Upon finishing N. A. M. Rodgers’ astonishing maritime trilogy, I wanted to keep up the naval reading theme. This was the book I chose.
Funnily enough I saw Hastings give a Topping Books author’s talk on this very book/subject, in Ely, about a year or more prior to my actually reading it.
It’s a gripping account. And I’d highly recommend it. I won’t synopsise the events. Suffice to say Hastings sets the scene, and handles every level, from the whys to the hows, and addressing both strategic and tactical aspects, balancing an unsurprisingly Brit’-centric perspective with due attention to both Allied (American, French, etc) and Axis (German and Italian) combatants.
It’s also fascinating how much of the book and the real world events give consideration to the whys and wherefores, which extend beyond the events, to continued shades of opinion as to whether Pedestal was an Allied or Axis victory; and/or worth the effort/sacrifice. Was it justified, or necessary?
All told, a fascinating narrative, liberally peppered with engaging firsthand testimonies, of an exciting moment, oft’ overlooked, in WWII.
NB – This book has several useful maps, quite a few black and white photos, and – crucially – a glossary (esp’ useful for explaining the many abbreviations!).