An extravagant book about museums in Malta, the seventh volume in a series of 12 prestigious books about Malta, has just been published by Miranda Publishers.
The company, the brainchild of Eddie and Tony Aquilina, had started off with the Malta 360 degrees in 1988 and has not looked back.
"We wanted to show things Malta had and should be proud to show off. Our books are a tribute to Malta and Gozo and when the 12 volumes are published, they would be akin to a piece of furniture," Eddie Aquilina said.
"Working on these books has been a real pleasure. It's my passion, but I enjoy it. When I embarked on Underground Malta, little did I know there would be enough to fill two volumes. I would not be surprised if, on publishing the 12th volume of the 360 degrees series we would decide to embark on other projects in the same vein. As the Italian photographer who works with me on these books, Enzo Formica, says, Malta is like an onion, the more you peel the more you discover," Mr Aquilina said.
The new book about museums has pages that spread out two metres with stunning photos of artistic and cultural heritage. Photographs range from private museums, such as the Limestone Heritage, to the aviation and toy museums to Casa Rocca Piccola and the museums run by Heritage Malta.
"The people running these museums have been so helpful. But one, Daniela Cauchi, who works for Heritage Malta, stands out. If everyone who works for public institutions is half as helpful and dedicated, we'd be really tops for service," Mr Aquilina said.
The book was written by Reuben Grima, senior curator of World Heritage sites in Malta.
"In our books, there are between 18 and 26 metres of photographs if you had to put them end to end. As I like to say, a book is for keeps. Anyone receiving one of these books as a gift will treasure it. They are not just coffee table books. They are also a feast for the eyes," he says.
"I just can't resist the temptation to do these books. When one considers that Malta has so much in a concentrated area, it's too much to ignore," he said.
A book about Malta's fortifications will be the next in the series, and Mr Aquilina is working with Stephen Spiteri on that one.
Mr Aquilina said the books would not be published were it not for the companies and agencies that pre-book a number of them. And then there are those who buy them.
"I have clients ranging from fruit and vegetable importers to big companies that buy them to give them as gifts to their clients. Popes, Kings and Queens and foreign prime ministers and presidents have been given such books. I take pride in saying Pope John Paul II, George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev were among those receiving these books," he said.
Mr Aquilina is also working on the idea of producing a much smaller version of the 360 degrees series at a much cheaper price for the tourist market.
"We have managed to retain the quality of the paper and printing throughout this series, and the books are not unaffordable. But we might make a smaller version for a mass market too," he said.