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Bezig met laden... Fortress Malta: An Island under Siege 1940-1943 (2003)door James Holland
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Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. Per Kvindesalnd 15.07.2004 Fra Sheila og Ottar A very interesting account, using the stories of individuals caught up in the conflict, of the seige of Malta in WWII, whereby the island was heavilly bombed and blockaded from 1940 onwards. The privations suffered by the ordinary people are evoked as well as the initially deplorable conditions facing pilots who were trying to defend the island, and the crews of ships and submarines also involved in the operations around the island. It explains how crucial the island's role was in trying to disrupt the supplies going to North Africa for Rommel's army and the initial mismangagement which resulted in heartbreaking losses of pilots and aircraft in particular. The book has many photographs also so you can better picture the individuals discussed. There are some very tragic stories of the various fatalities, in some cases caused by senseless accidents, poor plane maintenance, exhaustion of pilots etc. One issue I found was that the index quite often does not cite all the references to particular individuals if wishing to look back and refresh your memmory during the read, as there are a lot of people discussed, and it isn't possible to keep them all in mind, at least for me. But some particular pilots were such eccentrics and misfits that it wasn't difficult to recall who they were. For this reason only am dropping to a 4-star rating overall. Overlooked and undersupplied, the Malta garrison and Maltese people stood tall and remained strong during the early days of WW 2. Subject to more bombing attacks than London during the Blitz, always short of food, fuel and ammunition the Island's defenders were awarded the George Cross in celebration of their courage and indomitable spirit. Ths story is told well and in a very readable fashion by extensive use of the personal histories of residents and a nice variety of the military defenders. geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
Malta remains the most bombed place on earth. In March and April 1942, more explosives were dropped on this tiny Mediterranean island - an island smaller than the Isle of Wight - than on the whole of Britain during the first year of the Blitz. Malta had become one of the most strategically important places in the world. From there, the Allies could attack Axis supply lines to North Africa; without it, Rommel would be able to march unchecked into Egypt, Suez and the Middle East. For the Allies this would have been catastrophic. The battle that ensued stretched the civilian population and their defenders to the limits. Slowly but surely they fought back, taking the fight back to the enemy. Without Malta, El Alamein could not have been won. As Churchill said, Malta had to be held at all costs. This book follows the story through the eyes of those who were there; young men such as 20-year-old fighter pilot Raoul Daddo Langlois; cabaret dancer-turned RAF plotter Christina Ratcliffe, and her lover, the brilliant and irrepressible reconnaissance pilot, Adrian Warburton. Their stories and others provide extraordinary first hand accounts of heroism, resilience, love, and loss. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)940.534585History and Geography Europe Europe 1918- World War II Europe ItalyLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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