This section of the web page is here to give you my own personal reviews on books and other sniping related
stuff that I have personally read or have experience with. We also have an affiliation with
Amazon.com
so we could link straight to the specific book on the Amazon site. For those of you so inclined to purchase,
just click on the book image on the left. These reviews are personal reviews and may not reflect the same views as what more traditional
book review writers may write, but they are what I personally feel about the book. I also try to relate how relavent the subject matter
is to the topic of sniping.
Click on the above image to search amazon.com for all sniper related books.
The Sniper Anthology: Snipers of the Second World War ~ 10 Authors
This book is a compilation of 10 different histories and/or stories of 10 different snipers during World War 2. Each chapter
is written by a different author about a sniper of their own choosing. It is similar to a compilation of short stories and each
is true to varying degrees. Some of the authors are well known authors that have written other books about snipers and sniping
such as Adrian Gilbert, Dan Mills, Martin Pegler as well as others. Some chapters and authors did a better job of research than
others, or there was just more information available about their specific sniper. Buy overall there were a few stories that
were interesting and new, though if you have read many other books about sniping during this time period, you will have heard
about many of the snipers listed in the book such as Simo Hayha, Vasili Zaitsev, and others. Since each chapter is written by
a different author, they each have a different feel to them and cover their subject in a different level of detail. Overall it
was an interesting book with some new material and if you are interested in sniping during World Ward 2, than this is a good
book to read. If you are looking for an in depth detailed history of the sniping activities during the war, this is probably
not the book for you.
Sniper Pocket Book ~ Frank Fletcher & Rupert Godesen
This little book is a field guide that is designed to fit into the pocket and provide a quick reference for sniping skills.
There are many sections including history, organization, marksmanship, fieldcraft, range-e and some interesting facts thrown
in as well. The book is well written by someone with obvious experience and there are numerous illustrations and images to
help explain the subject matter. The book also comes with a plastic protective cover to help preserve it in foul weather.
The authors are British, which is not a bad thing since the UK sports some of the best snipers in the world. All-in-all the
book provides a good amount of useful information about a wide variety of topics as it relates to snipers. Perhaps it is not
an all-encompassing book that covers all aspects of an operational sniper, but it is a handy reference book to store in your
pocket. We have the books for sale here at Sniper Central and they are also available at http://www.milpkbk.co.uk.
Sniper Elite: The World of a Top Special Forces Marksman ~ Rob Maylor & Robert Macklin
This book is a telling of the military career of Rob Maylor, first with the British Royal Marine Commandos and then with
the Australian SAS. The book is a fast reading first hand account of Rob's career and how he deployed around the world
serving tours in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. Rob went through several different sniper schools in both
the UK and Australia and operated as a sniper on most of those tours. While the book does cover some of the exploits
of his operations as a sniper, there are not a lot of detailed accounts of sniping, but it does give a good overview of how
the modern day sniper is deployed and utilized. Of course things are a bit different in elite units such as the
SAS so the deploying of snipers may be a bit different than conventional units. Overall the book is a good and
easy read and gives another good account of life as a military member today and while
you do not get a lot of details about sniping, there is enough to keep it interesting worth a read.
Sniping in the Great War ~ Martin Pegler
The First World War started nearly 100 years ago and as it moves further from our memories we tend to forget the magnitude of "The War to
End all Wars". Martin Pegler does a very good job reminding us of just how prevalent sniping was during the great war and while historical
records are somewhat lacking and hard to find, he has managed to piece together a good amount of historical information to outline the importance
that sniping had during this war. In the book there is more information as it pertained to the U.K and her allies than that is provided for the
Germans and their allies, but there is still some information on the German sniping program as well. There are many excerpts from the various journals
and books written by the big names in sniping during that time and it is interesting to read about the problems and successes straight from their
own writings. There are not a lot of detailed accounts of sniping stories, but there is enough to keep the book interesting and moving well. I
highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of sniping, especially since WWI is regarded as the start of the modern era
of sniping and many of the tactics, methods and equipment we use now were developed during WWI. Some of those things have evolved since then, but
some of them have not. The book is well documented with many footnotes and while a bit slow at times, as history books can be, it is still worth
the effort and the reader will be well rewarded with a wealth of historical information.
