Published: April 16, 2011
Words: 46,689 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781458197887

Short description

This is the memoir of a young mother struggling to feed, clothe and house her family on “the most bombed island on earth” — Malta, during World War II. Written by two generations of eye-witnesses to the destruction wrought on the strategically vital island of Malta by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

Extended description

This is the memoir of a young mother struggling to feed, clothe and house her family on “the most bombed island on earth” — Malta, during World War II.

Written by two generations of eye-witnesses to the destruction wrought on the strategically vital island of Malta by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

The book contains extensive additional historical information researched from a huge number of sources about wartime Malta. This book contains an extensive annotated bibliography for those who wish to further explore this complex and terrible time.

Originally published in 1990 it is now into its third edition. This new edition is prepared specifically as an e-book.

Tags

world war ii, memoir, nazi, world war 2, autobiography, italy, fascist, malta, royal navy, starvation, valletta, operation pedestal

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Reviews

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Review by: Gabion on March 12, 2013 :
An uplifting and inspiring tale of overcoming adversity. What really makes this book stand out is just how ordinary the author is. If ordinary people can stand what Caroline Vernon stood, imagine what extraordinary people can do!
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Clarissa White on Feb. 17, 2013 :
Women are so absent from history that this story is a delight to read. Just because there are elements of the domestic does not mean that it doesn't have drama and interest. Malta must have been a terrible place. Thank goodness these memories are now written down. Excellently referenced and clearly written.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Jack A Benson on Aug. 19, 2012 :
I enjoyed this book simply because of the inter-generational perspectives given by the authors (Mother, children and grand-children). This makes history live. An excellent memoir of the terrible suffering the people of Malta endured from the Nazis during WWII. An excellent read.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Peter Thompson on June 25, 2012 :
I don't read my non-fiction but having read other Stringybark Stories publications I thought I would give this a go. As a memoir it casts a very interesting light on living on Malta. I don't imagine that there are many books by the wives of servicemen and thus this makes this a pretty special contribution to understanding the experiences of families under constant bombardment. Well written and often quite gripping.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Sandra Black on Oct. 30, 2011 :
This is a fine memoir that provides an insight into a civilian's struggles during wartime (although she also worked for the military). A sensitive portrayal that is at yet the same time gritty and unsentimental. More bios like this would be great.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Bronnie Wu on Oct. 27, 2011 :
This is a well written and interesting book that covers a period of history and from a perspective (a woman's perspective - and working class at that) that is rarely discussed. Great work from all the editors (obviously a family affair) has produced a fascinating book. Thank you.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Daniel Vane on Sep. 06, 2011 :
This is a pithy and gritty memoir written by a woman who was in the midst of bringing up a family in the middle of war. The narrator, Caroline Vernon, is frank, fearless and certainly no shrinking violet when trying to get her entitlements from an uncaring military bureaucracy. An intersting insight into the Royal Navy's way of doing things.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: V.S. Daley on Aug. 31, 2011 :
This is the second book I have read from the Stringybark stable and like "The Bridge" the production quality is high (which can be somewhat rare around e-publishing). The story is a very personal journey for the writer and one of the most fascinating things about it is the description of British military heirarchy - even among military wives. This is an excellent story of one woman's bravery and persistence. An excellent read.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Jane Doilly on May 26, 2011 :
This is a fascinating book. Written by a mother during WWII in Malta it shows her hopes and fears as she tries to survive as a naval wife during the worst part of the 'blitz' on Malta. Rewritten by her daughter and son later, they have added their own reminiscences and also provided a historical context to their Mother's story. This provides a wealth of both personal and historical information. Well written, well edited, it is a great read for anyone interested in the ordinary-person's eyewitness accounts of events in Malta during WWII. My only criticism is that at times it is apparent that the author (while obviously intelligent) isn't well educated. Her writing is simple rather than literary. I guess this adds a realism that literary works sometimes don't provide.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

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