Product Description

Continuing the brilliant World War Two fighter pilot series - this time the theatre of war is the incredible story of the Siege of Malta.

Summer 1941. The tiny island of Malta, held by the British and a crucial supply point for the Allies, has become the most bombed place on earth. The Germans and Italians want to destroy it. For the fighter pilots of the RAF, initially equipped with ageing Hurricanes and outnumbered in the air, defeat seems almost certain. Flight commanders, Englishman Kit Curtis and American Ossie Wolf make an unlikely alliance. Both have survived the Fall of France and the Battle of Britain but Curtis remains idealistic and eager to prove himself. Wolf, by contrast, is ruthless and thrives in the chaos of imminent invasion. But as each man is tested to the limit, they come to share a common purpose and fresh understanding. The experiences of these pilots and their comrades are vividly conveyed in a novel of compelling pace and power, made still more real by meticulous research that captures the spirit of the time. By turns brutal, funny, tragic and heroic here is a spellbinding tour de force, a brilliant sequel to the best-selling BLUE MAN FALLING.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #454169 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

About the Author
Frank Barnard trained as a journalist before moving into public relations. He worked as managing director for major international consultancies before quitting at 50 to write full time and race cars. He is married with two children and four grandchildren with whom he enjoys sailing and sea-fishing near his home in Rye, Sussex.

Customer Reviews

An excellent sequel to Blue Man Falling
The story of Kit Curtis and Ossie Wolf continues in Malta during the battle for the Mediterranean in 1941; it's a fighter's paradise, under seige by the combined might of German and Italian airforces, the most bombed place on earth.

Against all the odds, our hardened duo dog fight it out against everything the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica can throw at them... There is a daring escape from captivity, a crazy raid on Sicily, battles for supremacy over Mediterranean skies, the imminent threat of invasion, brolly drops and the arrival of long awaited Spitfires as the tide of battle eventually turns.

The parallel story of Bebe continues in England, with more tragic consequences. There is terrible news in Paris. And in Malta, Ossie Wolf's battle hardened soul is challenged to the heart's core with a momentary and illusive glimpse of light at the end of a dark, terrifying tunnel.

I won't spoil it for you - this is more well researched, characterful, detailed, totally absorbing WWII action.

And now for the third in the series...

Compelling
I'm amazed this is only the authors second book, it makes me wonder what treasures there are to come?
I've always been facinated by the Malta G.C. story, an epic siege and the herculean efforts to prevent the island being overwhelmed by the German and Italian air forces.
The research is very well done, Frank Barnard is to be congratulated on capturing the feel and essence of Malta in this period between 1941 and 1942.
Kit Curtis and Ossie Wolf are two strong personalities, as alike as chalk and cheese, but through their eyes we see more than one view on how war should be fought, how it can dehumanise even the best of people.
My one regret is that Mr Barnard will not tackle the Battle of Britain period in a book, or am I wrong.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone with a love of really good war stories and good story telling. I thought Blue Man Falling was a definitive work of fiction on the Battle of France, and both books are a real TREAT!

He's discovered uncharted waters here
Very compelling view of the relatively uncharted air battle for Malta. Excellent reading and superb background. Perhaps the book should also be read in conjunction with Nicholas Montsarrat's "The Kapillan of Malta". My only criticisms are that some of the RAF jargon is incorrect, and the cover portrayal is of Spitfires, whereas the bulk of the book relates to Hurricanes.