June 11, 1940. Italian aircraft pummel the idyllic Mediterranean island of Malta. It is the first of more than three thousand bombing raids that the island will suffer as it becomes the most bombed place on earth. The day before, Mussolini had declared war on Britain, and in that moment, the tiny island of Malta - slightly larger than Cape Cod - became one of the most impor June 11, 1940. Italian aircraft pummel the idyllic Mediterranean island of Malta. It is the first of more than three thousand bombing raids that the island will suffer as it becomes the most bombed place on earth. The day before, Mussolini had declared war on Britain, and in that moment, the tiny island of Malta - slightly larger than Cape Cod - became one of the most important strategic pieces of land in the world. Today, this valiant story is largely forgotten, but James Holland offers a riveting portrait of the siege that helped determine victory or defeat in World War II. For nearly three years, Malta held the key to dominance in the Mediterranean and North Africa. Lying between Italy and Libya, Malta was the ideal place from which to attack shipping lines supplying Italian and German forces in North Africa. To save Egypt, the Suez Canal, and the Middle East oil fields from Nazi control, it was essential that the island be held at all costs. Fortress Malta follows the story through the eyes of individuals who were there: the pilots, submariners, soldiers, and civilians who provide tales of heroism, resilience, love, and loss. Using interviews with survivors, letters, and diaries never-before-published, James Holland brings to life this extraordinary real-life David-and-Goliath battle in a moving, astonishing narrative.