THE second great siege of Malta gave the island the unwelcome distinction of being the most bombed place on Earth.
During two months in 1942, an area slightly smaller than the Isle of Wight was hit by more bombs than fell in the London Blitz.
This ordeal lasted even longer than the Turkish "Great Siege" of 1565, stretching from the first Italian raid in June 1940 to the early months of 1943, an aerial assault launched because Malta was vital to Britain's efforts to combat the Axis in the Mediterranean.
Author James Holland draws out the human stories of those caught up in this great drama, while keeping the reader aware of the bigger picture.
His pen portraits include leaders such as Britain's "fighting Admiral", Andrew Cunningham; individual servicemen such as "Warby", the eccentric airman who found his "wings" in Malta; and members of the Maltese community, such as nurse Meme Cortis, whose fortitude was recognised with the award of a collective George Cross.
Updated: 10:54 Wednesday, June 11, 2003
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