Fortress of Malta: Books 1-3
(2021)(A book in the Fortress of Malta series)
An omnibus of novels by Matthew Willis
'Vivid and exciting. This author knows his stuff.' Richard Woodman, author of Malta Convoys
Harpoon
Sea Hurricane pilot Edmund Clydesdale, a battle-weary loner with a secret, sets out on a vital convoy to the island of Malta.
Clydesdale is on the brink of becoming an ace. The only trouble is that he shouldn't be.
Blind luck, mistakes and politics have seen him awarded with four of the five kills he needs. As the convoy Operation 'Harpoon' heads into the Western Mediterranean with only a handful of worn-out fighters to protect it, the eyes of the Navy and the press are on him.
And soon, the eyes - and guns - of the enemy will be too.
Six ships carry vital supplies, without which Malta cannot survive the Axis onslaught. The ageing carrier HMS Eagle, with its complement of battered Hawker Sea Hurricanes and their overworked pilots, must face legions of German and Italian bombers, all desperate to send the transports to the bottom of the Mediterranean.
Bastion
Summer, 1942.
Royal Navy fighter pilot Edmund Clydesdale is exhausted, war weary and stuck on Malta at the height of the siege.
Each day could be Clydesdale's last, as he helps defend the seemingly doomed island against wave upon wave of German attacks.
But as well as the enemy, Edmund must survive Sub Lieutenant Godden, a daredevil fellow pilot determined to hit back at the enemy any way he can.
And when he meets Liena, a fiery Maltese woman working as an air-raid warden in the bomb-ravaged cities, he begins to find something to live and fight for.
But the siege continues and the odds of surviving the war are lengthened, when he is ordered on a special mission to fly into enemy territory.
The fate of the island - and the pilot's life - will hang in the balance.
Indomitable
August 1942.
Malta stands on the brink, and Navy fighter pilot Edmund Clydesdale stands with it. One last convoy must brave the gauntlet of bombers, U-boats and warships to bring precious supplies to the island fortress. If it fails, Malta falls – and with it, the entire Mediterranean.
Edmund is a reluctant hero, a Royal Navy Sea Hurricane pilot who would rather be anywhere else. But now, it’s personal. The fate of Liena, the Maltese woman he has fallen in love with, is bound to that of the island.
Once again, a handful of outdated fighters must confront the might of the Italian and German air forces as they strive to blow the British convoy out of the water.
Edmund must face his own demons as well as his foes in the air. An old lie and a scorned ex-lover are catching up with him. If Edmund wants to fight for Liena, he must confront his past, as well as his opponents in the sky.
Matthew Willis grew up near the historic port of Harwich and seaplane station at Felixstowe, developing a lifelong obsession with flying and the sea. He worked as a motorsport journalist and media relations officer before becoming a full time writer in 2011. His books include the epic novels of the Norman Conquest 'An Argument of Blood' and 'A Black Matter for the King' co-written with JA Ironside, and the novelette 'The Battle of Alma'.
Praise for Matthew Willis:
‘A remarkable insight into the doubts and fears of a fighter pilot, contrasting relentless action with cool post-combat de-briefs.’ Frank Barnard
‘Depicts both the military and human story of Operation Pedestal. A fitting climax to the bestselling series.’ Richard Foreman
'Matthew Willis plunges us unto hectic action in the air over a Malta convoy in summer 1942... With a good ear for wardroom banter, very adept use of carrier aviation technicalities, the author’s concise, often lyrical style conjures up powerfully evocative imagery.' Warships International Fleet Review
Genre: Thriller
Harpoon
Sea Hurricane pilot Edmund Clydesdale, a battle-weary loner with a secret, sets out on a vital convoy to the island of Malta.
Clydesdale is on the brink of becoming an ace. The only trouble is that he shouldn't be.
Blind luck, mistakes and politics have seen him awarded with four of the five kills he needs. As the convoy Operation 'Harpoon' heads into the Western Mediterranean with only a handful of worn-out fighters to protect it, the eyes of the Navy and the press are on him.
And soon, the eyes - and guns - of the enemy will be too.
Six ships carry vital supplies, without which Malta cannot survive the Axis onslaught. The ageing carrier HMS Eagle, with its complement of battered Hawker Sea Hurricanes and their overworked pilots, must face legions of German and Italian bombers, all desperate to send the transports to the bottom of the Mediterranean.
Bastion
Summer, 1942.
Royal Navy fighter pilot Edmund Clydesdale is exhausted, war weary and stuck on Malta at the height of the siege.
Each day could be Clydesdale's last, as he helps defend the seemingly doomed island against wave upon wave of German attacks.
But as well as the enemy, Edmund must survive Sub Lieutenant Godden, a daredevil fellow pilot determined to hit back at the enemy any way he can.
And when he meets Liena, a fiery Maltese woman working as an air-raid warden in the bomb-ravaged cities, he begins to find something to live and fight for.
But the siege continues and the odds of surviving the war are lengthened, when he is ordered on a special mission to fly into enemy territory.
The fate of the island - and the pilot's life - will hang in the balance.
Indomitable
August 1942.
Malta stands on the brink, and Navy fighter pilot Edmund Clydesdale stands with it. One last convoy must brave the gauntlet of bombers, U-boats and warships to bring precious supplies to the island fortress. If it fails, Malta falls – and with it, the entire Mediterranean.
Edmund is a reluctant hero, a Royal Navy Sea Hurricane pilot who would rather be anywhere else. But now, it’s personal. The fate of Liena, the Maltese woman he has fallen in love with, is bound to that of the island.
Once again, a handful of outdated fighters must confront the might of the Italian and German air forces as they strive to blow the British convoy out of the water.
Edmund must face his own demons as well as his foes in the air. An old lie and a scorned ex-lover are catching up with him. If Edmund wants to fight for Liena, he must confront his past, as well as his opponents in the sky.
Matthew Willis grew up near the historic port of Harwich and seaplane station at Felixstowe, developing a lifelong obsession with flying and the sea. He worked as a motorsport journalist and media relations officer before becoming a full time writer in 2011. His books include the epic novels of the Norman Conquest 'An Argument of Blood' and 'A Black Matter for the King' co-written with JA Ironside, and the novelette 'The Battle of Alma'.
Praise for Matthew Willis:
‘A remarkable insight into the doubts and fears of a fighter pilot, contrasting relentless action with cool post-combat de-briefs.’ Frank Barnard
‘Depicts both the military and human story of Operation Pedestal. A fitting climax to the bestselling series.’ Richard Foreman
'Matthew Willis plunges us unto hectic action in the air over a Malta convoy in summer 1942... With a good ear for wardroom banter, very adept use of carrier aviation technicalities, the author’s concise, often lyrical style conjures up powerfully evocative imagery.' Warships International Fleet Review
Genre: Thriller
Used availability for Matthew Willis's Fortress of Malta: Books 1-3