Hell Island: Canadian Pilots and the 1942 Air Battle for Malta

by Dan McCaffery

The 1942 Siege of Malta was an incredible, against-the-odds triumph for England's Royal Air Force and a small band of Canadian fliers. Historians have often compared this campaign to another epic stand--the Battle of Britain. Popular military historian Dan McCaffery has written a lively new account of one of the most exciting victories of the Second World War. Looking at the nine-month period in 1942 when the Axis powers decided to invade Malta, McCaffery describes the way Allied submarines and bombers operating from the tiny island effectively controlled shipping in the Mediterranean. Allied forces eventually became so successful at sinking passing enemy ships that supplies for German Field Marshal Rommel were threatened. In retaliation, Hitler and Mussolini decided to starve and bomb Malta out of the war. McCaffery captures the tension of the devastating offensive, bringing to life all the key events of the battle from the March Blitz to the final Allied victory in October. The heroic exploits of air aces Buzz Beurling, Wally McLeod, Moose Fumerton, and John Williams are described in colourful detail. Aviation history and military history fans will not want to miss this fascinating new account of the important role played by Canadians in one of the most exciting campaigns of World War Two.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1998