Book Recommendations

The Kappillan of Malta

By Nicholas Monsarrat

Fiction, Historical, General, 20th Century, World War II, War & Military | 464 pages
1 recommendation

'One of the most memorable characters of post-war fiction' Daily Express

A classic novel set in the siege of Malta 1940-1942 from the bestselling author of The Cruel Sea


Father Salvatore was a simple, lumbering priest, a Kappillan serving the poor Valetta, when war came out of the blue skies to pound the island to dust.

Now amid the catacombs discovered by a chance bomb, he cared for the flood of homeless, starving, frightened people who sought shelter from the death that fell unceasingly from the sky.

His story, and the story of Malta, is told in superbly graphic pictures of six days during the siege. Each of those days brought forth from the Kappillan a message of inspiration to keep them going - the legendary tales of six mighty events of Malta's history which shone through the centuries and gathered them together in a fervent belief in their survival.

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Jerry Dawson
6th Sep 2024
"This book, written in 1973, is a beautifully written history of the major events in the history of the tiny country of Malta, told by a village priest during WW2. I read it before doing a two week trip to Malta with Explore and it added hugely to my understanding of the island and many of the places we visited."