Book : Malta – The Hurricane Years
Author : Christopher Shores, Brian Cull and Nicola Malizia
Pages : 457
Photographs : lots but generally poorish quality
Maps 3
Published 1987- reprint 1999
This book is a diary of the events that took place over Malta between June 1940 and the end of Dec 1941. It lists every day, what action took place and which pilots and aircraft were involved. It is highly detailed , microscopically so, and as such is more a work of reference than a story. The references and appendixes are excellent. There are individual pilots stories but to me these were swamped by the sheer numbers and details given.
It isn’t an easy read, even for someone who has an avid interest in this theatre and time, however it is worthwhile. In its own way it recounts the relentless pace of operations and losses that occur in wartime.
If you are a mission builder for IL2 or make plane skins or are a model maker then the details given will be of immense value. To others it will be a sobering counterbalance to the more prosaic tales sometimes told.
I find it hard to give it an overall recommendation as I think many will find it a bit dry but it is a very worthy and honest book and so, a bit like Robert Shaws book, I would recommend that you browse it before you buy it to make sure that you will enjoy this book.