Twenty-five thousand feet above Malta - that is where the Spitfires intercepted the Messerschmitts, Macchis and Reggianes as they swept eastwards in their droves, screening the big Junkers with their bomb loads as they pummelled the island beneath - the most bombed patch of ground in the world. One of those Spitfire pilots was George Beurling, nicknamed 'Screwball', who in fourteen flying days destroyed twenty-seven German and Italian aircraft, and damaged many more. Hailing from Canada, and after hard training and combat across the Channel, Beurling finally made it to Malta in the summer of 1942. "Malta Spitfire" tells his story and that of the gallant Spitfire squadron, 249, which day after day climbed to the 'top of the hill' to meet the enemy against overwhelming odds. The reader has almost the sensation of being in the cockpit with him, climbing to meet the planes driving in from Sicily, diving down through the fighter screen at the bombers, dodging the bullets coming out of the sun, or whipping up under the belly of an Me for a deflection shot at the engine. This is war without sentiment or romance, told in terms of human courage, skill and heroism. This is a classic, first published in 1943.
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'a wartime classic' --Britain at War Magazine
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By ofb33
Amazon Verified Purchase
After watching and enjoying a programme about George Beurling I looked on the internet to see what other information there was about him and discovered this book. I'm always interested in people who are a bit different and Beurling came across as being quite an extraordinary (Screwball!) man who would have an interesting story to tell. I didn't buy the book straight away as there was only one other review which didn't say much, other than a really good read and some pages missing, and because of having so many other books to read. Curiosity got the better of me though and it wasn't long before the book arrived through the post. I've always found Amazon's delivery service to be very good.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am usually a slow reader but I read it in about 5 evenings which is fast for me. Beurling was clearly obsessed about flying from an early age, and you immediately get the feeling that it's all he wants to do. He doesn't have the education/background to get into the Canadian Royal Air Force and after attempts to get into other air forces he joins the British Royal Air Force. He feels he's an outsider and isn't happy until he's posted to Malta where he finally sees some action. It's in Malta that Beurling shows his talents as a pilot and a marksman and his tally of enemy aircraft shot down quickly grows.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in war stories. Leslie Roberts who co-writes the book does an excellent job and at times I almost felt that I was there with Beurling! Most of the narrative is written as Beurling tells his story from his childhood until he was shot down in Malta. There weren't any missing pages as mentioned in the other review.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am usually a slow reader but I read it in about 5 evenings which is fast for me. Beurling was clearly obsessed about flying from an early age, and you immediately get the feeling that it's all he wants to do. He doesn't have the education/background to get into the Canadian Royal Air Force and after attempts to get into other air forces he joins the British Royal Air Force. He feels he's an outsider and isn't happy until he's posted to Malta where he finally sees some action. It's in Malta that Beurling shows his talents as a pilot and a marksman and his tally of enemy aircraft shot down quickly grows.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in war stories. Leslie Roberts who co-writes the book does an excellent job and at times I almost felt that I was there with Beurling! Most of the narrative is written as Beurling tells his story from his childhood until he was shot down in Malta. There weren't any missing pages as mentioned in the other review.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a Guy gifted with a marvellous talent and a single minded determination to fly
3 April 2013
By Gaarghoile
Amazon Verified Purchase
He was no shop egg was George Beurling once he set his mind on achieving something he kept on trying till he succeeded in doing it to an incredible degree of perfection. He wanted to fly so much he crossed the Atlantic as a deckhand four times while German U-Boats were sinking ships by the hundreds. He had it all and maybe that fantastic degree of talent made his service life extremenly difficult as normal rules of flying simply did not apply to George Beurling.
Serving in a fighter squadron in England was a waste of his potential and eventually he found his kind of warfare flying against the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica in Malta where pilots lives were measured in hours and over a period of just 24 days he shot down 27 enemy aircraft he simply cut through the massed enemy formations like a knife through butter leaving a trail of shot down aircraft behind him he was a force of nature.. He would have made a superb test pilot but - he didn't suffer fools gladly he made too many enemies on his own side!
Serving in a fighter squadron in England was a waste of his potential and eventually he found his kind of warfare flying against the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica in Malta where pilots lives were measured in hours and over a period of just 24 days he shot down 27 enemy aircraft he simply cut through the massed enemy formations like a knife through butter leaving a trail of shot down aircraft behind him he was a force of nature.. He would have made a superb test pilot but - he didn't suffer fools gladly he made too many enemies on his own side!
0 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By JonDxxx
Amazon Verified Purchase
A really good read if you like this sort of thing. I read the first chapter of a friends copy and decided to get my own. Unfortunately this version stops mid sentence on page 235 and then there are 6 completely blank pages where the appendix should be.
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