SIEGE: MALTA 1940-1943 (Pen & Sword Military Classics) [Paperback]

Ernle Bradford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2003 | Series: Pen & Sword Military Classics

Situated halfway between Europe and Africa, Malta played a central role in the battles for the mastery of North Africa. The island was the vital supply base for British and Imperial troops in the to-and-fro desert campaigns against first Italy and then Germany and Rommel's Afrika Korps. The three-year siege of Malta was one of the longest sieges in history. In this thrilling account the author, who first came to know and love Malta whilst serving with the Royal Navy during the Second World War, paints a vivid picture of the suffering of the island and its population. He draws on personal accounts and reminiscences of the participants; he tells of the occasional despair that turned to joy when the convoys got through with much-needed supplies and of the bravery of both the civilians and the armed forces stationed there that won for Malta the George Cross.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

During World War II the tiny island of Malta commanded both Allied and Axis supply routes in the Mediterranean and was an important intelligence listening post for the Allies. From June 1940 until August 1943 it was subjected to heavy bombardment by Italian and German planes (262 air raids in one month alone), yet the islanders and the British garrison not only survived but assisted in turning Malta into a launching pad for a counteroffensive. Winston Churchill called the island "that unsinkable aircraft carrier." Although Bradford's book is oddly devoid of individuals, he conveys in magnificent detail the privations of the defenders and the ingenuity with which they coped with bombs, starvation and the threat of invasion. The relief and exultation with which the island-saving Santa Marija convoy was greeted is movingly described. Bradford's previous books include Ulysses Found and Julius Caesar.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Bradford, author of an earlier work on the great siege of Malta by the Turks in 1565, has written a lush, almost romantic, narrative of the more familiar siege of 1940-43. His vivid account of an Axis air blitz that surpassed anything suffered by England is marred by a tendency to present the Maltese as simple and enduring folks loyal to their betters. This distortion is corrected in Charles A. Jellison's Besieged ( LJ 2/15/85). Bradford is more accurate, but not particularly original, in describing the island's increasing importance as an air and naval base athwart Axis supply lines to North Africa, and in presenting the natural features that made invasion, as opposed to neutralization, so difficult. Interesting reading for general readers; repetitive for scholars. Dennis Showalter, History Dept., Colorado Coll . , Colorado Springs
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Pen and Sword (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850529301
• ISBN-13: 978-0850529302
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,542,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #60 in Books > History > Europe > Malta

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An account of the most overlooked of all historical sieges., June 30, 2007

By 

Ned Middleton (British professional underwater photo-journalist & author) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: SIEGE: MALTA 1940-1943 (Pen & Sword Military Classics) (Paperback)

There was the Siege of Troy, the Siege of Leningrad and other notable events where one opposing force laid siege to either a city or, in the case of Gibraltar (which endured 13 sieges throughout her colourful history), a country. The Siege of Malta, however, is not one of those which springs readily to mind and is, therefore, often overlooked.

At the time of World War Two, Malta was in a vitally strategic position. Bearing in mind the limitations of both air and sea power at that time, ships and aircraft operating from Malta were able to assist with the re-supply and support of British troops fighting in North Africa. Her aircraft could also seek and destroy those enemy ships wishing to do the same for opposing German forces.

Had Malta fallen, there is no doubt that the British 8th Army in North Africa would have been defeated and Rommel victorious. In addition, throughout this time of conflict, Axis aircraft commanded the northern shores of almost the entire Mediterranean Sea. In spite of British naval superiority on that sea, those aircraft made re-supplying the beleaguered island of Malta almost impossible. Indeed, there was a time when Malta was within 30 days of surrender.

This book tells the story of the Siege of Malta and tells it very well indeed. In a thoroughly researched work, the author skilfully takes the reader through the events which shaped Malta and the War in the Mediterranean from 1940-1943. The story of Operation Pedestal is recounted in great detail where the tanker "Ohio" finally reached Malta when 9 ships from her original convoy of 14 were lost. So vital was this ship's cargo that the Royal Navy threw everything they had into the defence of that convoy. Consequently, the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, cruiser HMS Manchester and light cruiser HMS Cairo were all lost and the cruisers HMS Kenya and HMS Nigeria put out of action.

This account of the Siege of Malta is as good as they get and will do much to give that siege the full recognition it truly deserves. When you read this story you will begin to understand exactly why King George VI bestowed Britain's highest award for gallantry on the people of Malta - for all they had endured and the way in which they had rallied to the cause throughout this most turbulent time in their history.

NM
Retired British Army major.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good primer, May 24, 2008

By 

Dermot Elworthy "Contra Posaune" (Florida , United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: SIEGE: MALTA 1940-1943 (Pen & Sword Military Classics) (Paperback)

As a general account of the Siege of Malta, this book represents a good introduction for those not acquainted with this extraordinary event of the Second World War.

Sulieman the Magnificent laid siege to Malta in 1565 and Bradford "antiphonally" balances this event with the twentieth century action; a literary device which works well here as many of the factors determining the outcome of the first siege were present at the second.

A fundamental commonality was the very individual character of the Maltese people and whilst the author includes this, it is a rather skeletal inclusion. This is surprising since he lived in Malta for a number of years and had the opportunity to delve below the superficial sophistication of Sliema and Ta'Xbiex to expose the complexities of the Maltese sub-cultures so contributory to the successful outcome of these events. Nicholas Monsarrat's "The Kapillan of Malta" does much better in this regard.

Similarly, whilst mention is made of Lt. Gen. Sir William Dobbie, veteran of the Boer War who came out of retirement to become Governor of Malta, little is recorded of the tremendous efforts made by this man to support his beleaguered protectorate; efforts which in many respects paralleled those of his illustrious 16th. century predecessor, the Grand Master de la Valette. In fact, there is a curious absence of sympathetically human material throughout the book.

Whilst Ernle Bradford covers the saga of Operation Pedestal, forever known to the Maltese as the "Santa Marija Convoy" and unquestionably one of History's great events, the narrative is disappointingly bland. Ian Cameron's "Red Duster, White Ensign" is a much more worthy account of this desperate exercise and tribute to the incredibly brave participants, notably Captain Dudley Mason, GC.

Nevertheless, the book is a well-presented portrayal of the geo-political background, the hardships, privations, valour and stubborn resistance of those engaged against overwhelming odds in the defence of these small islands. This is an inspiring subject deserving to be familiar to everyone and a reminder of the personal sacrifices made to achieve what we have today. Sadly, it has been played down in the consciousness of younger Maltese as it did not suit the political conveniences of Prime Ministers like Dom Mintoff and Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici.