Malta’s strategic significance to the Allied war effort was not lost on the Luftwaffe: in the spring of 1942 alone, they dropped more bombs on the island than they did on London during the entire Blitz. In his latest book, Max Hastings charts a relief mission to the besieged island: Operation Pedestal, a costly but vital British achievement.

Operation Pedestal: the fleet that battled to Malta 1942 Max Hastings Harper Collins, £25 (hbk) ISBN 978-0008470296