He was a little stray pup the boys of the 1st Australian Machine Gun Battalion saved from the harsh Libyan desert. He became their much-loved mascot and saviour. But what happened to Horrie on his return to Australia? An extraordinarily moving and fascinating story of bravery, mateship and the lengths people will go to to save a friend.

In the harsh Libyan desert during the Second World War, Private Jim Moody, a signaller with the 1st Australian Machine Gun Battalion, found a starving puppy on a sand dune. Moody called the little dog Horrie. Much more than a mascot, Horrie's exceptional hearing picked up the whine of enemy aircraft two minutes before his human counterparts and repeatedly saved the lives of the thousand strong contingent. The Egyptian Terrier's ritual of sitting, barking, then dashing for the trenches, had the gunners running for cover before their camp was attacked and bombed.

Horrie accompanied Moody through the battle zones of the Middle East and far beyond. As the Japanese forces spread across Asia, Moody and his mates joined the fight, smuggling Horrie onto a troop ship and a harrowing journey back to Australia where they thought their little friend would be safe.

At the wars end, Moody brought Horrie out of hiding to raise money for the Red Cross, and the brave little dog's story became widely known. When quarantine officers pounced, demanding the dog be put down there was a huge public outcry. Horrie had saved a thousand lives. How could a cruel bureaucracy heartlessly kill this little four legged hero? Was Horrie, the gunner's hero, condemned to die or could Moody devise a scheme to save him?

In the finest ANZAC tradition, Horrie the War Dog is a story of intrigue and illusion, and of sacrifice, courage and loyalty. Best-selling author, Roland Perry, tells this remarkable true story.

Details: Non-fiction, published 2013.

Format: Soft cover, 352 pages.

Dimensions: 20.8 cm (h) x 13.8 cm (w) x 2.7 cm (d) / 370 grams.