Nicholas Monsarrat presents a well written story which draws you in. This is the story of father Salvatore, an ordinary priest who rises to extraordinary circumstances. While the main story is set in mediterranean Malta in 1940-1942, Nicholas Monsarrat manages to seamlessly weave in malta's history from the dawn of time. Story: Father Salvatore, whose church is bombed early on in the scirmishes between Italy/Germany and Malta, provides comfort and solace to a growing number of desperate maltese by showing them what hardships malta and its inhabitants have had to endure throughout the ages and how they have managed to come out stronger every time. The growing popularity of Salvatore and his church in the ancient catacombs is seen as a threat by other clergymen and he faces a constant struggle to keep doing what is his calling..

If I have managed to make it all sound boring.. it's not! Buy it, borrow it, but whatever you do read it!

In 1096, when the first Crusaders arrived in Jerusalem, they discovered the Hospital of St. John, which healed the wounds of the heroic knights. It would be this encounter that led the hospitallers to rally around their leader Brother Gerard de Saxo and created the Order of St. John. The knights returned to Europe, but they never forgot the kindness of the hospital that healed their wounded. After the first Crusade, the Order grew in importance and received many appreciative donations that helped solidify the future for the Order. The activities of the Order of St. John throughout its history assumed the role as the defenders of Christianity. The Order gained importance and power because the knights of the order fought bravely against the vigorous Islamic world. The knights defended the Holy Land for a long time, but were finally expelled at their last stronghold at Acre in 1291. The Order of St. John moved to Cyprus for fifteen years, then Rhodes, and lastly Malta.

It is a splendid paperback on the Knights of Malta that starts with the Crusades and moves onward to the island of Malta. I recommend reading along with Sire's Knights of Malta (1994). It is an incredible book for people interested in learning in greater detail the Christian and Muslim rivalries that led to the Knights of Malta.

This book was great. It had the history of the order, but more interesting was the Government and structure of the order. The author gives good detail about the Hospitaller activities of this most prestigious organization. This book is styled almost like a "pledges" handbook and I felt my self get totally immersed. Rosita McHugh has done a wonderful job in explaining the great works that Order of Malta performs all around the world.

The day I finished reading "People of the Temples" it was announced that the Council of Europe is to draw up an action plan to conserve Malta's cultural heritage in which the pre-historic period has an importance that is universally acknowledged. From this aspect no country can actually boast of so much in so small a space. The number of major megalithic temples bears absolutely no relativity to the islands' dimensions, a fact which deserves deeper thought and consideration. Equally intriguing is the proximity of certain major temples to each other: why erect a structure, with all the labour it involves, when you have a similar one only a few hundred metres away? What demographic conclusions can one draw from the space taken by the temples? How did the people who built them live? What were their contacts with foreign countries - there isn't anything on the more proximate littorals that proves the existence of similar contemporary structures.

Having lived in Malta for about five months, I can vouch for the quality of this book. It definitely beats all the other guides out there.

The author had the advantage of writing about a small country, which might explain why this book is so good. Alas, smallness is often next to greatness, as anybody who knows anything about Malta will tell you. Situated smack dab in the middle of the Mediterranean, it has been a cultural crossroads for thousands of years, from the time of the Phoenecians right down to British colonial days (Malta became an independent country only in 1964 and the British influence is still strong). Its famous siege by the Turks in 1565 was only a part of its rich and exciting history. This book includes a thorough section on Maltese history and culture, plus a list of other books if you want to learn more.

As for the travel sections, it's replete with useful information, including details about admission costs, opening hours, bus routes, places to stay and eat, how to get there (not always easy), and where to go have fun in the sun. The maps are great, and it's also got a lot of useful information about Gozo and Comino, the beautiful neighboring islands 30 minutes by boat from Malta itself.

This book was written with budget travelers in mind, but anybody will find it useful. And don't be turned away by the title: the only thing "rough" about Malta is the bus network, which is absolutely prehistoric and will beat even the most hard-core travelers down to an ichthyous, jelly-like pulp. Watch out. --- Five stars.

The style of writing is similar to Marquez's `One hundred years of Solitude' and Rushdie's `Midnight's Children'. A wonderful read for the lovers of magic realism. This is a story of the fight between the good and evil in a remote village. The son of the devil is a crocodile man, his seductress is the ghost of a beautiful dead, the witch doctor Bulu-Bulu can become a cigar smoking monkey, the wooden christ comes down from his cross to converse with the priest...many fantastic treats

In 1943, British and American amphibian and airborne forces began landing in Sicily, culminating in the invasion of Sicily which took 39 days. The plan (code named Operation Husky) fixed Malta as the launching site for the fighter and fighter-bomber offensive. Spitfires Over Sicily provides a day-by-day historical account of Malta Spitfire operations during the battle of Sicily from January through August, 1943. Illustrated with 100 photographs, including the pilots, their adversaries, and the Spitfires of many of the squadrons involved, Spitfires Over Sicily is a remarkable and engaging history that is a welcome and informative contribution to the growing body of World War II literature and a "must" for military buffs.

This is an excellent book for people wanting to travel to Malta. However, if after reading this book you would like to learn Maltese. I recommend strongly Merhba 2 - Maltese Language conversation course. This course is bilingual ie English and Maltese and it consists of five audio tapes and reader. For more information send email to karatt@ozemail.com.au

This is an excellent book for people wishing to travel or learn about Malta. If after reading this book, you would like to learn maltese. I recommend most strongly Merhba 2 Maltese Language Conversation Course. The emphasis of this course is conversation and it is bilingual and it consists of a reader and five audio tapes.

This is an excellent book for people planning to visit the island of Gozo. It will suit the armchair traveller. It has a good description of the different towns and villages. If after reading this book you would like to learn Maltese, I suggest that you should order Merhba 2 - Maltese Language Conversation Course. The emphasis of this course is conversation. It is bilingual and it consists of audio tapes and a reader. For more information contact karatt@ozemail.com.au