Information Product Mark 12+During its history, Malta has experienced two severe sieges, which resulted in numerous casualties and colossal destruction on the island. The first siege, called the Great, lasted from May to September 1556. The island was stormed by the fleet of the Ottoman Empire, and it was defended by the Knights Hospitaller, at that time the only masters of Malta. The second siege (more precisely, defense), which lasted three years (1940–1943), is rightfully called in the history of the Second World War one of the most complex and important operations of the Allies in the Mediterranean theater of operations. The new book in the series will reveal to the reader many interesting details and historical circumstances of the two famous sieges of Malta.