Through the Crosshairs of a Scope ~ Bill Anthony
Well, there are sometimes when I really have to force myself to finish a book. This was one of those times. While the back cover indicates
this book is fiction, it is promoted as being a firsthand account of actual events; of course it has to be marked as fiction because it is
classified. I can honestly say that based off of the countless number of incorrect facts and information and the recounting of impossible
shots, that the book is indeed complete fiction. Unfortunately it is pretty bad fiction. This is the debut book from the author Bill Anthony,
but that does not excuse the very simplistic writing style. It is also obvious that it is a self-published (print on demand) book with the
absence of an editor as there is an extreme amount of grammatical and spellings errors, and this is coming from someone (myself) who will
never claim to be adept at grammar! The accounts of the book supposedly take place from 1964-1966 and are written from the perspective of
one of the members of a 4 man "special ops" team that did such things as insert hundreds of miles by foot to take out a radar station in Russia,
or shoot several soldiers on the other side of the Berlin wall in broad daylight, shoot the pilot of a new Mig-15 from 800 yards, just as the
aircraft is lifting off the runway, with one shot from an 8mm Mauser. etc. I hate to just talk about the negatives of a book, but I had a hard
time finding any good aspects of the book to bring up, even taken as fiction, it was not entertaining. Based on all of the points mentioned,
I cannot recommend this book.
American Sniper ~ Chris Kyle with Scot McEwen and Jim DeFelice
This book has received a lot publicity because of the fact that Chris Kyle is now the most lethal sniper in US Military History with 160 confirmed
and 95+ unconfirmed kills. The book itself is an autobiography and is written from Mr. Kyle's perspective. An interesting part about the book is
that there are paragraphs throughout the book written by his wife Taya and her perspective. The book flows well and while the author covers
enough detail to know what is going on, there are not a lot of explicit details about the engagements, just some basic information about
situations he found himself in. The book is a good look into the mind of some of our elite soldiers who have been in combat nonstop for 10
years now and you can see how the constant stress of combat can affect the psyche. The book covers some back ground history of Chris Kyle and
how he was raised and how he got into the SEALs, etc. Throughout the book you can tell that the author was dedicated and loved God and country
and how that even impacted his marriage. Again, there are not a lot of details about training or even details about equipment used, but a lot
of that is restricted for operational security. At some point down the road it would be very interesting to get the "detailed" version of the
story, but for now this book offers a good look into one of the best of the best and how sometimes it takes as much luck as it does skill to
enter the annals of history. I recommend the book. (Warning: decent amount of ‘military’ language. Not recommended for the young)
Seal Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper ~ Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin
As the title of the book indicates this is the memoir of Howard Wasdin, who was a sniper in the elite Navy SEALs, and more specifically was a
sniper for SEAL Team Six, their top tier counter terrorist team. The book is written in the first person perspective, as you would expect from
a 'memoir' and it is fairly well written and enjoyable to read. You follow the author through his career and learn about his life before the
SEALs as well. There is a decent amount about sniping included, both the good and the bad, the successes and the failures, though you will
not find a lot of details about the sniping, just enough to keep sensitive information secure but it does provide enough detail to understand
what is going on. The author served from the late 80's through the early 2000's where he suffered combat wounds and earned a Silver Star in
Mogadishu, Somalia as part of the "Blackhawk Down" events. There are a few times when the book jumps between a narrative and more journal style
of entries, but it does still flow smooth enough. The book also covers the depression and other personal trials that Mr. Wasdin suffered as a
result of his wounds and stresses but ends with a very positive and uplifting conclusion. I would consider the book more about the experience
and less about the details of a sniper and or life in the SEALs. The book is a good read though not extremely sniper oriented.
Out of Nowhere ~ Martin Pegler
The cover of this book indicates it is a history of the military sniper, from the sharpshooter to Afghanistan and in reality the author does a
pretty good job of it. There is not a lot time spent on the history of the firearms which is a good change from most of the other "history of
sniper" type of books and instead it does offer a lot of individual accounts of various snipers throughout the years, including some unique
quotes and documented experiences from several centuries ago. This aspect of this book made it a good read with enough background information
and history to provide the required knowledge, but not too much to make the book dry. This is the updated version of the book which includes
an additional chapter involving the latest Middle East conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The only real complaint I have is that the author
missed some fairly obvious details about the US equipment used which should of been caught before publishing, though the author and publishing
company are based in the UK which probably explains the errors. Mr. Pegler is also a historian and as such does not himself provide insight to
the life of a sniper but has approached it as a historian, providing an unbiased view, though perhaps missing some of the finer details that
someone with experience may have presented. The progression of the book is nice, covering the major conflicts in the world over the past several
centuries where snipers played a role. Overall this is a good book on the sniper role itself mixed with good personal quotes about the topic from
actual snipers that have served in those conflicts.
