REVIEWS
Music CDs
Cook Books
Coffee-Table Books
Fiction Updated: January 21, 2002
Educational/Reference Books Updated: December 02, 2003
Hundreds of Books on Malta available from /amazon.com New: July 28, 2000
COOK BOOKS
Taste of Malta
The Best of Maltese Cooking
The Food & Cookery of Malta
Taste of Malta |
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| Author: | Claudia M. Caruana |
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| Published by: |
Hippocrene Books, Inc.
171 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 |
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| Where to purchase: |
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| ISBN: | 0-7818-0524-4 | |
| Pages: | 306 | |
| Rating: | Highly Recommended | |
| Type: | Hardcover | |
| Review: |
This is by far the best cookbook I have the pleasure to own and I know that I will refer to it often. Claudia's writing style makes reading the book a pleasure. The book starts with a large section dedicated to the Maltese islands and a look at the Maltese kitchen. It gives the reader who is not familiar with Malta a reference point for the great recipes that follow. For those of us who were born and lived in Malta, it brings memories of the great food Mom used to cook.
The cooking tips that follow each recipe is an excellent idea and it's one that other cookbook authors should emulate.
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The Best of Maltese Cooking |
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| Text & Coordination by: | Caroline Wirth |
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| Food Preparation by: | Tony Theuma and Tony Spiteri | |
| Photographs by: | Bruna Polimeni | |
| Distributed by: |
Miller Distributors Limited Tel. No.: 664488 - Fax No.: 676799 - Malta |
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| Published by: |
plurigraf Narni - Terni, Italia |
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| Pages: | 95 | |
| Type: | Softcover | |
The Food & Cookery of Malta |
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| Author: | Anne & Helen Caruana Galizia |
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| Photographs by: | Julian Manduca | |
| Published by: |
Prospect Books
Allaleigh House Blackawton, Totnes, Devon TQ9 7DL, England |
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| ISBN: | 0-907325-777 | |
| Pages: | 208 | |
| Type: | Softcover | |
| Review: |
This book starts with acknowledgements and a very informative introduction by D.H. Lawrence. A page giving pronunciation of the Maltese alphabet follows the Introduction.
The recipes are divided into eight chapters and include: soups; fish; meat dishes; pasta and rice; vegetables; breads, cheese, pies and other dishes; sweet things, syrups and jams; and sauces. A classification of the fish that can be found in the Maltese waters is presented at the beginning of the chapter of fish recipes. The classification includes the Maltese name, the scientific name, and the French, Italian and English equivalents. A brief description is also included. I found this classification very interesting and informative. The format of the book is unique in that it is presented in newspaper columns style with the ingredients in one column and the directions in a separate column. Some recipes that are hard to find include: Turtle Stew, Buskutelli, and Snail Stew. I found the recipes in this book easy to understand and follow and hard to find recipes like Biskuttelli, adds a lot of value to the book. This is another cookbook that you should consider adding to your library. |
COFFEE-TABLE BOOKS
The Maltese Islands From The Air
Malta - An Island Republic
Malta
The Maltese Islands From The Air |
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| Photographs by: | Jonathan Beacon | |
| Text by: | Geoffrey Aquilina-Ross |
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| Published by: |
Proud Publishing Ltd.
2, Sir Michelangelo Refalo Ave., Balzan, Malta BZN 07 Printed and bound in Malta by Interprint Ltd. |
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| Pages: | 160 | |
| Type: | Hardcover | |
| Rating: | Highly Recommended | |
| Review: |
Jonathan Beacon is a Maltese professional photographer. Jonathan also published another book on Malta titled "Malta - The Hidden Charms"
This is one of my favourite books on Malta, perhaps because photography is one of my passions and this book includes an excellent collection of photographs. The photographs offer a unique perspective of the archipelago. The pictures of Malta from the air offer some excellent scenery. Pictures of the coastline and the bays and beaches are especially breathtaking. This book is a photographic essay of the Maltese islands. The concise captions are helpful in identifying the various locations, buildings and sites. Some of the area covered in this book include Valletta and the Grand Harbour, Marsamxett, St. Julian's and the East Coast, Comino, Gozo, the West coast of Malta, Mdina, and the Mnajdra and Hagar Qim temples. The quality of the book is excellent. The large (14x9 and 8x10) glossy photographs are sharp and very well composed and the printing is first class. |
Malta - An Island Republic |
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| Photographs by: | Chris Zuber | |
| Text & Design by: | Eric Gerada Azzopardi |
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| Published by: |
DELROISSE
107-109-113 rue de Paris 92100 Boulogne, France |
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| ISBN: | 2-85518-054-6 | |
| Pages: | 270 | |
| Type: | Hardcover | |
| Rating: | Highly Recommended | |
| Where to purchase: |
On-line from: Amazon
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| Review: |
This book offers a pictorial view of the islands and its people along with enough historical and background facts to wet the appetite. It covers Maltese history all the way from pre-historic times, when the then inhabitants of the islands built some great temples, to the more recent history of Malta.
