Malta Spitfire Pilot: A Personal Account of Ten Weeks of War, April–June 1942

‘His words reflect honestly and vividly, the sheer terror of flying from Malta at that time.’ _Britain at War Magazine_

‘Immensely vivid picture of the air defence … eloquent and revealing.’ _The Times Literary Supplement_

In the summer of 1942, Malta was wide open to air attack from the Germans and Italians and defended by a handful of Spitfires and anti-aircraft guns. Among the Allied pilots tasked with shooting down enemy bombers was Flight Lieutenant Denis Barnham. In the 200 gruelling operational hours that followed his arrival on the embattled island, Denis grew from an inexperienced young pilot into a battle-hardened Spitfire ace.

This powerful account is based on the diary he kept through this ten-week period, as he and his fellow pilots battled against terrible odds to save Malta. Written with honesty and compassion, his descriptions of the air battle are both thrilling and terrifying, making this one of the best first-hand accounts of aerial combat ever written.