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PEDESTAL: The Malta Convoy of August 1942.
H/B (1)1970 (SBN 7183 0032 7) H/B (2) ITALIAN Edition 1972. H/B (3) 1987 (ISBN 0 7183 0632 5) H/B (4) 1994 (ISBN 0 947554 48 3) P/B 1999 (ISBN 0 947554 77 7) (2) MALTESE Edition 60th Anniversary 2002 from Miller Books, Malta and Goodall UK (0 907579 19 1) P/B Russian Edition, AST, Moscow, 2003. Audio Cassette edition, Calibre (1) 1985. (2) 1998. (3) 2002; Russian edition, AST Moscow, 2006; 6th Engish and 2nd Maltese P/B Editions, 2007
Foreword to 1st edition by Admiral Sir Richard Onslow, KCB, DSO***.
Foreword subsequent editions by Admiral of the Fleet the Lord Lewin, KG, GCB, LVO, DSC.
The largest convoy battle of the war and the most hard-fought was the supply convoy to relieve the siege of Malta in August 1942. Mounted by the Royal Navy it included fourteen fast stores ship and a vital oil tanker. Without some of these ships getting through Malta was doomed to fall to the Axis within weeks.
The Royal Navy provided the strongest escort for any convoy which included four aircraft carriers, two battleships and a host of cruisers and destroyers. Against this force which had to sail into the very jaws of the enemy were ranged the whole fighting strengths of the German and Italian air forces in the Mediterranean and the Italian Navy. The resulting battle was among the fiercest air/sea battles of World War II. Although the convoy suffered grievous losses enough ships got through to save the island. This is the most detailed and accurate account of that battle written and contains a host of eyewitness detail to back up official records of the action.
The Official Naval Historian, Captain S. W. Roskill, wrote to the Author on this book:- "Many of your wise and very perceptive books form part of my own collection. In particular Pedestal has a special place on my bookshelf."The Naval Review stated,"How refreshing it is to read a book of this kind from a author who never overlays fact with personal opinion and criticism.", while The London Evening Standard said, "Mr Smith's account of this significant action is clear and concise and, if anything, understates the heroics." In November 2005 Ships Monthly confirmed of the fifth edition, " It remains the definitive account of one of the hardest fought battles of World War II "
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