This book offers a balanced look at Malta, its people, and its history. It contains many interesting facts and it is a great way to get to know Malta. |
Malta |
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| Text & Photographs by: | Bernard Nantert |
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| Published by: |
DELROISSE
107-109-113 rue de Paris 92100 Boulogne, France |
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| Pages: | 195 | |
| Type: | Hardcover | |
| Rating: | Recommended | |
| Review: |
This book offers a pictorial view of Malta and includes explanatory text in English and French. There are also eighteen pages of German text covering a brief history of Malta and its people from pre-historic to modern times.
The photographs in this book are very good and the bilingual text makes it an excellent book for those whose mother tounge is the French language. |
FICTION
The Kappillan of Malta
Angels in Iron
Counting Churches - The Malta Stories
Death In Malta
Il-Festa tal-Huta
The Kappillan of Malta |
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| Author: | Nicholas Monsarrat |
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| Published by: |
CASSELL & COMPANY LTD
35 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4SG |
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| ISBN: | 0 304 29052 1 | |
| Pages: | 427 | |
| Type: | Hardcover | |
| Rating: | Highly Recommended | |
| Where to purchase: |
On-line from: Amazon Barnes and Noble Borders
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| Review: |
This book recounts the story of a fictional Kappillan (Priest) from Valletta at a time when Malta was experiencing its last and perhaps its worst siege. The story recounts the lives of the Kappillan and the people he cared for during six days of Malta's modern siege and spans from June 11, 1940 to August 15, 1942.
The story starts and ends with the funeral of the Kappillan tal-Katacombi (Priest of the Catacombs) in Marsalforn, Gozo. However, most of the story takes place in catacombs discovered by chance when a bomb hit the corner of the bastions of the Cottonera Lines. The Cottonera Lines are the bastions built by the Knights of Malta across the Grand Harbour from Valletta. Dun Salvatur, a man of noble descent, cared for the homeless, starving and frightened people who sought shelter from the incessant bombing raids that dropped tons of bombs in the Grand Harbour area during World War II. Although the story itself is fictional, there are enough historically true facts to make the story very believable. The mixture of fiction and facts make this a very interesting book and makes for a great story. The book is easy to read and Monsarrat portraits Dun Salvatur as a very warm-hearted, caring and likeable character. For Maltese, those who are familiar with Malta's history, and anyone interested in learning a bit about the recent history of Malta and the Maltese character, the book offers a look at how life might have unfolded during the dark days of Malta's last great siege. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and it's one of the most favourite books in my library. |
Death In Malta |
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| Author: | Rosanne Dingli |
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| Published by: | Jacobyte Books | |
| ISBN: | 1 74053 076 4 | |
| Pages: | 336 | |
| Where to purchase: |
On-line from: www.jacobytebooks.com |
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Coutning Churches - The Malta Stories |
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| Author: | Rosanne Dingli |
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| Published by: | Jacobyte Books | |
| ISBN: | 174053 094 2 | |
| Where to purchase: |
On-line from: www.jacobytebooks.com |
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| Review: |
SYNOPSIS:
An Australian novelist visits Malta, where he stumbles on a mystery. A missing child becomes the subject of his writing, but his investigations are fraught with difficulty. What is he to do with the sealed jars in his cellar? Does one contain a little corpse? His romance with a Maltese woman can either restore or ruin his career, but who is the unexpected female visitor who comes to his rented house outside a dusty remote village? The village parish priest shows veiled antagonism, countered by real friendship struck with an alcoholic doctor. When opening the jars leads to a dramatic climax, the writer is dealt another blow, and the village is once more hit by a mysterious death. ‘Life is not a novel, Mr Worthington, in which everything is resolved by the last twenty pages. There are some things we were never meant to know and never will know,’ says the parish priest. But there are questions that must be answered, and Worthington determines to find solutions before he leaves Malta. Poignant and moving, punctuated by comical scenes and passionate interludes, Death in Malta is a powerful novel of love and loss, disappointment and dislocation – curiosity and consequences. REVIEW EXCERPTS: What literary critics have said about Death