Band of eagles - Frank Barnard

Continuing the brilliant World War Two fighter pilot series - this time the theatre of war is the incredible story of the Siege of Malta.

Summer 1941. The tiny island of Malta, held by the British and a crucial supply point for the Allies, has become the most bombed place on earth. The Germans and Italians want to destroy it. For the fighter pilots of the RAF, initially equipped with ageing Hurricanes and outnumbered in the air, defeat seems almost certain. Flight commanders, Englishman Kit Curtis and American Ossie Wolf make an unlikely alliance. Both have survived the Fall of France and the Battle of Britain but Curtis remains idealistic and eager to prove himself. Wolf, by contrast, is ruthless and thrives in the chaos of imminent invasion. But as each man is tested to the limit, they come to share a common purpose and fresh understanding. The experiences of these pilots and their comrades are vividly conveyed in a novel of compelling pace and power, made still more real by meticulous research that captures the spirit of the time. By turns brutal, funny, tragic and heroic here is a spell-binding tour-de-force, a brilliant sequel to the best-selling Blue Man Falling.

Frank Barnard trained as a journalist before moving into public relations. He worked as managing director for major international consultancies before quitting at fifty to write full time and race cars. He is married with two children and four grandchildren with whom he enjoys sailing and sea-fishing near his home in Rye, Sussex.