A LEAF UPON THE SEA: A SMALL SHIP IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. Stead, Gordon, W. 1941-1943, Vancouver. University of British Columbia Press. 1988. 218pp. cloth, $27.95, ISBN 0-7748-0299-5. CIP Grades 9 and up/Ages 14 and up Reviewed by Neil V. Payne Volume 17 Number 3 1989 May The motor launch on which Stead served during World War II was known as the Fairmile in Canada. It was 112 feet long and was used primarily for mines weeping, although it also was used for escort duties. After brief periods operating out of Falmouth (in Cornwall) and Gibralter, the author spent the 1941-1943 period in Malta. Malta was the only allied territory in the Mediterranean between Gibralter and Egypt. A Leaf Upon the Sea recounts the many operations in the vicinity of Malta and along the North African coast carried out by the author and the important role played in assisting the invasion of Sicily by allied troops. It is a very personal account, which portrays the wider war as a background to his experiences. This is an interesting book that reads easily and is well illustrated with pictures and maps. It will be of interest to military buffs, but would not capture the interest of the more general reader. Recommended for large public libraries and collections that specialize in World War II history. Neil V. Payne, Kingston C.V.I, Kingston, Ont.