This book provides important details of the tactics, weaponry and methods used by Australian aborigines during early settler confrontation – now referred to as the Frontier Wars. It is difficult, to obtain books on this subject, especially that are still in print. The author, has given pre-eminence to as many first nations voices as he could locate from 19th century accounts. Thus he analysed and compared over 150 news reports and approximately 200 reminisces from a variety of primary and secondary sources. He has deliberately presented this volume in the style of a guidebook, as there is a lack of easily accessible information on all of these subjects.

The chapters are divided into principal components of military like activity:
Engagements, organisation of Aboriginal battle tactics, strategies, weaponry and defences.

Types of weapons discussed include; different types of spears, clubs (nullas waddies), boomerangs, sword or throwing sticks (paddymelon sticks), stone axes, yam sticks, captured firearms and worked iron, shields.

Importantly, for researchers, a table includes a breakdown of casualties of the major Australian frontier war incidents. Providing the location of the incident, the year, the size of the indigenous force, the size of settler force and the indigenous and settler casualty rates.

The detailed narrative is supported by numerous period illustrations, diagrams etc.

'Destined to be an instant classic' Henry Reynolds