---
product_id: 48646084
title: "OPERATION HERKULES ( The Malta Fulcrum WW2 Alternate History Series Book 1 ) Paperback – December 27, 2011"
brand: "scott ward"
price: "175 zł"
currency: PLN
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.pl/products/48646084-operation-herkules-the-malta-fulcrum-ww2-alternate-history-series-book
store_origin: PL
region: Poland
---

# OPERATION HERKULES ( The Malta Fulcrum WW2 Alternate History Series Book 1 ) Paperback – December 27, 2011

**Brand:** scott ward
**Price:** 175 zł
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** OPERATION HERKULES ( The Malta Fulcrum WW2 Alternate History Series Book 1 ) Paperback – December 27, 2011 by scott ward
- **How much does it cost?** 175 zł with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pl](https://www.desertcart.pl/products/48646084-operation-herkules-the-malta-fulcrum-ww2-alternate-history-series-book)

## Best For

- scott ward enthusiasts

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## Description

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Very detailed and exciting battle scenes.
  

*by A***Y on Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2019*

Scott Ward has labored long and hard to produce a tale for us.  The fictitious 1942 battle for Malta comes across as a very plausible event.  He takes time to set up the conclusion, which goes on for a very long time.  He clearly knows the weaknesses of all kinds of aircraft as well as their strong points.  When he has large scale air attacks on British ships, as an example, he had the various sorts of Italian and German aircraft acting in a realistic way, doing what the doctrine for the time called for.  And we can say the same for the British ships.  Even the disastrous choices of the British admirals ring true to life.  He describes heroic action for all nations and occasional vile actions as well, but never out of time and place.  We are dealing with Nazis here.  This is a nice long book too.  He loads detail upon detail as the battle unfolds.  He takes his time to entertain us.  Too often we get a good story that ends abruptly, leaving us unsatisfied.  My only complaint would be the multitude of characters which leave us without a deep connection to any particular one.  This might well be due to the wide scope of the book.  He does take time to introduce us to characters so we understand who they are and how they come to be where they are at the time of the battle.  But then they die.  And the many interesting survivors have too little depth for my taste.  Take that as a quibble.  He wanted to write a big book about a big event involving a lot of moving parts.  In fairness, if he had wanted to write an intimate book about only a few characters in a desperate battle, he would have done just that.  Realism, believe-ability and careful scholarship make this novel worthy of the attention of alternative history fans.  The action scenes are extremely well done.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    A brisk read for 600 plus pages (Spoiler alert, from parts of this review)
  

*by A***A on Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2012*

Being unfamiliar with the genre of alternative history, I didn't know quite what to expect.To call it fiction, although it is alternate history, would be a misnomer. The book reads as if it is a research based account of real battles that could have happened during WWII.  The premise hinges on the idea that if the Allies lost Malta, then the Mediterranean World would've fallen into the hands of the Axis and swinging the war heavily to the side of the Nazis.To me, the book had three distinct parts: the ground battle on Malta, the air battle near Malta, and the naval battle approaching Malta.The ground battle featured Major Kuno Schacht. Perhaps, Schacht is the perfect soldier: cool under pressure, strategic and shrewd, thinking two steps ahead of the enemy, and a pretty good fighter when it comes down to it in the trenches. You can't help but admire, or dare I say it, like this Nazi, who nearly, by himself ensured that the Axis invasion of Malta was successful. I had mixed feelings for Schacht, as I would've liked to have seen him killed as he escaped numerous brushes with death.  He was so dynamic for the Axis, but the humanization of his character, made me pull for him as well. Schacht was a father, who worried about his children following in his footsteps.  He felt the sting of physical pain, and he was a dutiful soldier just following orders.The air battles were peppered in throughout the entire story.  The narrative put you right into the cockpit of a British Spitfire, with the dogfights between the German and British sides being quite memorable. You end up admiring both sides for their skill and their dedication duty, regardless of which side you were pulling for.The naval battles, featuring a British convoy leaving Gibraltar, in my opinion was the greatest part of the book. The details and history of the ships, how the crew operated the different parts of the aircraft carrier, battleships, and cruisers was educating as well as riveting. The convoy was sent to lend naval support to Malta as they encountered opposition by air and by sea. This trek along the Mediterranean was the most tense part of the book for me, as it was the Allies' Hail Mary pass to turn the tide back to the British forces on Malta. I simply had no idea what a naval battle would look like, sound like, or be like, but that was all put to bed, as the naval battles were painted perfectly.Operation Herkules is a fantastic book. Beyond the mortars, bombs, and bullets, the book humanizes the players in the battles, through wit, charm, and even love. It evokes strong emotions, as you pull for the British forces, knowing they will fall, yet you keep reading. That is what makes good storytelling--when you know what is going to happen and you want to find out how it happened anyways.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    WARD SHOULD BE COMMENDED!
  

*by X***A on Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2016*

Mr. Ward should be commended for developing an account of alternated history that is based on factual and accurate data.  He's gone to great length to make his characters real and imaginable in settings that illustrate his in-depth research into the landscape of geographical backgrounds, from the defensive positions on the island of Malta to the armored vehicles dating back over half a century, to vintage aircraft and ships, from merchant ships, tankers, to destroyers, cruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers.  To the options those is command wrestled with in making their decisions that would have grave and longer-lasting consequences, to the common soldiers, sailors and airman who would be ordered to fulfill those orders.  Also hopefully Mr. Ward will not pull a R.E. Thomas, Jack Strain or William Stroock where he provides his audience two works of a trilogy and then first months pass, then years and still no third work of the so-called "trilogy"!

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*Product available on Desertcart Poland*
*Store origin: PL*
*Last updated: 2026-01-22*