Matthew Willis

Bastion Matthew Willis

'Vivid and exciting. This author knows his stuff.' Richard Woodman, author of Malta Convoys

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 Clydesdale 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.

Recommended for fans of Robert Ryan, James Holland and Patrick Bishop.

"A gripping portrait of Malta and a careworn pilot, battling the enemy and inner demons... The author strikes a deft balance between historical insight and narrative drive." Richard Foreman, author of Warsaw

"A remarkable insight into the doubts and fears of a fighter pilot, contrasting relentless action with cool post-combat de-briefs." Frank Barnard

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'.