'The true story of Horrie the Wog-Dog who was adopted by the Australian Signal Platoon of the M/G Battalion, in spite of all rules against keeping pets, and how Horrie not only won his stripes as a valuable addition to the group but had the further distinction of being smuggled into Australia on their return. The Wog-Dog was sneaked into Greece, went through the evacuation, carried messages as well as proving a dependable warning against air attacks. He went to Syria and Palestine, never learning to tolerate Arabs - he suffered cold and sickness, he fell in love with Ishmi, he was bombed off his ship and he never once was found during all necessary cover-up travelling. A story for all dog lovers, in spite of heavy Australian slang and style, of a dinkum Aussie who was kept, protected and loved by dinkum Aussies. Sentimentality over canines seldom misses fire.' - Kirkus Review (USA)

Horrie, the Egyptian Terrier, found as a starving pup in the harsh Libyan Desert, became the much-loved mascot of the First Australian Machine Gun Battalion in World War 11. Yet he was no ordinary symbol, and the Gunners' love for him was not mere affection for a pet. It was in return for Horrie saving the lives of every member of the thousand strong contingent, not once but several times in the Middle East. His exceptional hearing picked up the whine of enemy aircraft two minutes before human ears. Horrie's ritual of sitting, growling, barking and then leading the dash for trenches, had the Gunners running for cover before their camp was strafed and bombed. He was adopted by the 'Rebels,' a small group of Signallers, who secretly carried him through battle zones of Libya, Egypt, Palestine (Israel) and Syria. Horrie was smuggled into Australia after a harrowing boat trip home early in 1942, when the Battalion returned to face the threat from marauding Japanese Forces. The dog stayed with the family of his 'Master' Private Jim Moody, who went off to fight the enemy in New Guinea. When he came back in 1945, Moody brought Horrie out of hiding to help raise money for the Red Cross. Quarantine pounced and condemned the dog to death. Moody and the Rebels were shocked. They and a thousand others owed their existence to Horrie. Now they were being ordered to submit the dog, who was fit and disease-free, for extermination. How could Moody and Rebels beat the bureaucracy when defying the authorities would mean jail for them, and Horrie being caught and killed? Could they create a scheme to save him as they had in carrying the dog everywhere with them in the North African and Middle East Campaigns? Or was Horrie, the Gunner's hero, to be condemned to canine martyrdom? The answers are in HORRIE THE WAR DOG, a true tale of intrigue and illusion; a story of sacrifice, courage and loyalty in the finest ANZAC tradition.

Creforce - the Anzacs and the Battle of Crete is the dramatic story of the second Anzacs and their role in one of the biggest battles in the military history of Australia, New Zealand and its Allied forces during World War II.The book is written for children 10 and up and explores the real-life `adventures' and misadventures of more than 14,500 young Australian and New Zealand soldiers who were sent to the Greek island of Crete - famous for myths, minotaurs and labyrinths - under the second formation of the Anzac Corps, to help defend it against Nazi Germany. The book includes never-before-told, first-hand accounts of those that lived through the battle, and weaves in the stories of real-life characters including Roald Dahl, the famous British novelist Roald Dahl, Horrie the Wog Dog, the little terrier who became an unofficial mascot, Charles Upham, known as the Lion of Crete, an educated sheep farmer turned valuer from New Zealand who was single-minded, perservering, swore a lot and hated injustice and the people of Crete who have been likened in the book to Ned Kelly for their outlaw-style tactics as part of the Cretan resistance. The most notable Cretan is the Cretan Runner George Psychoundakis, an uneducated, poor, young shepherd who became a decorated war hero for aiding British soldiers including author, scholar Patrick Leigh Fermor who has been described as a cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond.The book is on the Victorian and NSW Premier's Reading Challenge lists. It is only available for purchase at stelitsahome.bigcartel.com