Animal Heroes

Description

In Darwin in 1942, Gunner's barking alerted an entire army base of impending air raids, well before the enemy planes appeared on radar. Following an ambush, Sarbi the explosive detection dog was held captive by the Taliban for over a year, before heading home a hero. And when 135000 horses left Australia for the First World War, why was General Bridges' charger Sandy the only one to return home? Drawing from first-hand sources and interviews with those who were there, Anthony Hill brings to life the loyalty and courage of these animals, and the love their soldiers felt for them. From the donkeys that carried the wounded at Gallipoli to the dolphins that hunted underwater mines in Iraq, these animal heroes are at the heart of some of the most remarkable stories in Australia's military history. This fully revised and updated edition features inspiring true stories of heroism and sacrifice, many of them never told before.

Anthony Hill is a multi-award-winning, bestselling author. His most recent book for adults, The Story of Billy Young, was published in 2012. His novel Soldier Boy, about Australia's youngest known Anzac, was winner of the 2002 NSW Premier's Literary Award for Books for Young Adults. His most recent children's book, Captain Cook's Apprentice, won the 2009 NSW Premier's Young People's History Prize. It follows Soldier Boy, Young Digger and Animal Heroes as further testimony to his remarkable ability to extensively research historical material and, from wide-ranging sources, piece together a moving and exciting story. He is also the author of two novellas, the beautiful Shadow Dog, and the award-winning The Burnt Stick, illustrated by Mark Sofilas, as well as the picture book, Lucy's Cat and the Rainbow Birds, illustrated by Jane Tanner. Anthony lives in Canberra with his wife, Gillian. Their daughter, son-in-law and grand-daughter, Emily, live in Melbourne.