working on 2 more books regarding the war in the Mediterranean. If "Fortress Malta" is anything to go by, we are in for a treat.

I am Maltese in my late 30s and I always remember my parents talking about the war in Malta. The subject has fascinated me since I was a teenager and I have read a lot about it. James Holland's book is undoubtedly the best one I have ever read. It is authentic and is written with the human touch - often missing in history books. I am amazed how Holland has managed to portray not only the heroism of the persons serving in the armed forces but also of the the ordinary Maltese citizens. It is a worthy tribute to the people of my country 60 years after these dramatic events - well done!

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.