in Malta: Dr Bob Rich, author of Sleeper, Awake and the historical adventure trilogy The Travels of First Horse, nominated for the Frankfurt e-book awards, (http://bobrich.fictionworld.com/) has written: “In this book, Rosanne Dingli shows herself to be a master of characterization and vivid description. Very soon after I started the book, the protagonist, Gregory Worthington, became a friend, just the kind of person I’d like over for dinner. The background is real too. As I read about the Maltese village with its unique culture and rather odd inhabitants, I felt myself to be there. The book becomes an intricate and intriguing plait of two stories: the continuation of Gregory’s life, including a love affair, and the story he is writing about the disappearance of a boy, twenty years ago. And as he probes and investigates, the question is, how close is his writing to reality? AUTHOR PROFILE: ROSANNE DINGLI settled in Australia in 1982. She was born and educated in Malta. Since 1986, she has had stories, articles, reviews, poems and columns published regularly. She has worked as a corporate editor, English and Creative Writing lecturer at Edith Cowan University, and was a regular writer for WA Homes & Living Magazine for a number of years. She was literary editor for the Western Review for two years, and a regular book reviewer for the West Australian newspaper. Her book of poetry All the Wrong Places was published in 1991 by the Literary Mouse Press and has since sold out. Her Handbook for Australian Writers was published by the Office of the SLO in WA (State Literature Officer) in 1996, went into reprint and then sold out. In 1992-3, she edited a volume of writings by the people in the WA Shire of Narrogin, titled In and Out of Town which was published by the shire office to celebrate the township’s 100 years. Among her most prestigious awards are the Patricia Hackett Prize for the best contribution to Westerly in 1994 and the double-whammy in 1998, when she took out first and second prizes at the FAWWA Lyndal Hadow Award for short fiction. She has also jointly won first prize in the Springvale Award for fiction. |
Angels in Iron
Angels in Iron is a gripping fictional treatment of the historical events surrounding the great siege of Malta in AD 1565. |
Il-Festa tal-Huta |
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| Author: | Victor Vella | |
| Published by: |
Minima Publishers
tel/fax: 337969 email: minipub@hotmail.com |
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| ISBN: | 99909-2-013-3 | |
| Pages: | 136 | |
| Type: | Paperback | |
| Where to purchase: | Minima Publishers minipub@hotmail.com | |
| Publisher's Notes: |
Il-Festa tal-Huta is a collection of short stories from Maltese-Australian writer Victor Vella.
The characters are representations of ways of life and thought of typical Maltese in bygone days. Living in the archetypal Maltese "rahal", these personages live their simple lives and take part in the sometimes comical but always sympathetic situations created by Vella. Victor Vella is a prolific author of dialogues and radioplays, and has published a three book series for teaching Maltese as a second language. He currently teaches English and History in secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia, and also teaches Maltese at the Saturday School for Community Languages. |
EDUCATIONAL/REFERENCE BOOKS
Bejn Zewg Dinjiet/In Between
The Maltese Interactive Picture Dictionary
Voyage Through Time
Maltese-English Dictionary
Maltese-English-Italian Vocabulary
Bejn Zewg Dinjiet/In Between |
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| Author: |
Dr. John P. Portelli Professor of Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Where to purchase: |
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| Type: | Paperback | |
| Review: |
Poetry Book by a Maltese-Canadian Published in Toronto Bejn Zewg Dinjiet/In Between is a collection of poems by John P. Portelli, Professor of Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. The book published by Melita Books (Toronto) and sponsored by the Bank of Valletta p.l.c. Canada Representative Office in Toronto was launched on 19 October during the Bank of Valletta Concert on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Bank of Valletta’s service in North America. The book consists of 55 poems in Maltese (written between 1971 – 2003) and their English translation. Some of the translations were done by Rev. Professor Peter Serracino Inglott , the rest were done by Joe Ruggier, a Maltese poet who lives in Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada. The cover illustration and design were done by Joseph Muscat, a Maltese artist who lives in Toronto. The book includes a short message by Joseph F.X. Zahra, Chairman of the Bank of Valletta Group, and an introduction by Professor Oliver Friggieri of the University of Malta. According to Friggieri, “This collection of Professor Portelli’s poetry is like a spiritual diary of his journey between 1971 – 2003. … All can be encapsulated in the broad theme of Portelli’s faithfulness to and appreciation of his