Malta 1940-42: The Axis' air battle for Mediterranean supremacy

by Ryan K. Noppen, Graham Turner (Illustrator)

Overview

In 1940, the strategically vital island of Malta was Britain's last toehold in the central Mediterranean, wreaking havoc among Axis shipping. Launching an air campaign to knock Malta out of the war, first Italy and then Germany sought to force a surrender or reduce the defenses enough to allow an invasion.

Drawing on original documents, multilingual aviation analyst Ryan Noppen explains how technical and tactical problems caused the original Italian air campaign of 1940–41 to fail, and then how the German intervention came close to knocking Malta out of the war. Using stunning full color artwork, this fascinating book explains why the attempt by the Axis powers to take the British colony of Malta ultimately failed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472820600
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	02/20/2018
Series:	Air Campaign , #4
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Ryan Noppen is a military author and aviation analyst originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan. A Master of Arts holder from Purdue University, he specialized in the history of aviation, completing a major thesis on German trans-Atlantic aviation in the interwar years. He has worked as a subject matter expert for a defense firm on projects involving naval and aviation logistics, and has taught several college courses on the World Wars. He lives in Virginia.

Graham Turner is a leading historical artist, specializing in the medieval period. He has illustrated numerous titles for Osprey, covering a wide variety of subjects from the dress of the 10th-century armies of the Caliphates, through the action of bloody medieval battles, to the daily life of the British Redcoat of the late 18th century. The son of the illustrator Michael Turner, Graham lives and works in Buckinghamshire, UK.

Editorial Reviews

This book is highly recommended. Factors in this recommendation are the extensive knowledge of the author, the author's ability to clearly express the issues involved in the conflict, a superior bibliography, a clear and well stated "Analysis", excellent diagrams, color illustrations, and black & white images that support the "story line".” —IPMS / USA

“...provides useful bases for further study of the campaign – and, obliquely, of Malta's significance to WWII history. ...Recommended!” —Cybermodeler Online

From the Publisher