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Author Charles Gauci is well known for his books on the genealogy and heraldry of the nobility in Malta. He has also written two textbooks on interventional pain therapy, one of which (now in its third edition and translated into both Korean and Spanish) has become a worldwide reference book.

In his latest publication, Of Maltese Generals and Admirals, Gauci writes about men of Maltese lineage who have, over the years, achieved the actual or effective rank of general or admiral in the armed forces of foreign powers or of Malta itself.

In the book, Gauci first looks at generals in the armies of Wallachia, Hungary, Poland and Bavaria. Tales are told of how a Maltese mercenary took command of the army of his adopted homeland, leading them to victory against the Turks and being elected sovereign prince.

The author also relates the story of the two native Maltese generals who led the 1798 insurrection against the French, before going on to focus on Maltese generals in the army of the British Empire.

In this book, Gauci considers, in some detail, the honorary rank of brigadier general that is conferred upon the bishops of Malta by the British government, explaining how Mgr Michael Gonzi was ‘promoted’ to the rank of major general.

A number of interesting facts and anecdotes are revealed in this book, not least the fact that the Duke of Edinburgh boasts Maltese ancestry and so, consequently, will all the future kings and queens of England.

Turning his attention to admirals, the author relates the tales of sailors in the navies of Argentina, the Napoleonic kingdom of Naples and the British Royal Navy.

Gauci relates a number of interesting tales, such as how a sailor from Senglea became a revered national hero in Argentina and how a Maltese sailor, who was instrumental in convincing General Bonaparte to capture Malta, was later made a Neapolitan baron.

The rank of brigadier general in the British army was abolished in 1921, but since brigadiers are, in effect, one-star generals, the author includes a detailed appendix covering all Maltese officers who reached that rank in the British Army, the Malta Land Force and in the Armed Forces of Malta.

This section includes the biography of a brigadier who went on to become the only Maltese Colonel Commandant of the Royal Marines Association.

The author also sets the record straight about the commander of the Maltese National Guard (under the French), who is sometimes erroneously referred to as a brigadier, but who held the equivalent rank of colonel in the French revolutionary army.

The author traces the steps involved in the formation of the Armed Forces of Malta from the Malta Land Force, which had its roots in the Royal Malta Artillery, a proud regiment in the British Army. Comprehensive biographical notes are provided for all the brigadiers who took command of the Maltese armed forces.

The book carries a foreword by the current AFM commander, Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi.

Of Maltese Generals and Admirals is published by Midsea Books Ltd.

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