"The Kappillan of Malta" is a masterpiece depicting the fascinating and complex story of Malta, particularly during the Second World War. It is not written according to modern formulas and no amount of AI could have produced it (unlike so many other books on the market today!) It does not have a predictable plot and hacknied characters. Instead, it offers a genuinely original story with complex and unique characters. The hero is a middle-aged priest struggling to assist people living in catacombs and working on an island under siege with too little to eat and multiple air raids each day. (Malta was bombed more heavily, more frequently and for a longer period than Britain during the Blitz.) It is also a -- sometimes critical and sometimes amused -- eulogy to Malta and its inhabitants. At times lyrical in tone, at times philosophical, always educational, it nevertheless retains a profound humanity. It appeals at the emotional as well as the intellectual level and this is what makes it stronger than the many non-fiction books I have read on the same topic. It is a book that I relished reading, savouring the time spent with it rather than rushing through it in a hurry to move on to the next book.
'One of the most memorable characters of post-war fiction' Daily Express
A classic novel set in the siege of Malta 1940-1942 from the bestselling author of The Cruel Sea
Father Salvatore was a simple, lumbering priest, a Kappillan serving the poor Valetta, when war came out of the blue skies to pound the island to dust.
Now amid the catacombs discovered by a chance bomb, he cared for the flood of homeless, starving, frightened people who sought shelter from the death that fell unceasingly from the sky.
His story, and the story of Malta, is told in superbly graphic pictures…
Tom Neil, DFC*AFC AE was a Battle of Britain pilot, who also served on Malta and was attached to the USAAF's tactical airforce throughout 1944. He survived the war and went on to become a test pilot in the post-war RAF. He is the author of a number of non-fiction books describing his experiences, but "Questions of Guilt" is a novel -- and that's what makes it so unique and appealing. In Niel's own words: "I adopted [fiction] believing it to be the best means of more truly reflecting the excitement and horrors of the times and in order to get away from the more pedestrian description of aerial combat and the parade of statistics and aircraft performances." In "Questions of Guilt" Niel explores the psychology of a young man slowly breaking down under the stress of combat and command. It is a insightful and underderstanding, but not a maudlin, depiction of combat stress. The book is free of modern hyperbole, pity and anchronistic values, and chillingly authentic in tone and content. For anyone interested in the men who won the air war in WWII, this is a "must read."
Following the success of his first 'faction' book, Battle of Britain fighter Ace Tom Neil presents three more fictionalised stories bassed on real events that could not be told in his biographical works.
Questions of Guilt tells the story of an emotionally exhausted fighter pilot being pushed to the limit by the responsibilities of command and his guilt at shooting down a fellow pilot in a tragic accident.
Jamie Bell is the essentially true story of a well known Battle of Britain fighter pilot who found life out of the cockpit more difficult to cope with than in the air.…
The China, Burma, India (CBI) theatre of war in WWII was known as the "forgotten war" even as it was raging and consuming lives. Both during the war and afterwards, it was constantly overshadowed by the vicious fighting and then the spectacular victories in Europe and the Pacific. Yet it is a dramatic story worthy of far more attention and "Skies of Thunder" makes a major contribution to shining more light on this chapter of history. Although the title, "Skies of Thunder," suggests the book focuses on the herculean Allied efforts to airlift vitally needed supplies from India to China over "the Hump," it actually has a wider lens. Thus it provides a more comprehensive account of this theatre of war, including the issues at state, the personalities involved, the geographical framework and the challenges these combined to create. Highly recommended.
From the New York Times bestselling author, a breathtaking account of combat and survival in one of the most brutally challenging and rarely examined campaigns of World War II
In April 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army steamrolled through Burma, capturing the only ground route from India to China. Supplies to this critical zone would now have to come from India by air—meaning across the Himalayas, on the most hazardous air route in the world. SKIES OF THUNDER is a story of an epic human endeavor, in which Allied troops…
Stopping Russian Aggression with milk, coal and candy bars….
Berlin is under siege. More than two million civilians must be supplied by air or surrender to Stalin’s oppression.
USAF Captain J.B. Baronowsky and RAF Flight Lieutenant Kit Moran once risked their lives to drop high explosives on Berlin. They are about to deliver milk, flour and children’s shoes instead. Meanwhile, two women pilots are flying an air ambulance that carries malnourished and abandoned children to freedom in the West. Until General Winter deploys on the side of Russia….
Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader delivers an insightful, exciting and moving tale about how former enemies became friends in the face of Russian aggression — and how close the Berlin Airlift came to failing under the assault of “General Winter.”
Praise for Cold War
“Insightful and Exciting Military Thriller Leaves Readers Hungry for More.” — BookTrib
"The novel is meticulously researched, deftly melding historical events with fictional characters to create a rich and immersive narrative. … While this is a historical narrative, it delivers resonant themes and offers a setting that is as transporting as it is detailed... [Cold War] delights from the descriptive prose and the complex characters to the vividly drawn setting." — The Book Commentary
A “tour-de-force” — IndieReader
“… the power of the book is in how a true sense of humanity prevails." Kirkus Review
“… a deeply moving and educational novel …” K.C. Finn for Readers Views
"... danger, suspense, intrigue, passion, good versus evil, and battles. In other words, "Cold War" possesses all the components needed for a successful historical novel very much like that of "Casablanca," "The Best Years of Our Lives"...and a slew of other films.” Feathered Quill
“The historical accuracy and emotional depth work in a fantastic balance with the interesting and harrowing twists of the plot…” K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorites
