Gallipoli Sniper: The Life of Billy Sing

by John Hamilton

The Anzac battlefield on Gallipoli was made for snipers. Scrub, cliffs, spurs and hills meant that both Anzac and Turkish positions often overlooked one another. The unwary or unlucky were prey to snipers on both sides, and the sudden crack of a gunshot and instant death were an ever-present menace. The most successful and most feared sniper of the Gallipoli campaign was Billy Sing, a Light Horseman from Queensland, who was almost unique among the Australian troops in having a Chinese-born father. A combination of patience, stealth and an amazing eye made him utterly deadly, with the incredible - and horrifying - figure of over 200 credited 'kills'. John Hamilton has written an extraordinary account of a hidden side of the campaign - the snipers' war. Following Sing from his recruitment onwards, Hamilton takes us on a journey into the squalor, dust, blood and heroism of Gallipoli, seen from the unique viewpoint of the sniper. Gallipoli Sniper is a powerful and very different account of war and its effect on those who fight.

Genres: Biography, History, Military Fiction, War, World War I, Nonfiction

340 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Born in England and migrated to Western Australia with his family at the age of eight. He has been a reporter and foreign correspondent for more than 30 years. He was White House Correspondent and Chief Correspondent and European Editor for the Herald and Weekly Times group of newspapers.
He won the Walkley two years in succession and also received the National Press Club Canadian Award of Journalistic Merit.

Reviews

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book is about the life of Billy Sing, there is not much about him as an individual in the book until the last few chapters. Saying that, this is still a really good book filled about the times and happening of the surroundings that Billy Sing lived in, and the author does a really good job in transporting the reader there.

The book focuses mainly on the history of Queensland where Billy Sing grew up and the prejudices that faced the young Anglo Sino boy and how his life must have been growing up in the bush that made him the soldier he was to become on Gallipoli. It also shows the euphoria and patriotism with which the young men from Queensland enlisted in the Light Horse regiments to go and fight the Germans, only to end up in the deserts of Egypt and be taken to the horrors that was the Gallipoli battlefields, and there are many vivid descriptions of what these Anzacs faced each day there for seven months before being withdrawn. And along the way we are introduced to many larger than life characters that was there, most notably Granville Ryrie, who almost features more in the book than Sing himself.

The ending of the book is really sad as after the war Sing went back to Australia and never got his life going again. His war bride from Scotland never joining him after the war, and him suffering from the aftereffects of the war, both physically and mentally and working hard each day just to get by. And then dying alone and in obscurity in 1943. A sad life of a brave, yet flawed hero, but still just an ordinary man doing his bit when called upon.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that will leave you with a heavy feeling in your chest, and it is by no means a celebration of a soldier’s life. It is a work that does not sugar coat the realities of Billy’s war experiences and the illness and loneliness he endured afterward. The author’s skillful use of primary source material greatly supported the writing and although Billy himself isn’t featured as prominently in the book as I was anticipating, the use of his few surviving letters and those of his comrades bring to life their excitement in joining the Light Horse Brigade with their distinctive emu feathered hats, to the uncertainly and abject horrors of the Anzac infantry during the Gallipoli campaign and beyond. The last few chapters describing the end of Billy’s life tore at my heartstrings. Billy Sing is buried in Lutwyche Cemetery, not far from where I live in Brisbane, and now, in the aftermath of finishing this extraordinary book, I am going to pay him a visit and leave him some flowers.

[Angela Mcrae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book looks at a true Australia experience of the turn of the century - the hand to mouth survival and connection to nature, as well as the White Australia Policy and racism.
In particular, the military history story is described in a way that the facts and the 'feeling' are accessible to us in the 21st century.
This is poignant for us as a relative landed with the first wave of men, and only survived a few days until a sniper caught him in the open. He is buried on-site, along with all the Johnnies and Memhets of this bloody campaign.

[Megan Goswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical, bibliographic, gave a lot of context, fascinating read!

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting novel about Billy Sing, the son of a Chinese father and English mother, who went on to be become the bane of the Turkish army at Gallipoli in 1915 with his sniping ability. Hamilton alternates between Sing's particular story and the story of the Australian nation taking shape around him. Hard to believe that Sing isn't more of a household name, like Jacka and Kirkpatrick and others are.

[Peter Metcalfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book with good backgrounding of the subject Billy Sing. Good local Queensland history abounded.

[Кристина · Rating 3 out of 5]

Очаквах повече.

[John Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tragedy of Gallipoli is brought to life with this extraordinary account of the crack Aussie sniper Billy Sing. The author does not have a lot of direct material although he manages to create a fascinating narrative by utilising a host of related sources. I have read plenty of books on Gallipoli and this one does not fail to disappoint, a different perspective, new insights, this book left me, one again, in awe of the sacrifices our ancestors made on that foreign shore a century ago.
For the new Gallipoli reader this book is very readable since the campaign and events are clearly explained and described by the author. My grandfather was there (10 Btn) and reading this book brought into focus some of the stories he told me when I was young.
Billy had a hell of a time in the battlefields of France and a long lonely struggle after coming home. A moving story, well written and interesting.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows a part of Australian history that has not been told loudly enough. It takes the story of a "talented" man and follows through to his death. The remarkable thing here is that Billy Sing even was allowed to enter the AIF, yet, makes a significant impact upon the area he worked in.

This is a historical document and if you are into the detail it will suit you. The narrative is easy to follow and the author takes you along on the discovery of the job, skills and dangers of being a sniper.


This is an area of Gallipoli history that is not widely known, and worth the read.

[Colleen O'grady]

A very interesting but sad tale of a young man caught in a war and whose excellent rifle expertise forced him into killing men to save the lives of his mates. Maybe one day I might be able to get to the cemetery to see his grave and lay some flowers of rememberance

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is suppose to be a biography, but there is only a few facts about Billy Sing himself. The majority of the book is a description of what it would have been like for Sing, based on the lives of other men and general historical info.

[Mitchell Hoare · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talks a lot about the gallipoli war and about Billy Sing this book is very intreging.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good account of a previously unknown war hero. Well worth reading.

[Beau Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A definite must for anyone interested in ANZAC history. It is disappointing that such an unsung hero has been obscured by history.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly researched and worthwhile read. I take my hat off to Billy Sing and what he courageously did for his comrades and country.

[Mark Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and full of facts

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a great job of looking at the life of William Sing. This book covers his younger years until his death and shows the many hardships he endured in his life.