FREE MALTA SPITFIRE: THE DIARY OF AN ACE FIGHTER PILOT PDF George F. Beurling | 256 pages | 19 Aug 2011 | GRUB STREET | 9781906502980 | English | London, United Kingdom Malta Spitfire: The Diary of an Ace Fighter Pilot by George Beurling, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Malta Spitfire by George Beurling. An aviator's true story of WWII air combat, including two dramatic weeks in the skies above the besieged island of Malta. Twenty-five thousand feet above Malta--that is where the Spitfires intercepted the Messerschmitts, Macchis, and Reggianes as they swept eastward in their droves, screening the big Junkers with their bomb loads as they pummeled the island beneath: the mo An aviator's true story of WWII air combat, including two dramatic weeks in the skies above the besieged island of Malta. Twenty-five thousand feet above Malta--that is where the Spitfires intercepted the Messerschmitts, Macchis, and Reggianes as they swept eastward in their droves, screening the big Junkers with their bomb loads as they pummeled the island beneath: the most bombed patch of ground in the world. One of those Spitfire pilots was George Beurling, nicknamed "Screwball," who in fourteen flying days destroyed twenty-seven German and Italian aircraft and damaged many more. Hailing from Canada, Beurling finally made it to Malta in the summer of after hard training and combat across the Channel. Malta Spitfire tells his story and that of the gallant Spitfire squadron,which day after day ascended to the "top of the hill" to meet the enemy against overwhelming odds. With this memoir, readers experience the sensation of being in the cockpit with him, climbing to meet the planes driving in from Sicily, diving down through the fighter screen at the bombers, dodging the bullets coming out of the sun, or whipping up under the belly of an Me for a deflection shot at the engine. This is war without sentiment or romance, told in terms of human courage, skill, and heroism--a classic of WWII military aviation. Get A Copy. Published July 14th by Grub Street Publishing first published More Details Original Title. Other Editions 8. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Malta Malta Spitfire: The Diary of an Ace Fighter Pilotplease sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Jun 22, JD rated it it was amazing Shelves: ww2-in-the-air. Great autobiography of top Malta ace George Beurling. Written in after his return to Canada, this book gives great insight into a real-time life of a fighter pilot during the siege of Malta and throughout the book we are introduced into the rich cast of characters that made up the Knights of Malta. The start of the book is also great as he describes his love for flying and the long and interesting journey to becoming a fighter pilot with the RAF. A nice addition in the end is short biograph Great autobiography of top Malta ace George Beurling. A nice addition in the end is short biographies of the pilots mentioned in the book. Highly recommended for World War 2 enthusiasts. This was a great historical read and it was very well written by the author especially since he was not really a writer. It described vividly the hardships that George had to overcome just to be able to fly, not mentioning the hardships in the air. Overall, it was a wonderful book with the author being frank and writing in a very approachable style. I loved the style, facts and the beautiful illustrations! I love reading books about World War II that were written during the war, before anyone was sure how it would end. This is a perfect example. George Beurling was a Canadian who was obsessed with flying at an early age. He was born inwhich made him the perfect age for a combat pilot when World War II broke out. It wasn't as easy as you might think for a Canadian to get to England and join the RAF as a fighter pilot inand Beurling's saga takes up about the first quarter of the book I love reading books about World War II that were written during the war, before anyone was sure how it would end. It wasn't as easy as you might think for a Canadian to get to England and join the RAF as a fighter pilot inand Malta Spitfire: The Diary of an Ace Fighter Pilot saga takes up about the first quarter of the book. He eventually made it and was assigned to a Spitfire squadron, racking up a couple of aerial victories making sweeps over occupied France during a period which was pretty quiescent, air-war-wise, in the post-Battle of Britain days of Beurling finally came into his own inwhen he was posted to a Spitfire squadron defending the tiny island of Malta, an Allied-held speck in the otherwise "Axis lake" of the Mediterranean between Gibraltar and Alexandria, Egypt. Malta and its several airfields was crucial to the Allies because it gave them a base from which to harass Rommel's army in North Africa, and to intercept supply convoys to Rommel from Europe. The Axis, of course, also recognized Malta's significance as a thorn in their side, and attempted to eliminate it with constant bombing raids, most originating from Sicily and consisting of mixed German and Italian air forces. It was into this cauldron that Beurling and his squadron mates were thrown. The bulk of this book is an almost day-by-day chronicle of his squadron's activities, usually reacting to flights of Axis bombers but occasionally making offensive sweeps over Axis airfields in Sicily. Beurling, in first person, describes in florid detail the many aerial victories he scored during this time, including 27 in just a day period during that summer of Beurling was injured during a return flight to England at the end of Malta Spitfire: The Diary of an Ace Fighter Pilotand his recuperation in hospital gave Canadian writer and journalist Lesle Roberts an opportunity to sit down and interview him about his Malta exploits. The result was this book, largely written in the first person as a biography, but with occasional breaks where Roberts inserts episodes of his interviews with Beurling. The language of the book is rife with casual slang of the time, which adds to the book's immediacy I've no doubt it was intended as a Malta Spitfire: The Diary of an Ace Fighter Pilot propaganda and recruiting tool and authenticity; but it makes some passages hard to read--especially when Malta Spitfire: The Diary of an Ace Fighter Pilot talks of fellow pilots and friends who were killed in action, and he harshly downplays the strong feelings he must have had on these far too frequent occasions. It contains a few mediocre charcoal sketches of Allied and Axis aircraft in action. Striking autobiography with writing help. Beurling described his life and career to Leslie Roberts while recovering from a crash near Gibraltar. So the book covers Beurling's efforts to become a pilot, then to get into a shooting war. The 1st person narrative is compelling and reminds us of the recent past, and how different it was. Beurling is not a braggart, but he was certainly very competent, and knew it. The end notes with short career summaries of all the pilots encountered in the book is Striking autobiography with writing help. The end notes with short career summaries of all the pilots encountered in the book is interesting. The core of the book is Beurling's narrative, and it's a quick read and well worth it. George Beurling, Malta Spitfire: The Diary of an Ace Fighter Pilot W. His enthusiasm for flying and his admiration and respect for his fellow flyers comes through on every page. Written during the war with Buzz and a co-author. Minor propaganda. However outlines the spirit of the man and gives an in-site into "Screwball Beurling. Oct 22, Donna McCormick rated it it was amazing. Amazing What an amazing gift this js. Some of thoseMaltese that survived this battle and siege were my relatives. I am happy to read 'the rest of the story'. Thanks for making it available! Malta Spitfire: The Diary of an Ace Fighter Pilot addition to being an outstanding book about flying, its an excellent review of the Second World War battle for the strategic island of Malta. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A great account of one of the more interesting fighter pilots and the passioniate tale of the Malta-siege. The part about being accepted as a fighter pilot is just as interesting as the exploits as fighter pilot themself. He was an extraordinary character and the Malta circus was just up his alley. His passion for flying, shooting down Germans and his comrades oozes through these pages. The tragic end of some of these men is heartbreaking especially his close friends Hester and Willy the Kid. Quite the contrary in fact. I found this an enthralling tale, altough maybe not with the same depth as Denis Barnham's account.