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Bill the Bastard

The story of Australia's greatest war horse

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An epic yarn based on the true story of a great Australian war horse who rode with bravery and valour at Gallipoli, the desert campaigns of Egypt, and Palestine.

Bill was massive. He had power, intelligence and unmatched courage. In performance and character he stood above all the other 200,000 Australian horses sent to the Middle East in the Great War. But as war horses go he had one serious problem. No one could ride him but one man - Major Michael Shanahan. Some even thought Bill took a sneering pleasure in watching would-be riders hit the dust.

Bill the Bastard is the remarkable tale of a bond between a determined trooper and his stoic but cantankerous mount. They fought together. They depended on each other for their survival. And when the chips were down, Bill's heroic efforts and exceptional instincts in battle saved the lives of Shanahan and four of his men.

By September 1918, 'Bill the Bastard' was known by the entire Light Horse force, who used his name not as an insult, but as a term of endearment. Bill had become a legend, a symbol of the courage and unbreakable will of the Anzac mounted force. There was no other horse like Bill the Bastard.

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    • Books+Publishing

      September 3, 2012
      Australia didn’t just send its men to fight in the First World War. Tens of thousands of horses went too. The hardy Walers proved their worth time and again in the difficult campaigns in the Middle East, and the bonds between the light horsemen and their mounts grew strong. In this charming book historian Roland Perry tells the story of one of these horses: the infamous Bill the Bastard. Bill was big, tough and fearless, but would only allow one man to ride him. All the others, even the finest horsemen, were thrown disdainfully from Bill’s back. Perry follows Bill’s story from Australia to Egypt and Gallipoli, where Bill served as a pack horse, to Sinai, Palestine and Syria. He tells of the famous men who crossed Bill’s path, including Banjo Patterson, Harry Chauvel and ‘Bull’ Allenby. Unlike so many war stories, this one has a happy ending. Perry’s blend of historical fact and gripping storytelling will appeal to both military buffs and horse lovers, and will make this a popular Christmas gift for dads and granddads.

      Dave Martus is the manager of Dymocks Neutral Bay in Sydney. He has many years’ experience as a bookseller and buyer in Australia and the UK

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  • English

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