Abdul the Sniper was the pride of the Turkish Army. They named his rifle ''The Mother of Death''. Because, so declared the Ottoman Guard, ''her breech gave birth to bullets which destroy the lives of men''...

Idriess was a trooper with the Light Horse at Gallipoli, all the way to Beersheba, and his diary was published as The Desert Column. Drawing on his military experience, this is one of six manuals written for soldiers and civilians in 1942, when invasion by the Japanese seemed imminent. This volume includes the full story of the duel between Australian sniper Billy Sing and his opposite number, Abdul the Terrible in the trenches at Gallipoli.

A believer in guerrilla warfare in the open spaces of Australia, Mr. Idriess seeks, by thrilling narrative and advice, to teach young men and people of the back country how to use the rifle to the best advantage. To be a guerrilla one has to be a good rifleman - a sniper - acting independently of other troops, clever at camouflage, with keen ears, and with eyes that are observant and sharp. - Newcastle Herald