Maltese roots which he has not abandoned … Portelli’s poetry feeds on the unity of all his resources, and from this emanates its current interest.” Portelli came to Canada in 1977 where he pursued graduate studies in philosophy at McGill University, Montreal. Since completing his doctoral work in 1984, he has taught in the faculties of education at McGill University, Dalhousie University, Mount St. Vincent University, and the University of Toronto. Besides his extensive publications in philosophy of education and policy studies, Portelli has published articles on the history of the Maltese in Canada. He is currently writing a book about the Maltese in Canada between 1831-1948. Bejn Zewg Dinjiet/In Between is available from Sapienzas Bookstore in Valletta and from Malta Online Bookshop (http://www.maltaonlinebookshop.com). In Canada the book is available from The Malta Bake Shop and the rectory of St. Paul the Apostle Church. It can also be obtained by e-mailing: jportelli@oise.utoronto.ca Price: $20.00 Net proceeds from the sales of this book will be donated to St. Paul the Apostle Church, Maltese-Canadian Parish in Toronto. Since its inception in 1930, the church has contributed enormously to the religious and social needs of Maltese immigrants. |
Return to Top of Page
| Author: |
Dr. Lydia Sciriha Faculty of Arts University of Malta Msida, Malta
Email: lscir@arts.um.edu.mt |
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| Published by: |
Protea Textware Pty Ltd
P.O. Box 49 Hurtsbridge, Victoria, Australia 3099 |
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| Where to purchase: |
For more information on where you can purchase the dictionary, visit the Protea Textware Web Page.
Maltese dealer: |
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| ISBN: | 0-9587330-0-7 | |
| Type: | CD and Manual |
| Review: |
This multimedia interactive CD is designed for beginners and intermediate levels and is suitable for learners aged 5 to adult. This is a great way to learn the Maltese language for school age children. It is also great for adults who wish to grasp the basics of the Maltese language.
Overview:
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Voyage Through Time |
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| Author: |
Brain J. Abela Chiswick House School Malta |
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| Design: | Kim Oac | |
| Illustrations and cover design: | George Apap | |
| Colour Reprography: | Kamakura Reprographics, Iklin | |
| Printed at: | Colour Image, L-Imgarr | |
| Published by: |
Minima Publishers
tel/fax: 337969 email: minipub@hotmail.com |
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| Pages: | 58 | |
| Rating: | Highly Recommended | |
| Where to purchase: | Contact Minima Publishers by email at minipub@hotmail.com or the author at babela@vol.net.mt | |
| ISBN: | 99909-999-0-2 | |
| About the Author: |
Brian J. Abela was born in Ontario, Canada in 1971. He read history and Political Science at the University of Windsor where he graduated BA in 1992 and completed his P.G.C.E. at the University of Malta in 1994. Of Maltese heritage, Brian Abela currently teaches at Chiswick House School.
Brain Abela wrote this nook to help primary and early secondary pupils develop a greater understanding in the various segments of Maltese History. Vital terms such as "empathy", "the past", "the present" and "primary and secondary sources" are tackled at the onset to aid the student's appreciation of the value of studying history. Pupil interest is encouraged with brief amounts of historical information, while their curiosity is stimulated with interesting activities and research projects. |
| Review: |
The target audience of this book is school-age children age eight and up. The book is divided into six units:
Each unit includes examples, research activities and simple exercises. The book uses large type and is very colourful - kids will love it. This is a great book for school-age children. Parents of Maltese children abroad should definitely get a copy of this educational publication in order that their children may learn about their heritage. |
Dizzjunarju Malti-Ingliz (Maltese-English Dictionary)
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| Author: | Victor Vella |
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| Published and printed by: | Colour Image | |
| ISBN: | 99909-84-05-0 (Dictionary only) | |
| Type: | Paperback (Both publications) | |
| Where to purchase: | Minima Publishers minipub@hotmail.com | |
| Publisher's Notes: | Dizzjunarju Malti-Ingliz and Vokabolarju Malti-Ingliz-Taljan are the brainchild of Fr. Ludovik Schembri OCD. These popular dictionaries have the advantage of being accessible to the student and anyone interested in knowing more about these languages. With over 50,000 entries in both publications, these dictionaries offer definitions which are not excessively technical or purist, and are ideal for retrieving quick definitions. |
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Last Updated: January 21, 2002
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