Jack Hinson's One-Man War, A Civil War Sniper ~ Tom McKenney
This historical book takes you back to what would be considered the earliest days of sniping. Jack Hinson was a reluctant and older
participant in the Civil war on the South side of the conflict. He wanted to remain neutral but the unfortunate slaying of two of his sons pushed
him to take sides and he took up his one man sniping campaign along the Tennessee River. He is credited with over 30 kills at
ranges in excess of 600 yards. The Author is a retired USMC Lt. Colonel who served in both Korea and Vietnam and is a historian
who did extensive research into the Hinson story. With the author being from the South there did seem to be a certain bias toward
the position of the South, though he does make an effort to present both sides to various events. There is not much detail on techniques or
tactics beyond general conditions, especially for conducting such long range shots with early rifle technology. Lt. Col. McKenney also becomes quite descriptive
and detailed in regards to other things such has personal feelings, smells, sounds, etc. in a way that not even the most detailed journal
would include and those artistic liberties become a bit too much by the end of the book. Overall it does provide a very interesting look into
not only a dramatic and somewhat tragic true story, but also a look into early sniping activities. There is a lot of background and build up
provided before the actual one man war portion of the book begins, but this does provide some good historical information about that time in
American history and in that particular theater of operations.
Sniper: American Single-Shot Warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan ~ Gina Cavallaro and Matt Larsen
This book is another compilation of actual stories from Snipers who have and are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The book is primarily written by Gina Cavallaro and she does a good job of narrating the individual sniper's stories mixed
with their actual words. It is apparent that she has a good amount of experience writing these types of books and articles
and I felt that both the authors did a good job of portraying the stories and snipers. It was not over the top and in some
cases clearly showed the emotion and hardship that snipers and combat soldiers in general have to experience. While you will
probably not learn anything new about snipers or sniper operations during these conflicts, it does provide a good overall
look at sniper operations with both Infantry snipers in line units as well as Special Operations snipers. Not a bad read
at all.
Sniper Rifles: From the 19th to the 21st Century ~ Martin Pegler
Compared to some of the other more in depth books covering the subject of Snipers and Sniper Rifles, this book is a little
light and doesn't go into as much detail as those other books. But it does give a decent overview of the history and
development of the sniper rifle over the years. Because it is not as in-depth it is a pretty quick read and the one
thing I did like about the book is that there are some very nice high quality illustrations in the book that are
original, some of them I would like to have as framed art. There is also a good amount of photos as well to compliment
the text. Even though it is a light covering of the topic I did
pick up one or two tidbits of history I did not know, though there were probably just as many errors and inaccurate
pieces of information as well. Mr. Pegler is from the UK and there is a UK slant to the writing but if you are looking
for a quick read about the history of sniper rifles to include developments in as recent as 2010, it will work and
the price is right.
In The Trenches 1914-1918 ~ Glenn R. Iriam NEW!!
There are not many books written about sniping in World War I but there are a few such as 'A Rifleman Went To War'. This book is the
memoirs of Frank Stanly Iriam who served with the Canadians on the front lines in W.W. I from 1914-1918. Frank spent nearly 4 years in
the trenches operating as a scout, scout section leader and a sniper during that time. It is remarkable to think of spending that
amount of time in some of the most inhumane conditions imaginable including being gassed several times. The book is a very personal
account of his time in combat up until he was severely injured and removed from the front lines toward the end of the war. The account
includes some personal confrontations with superior officers and there are times where you get a decent amount of complaining about
various officers, but for the most part, the book is a good personal account of some intense fighting and trench warfare and it does
provide an insight into how scout and sniping operations occurred during trench warfare, more so on the scouting. The amount of sniping
details is limited, but there is enough to make it a worthwhile read. The books written in first person and are memoirs of Frank, so
there are grammar oddities and other interesting wording that is a result of the period it was written. It has been nearly 100 years
since W.W. I and the "great war" tends to be over shadowed by W.W.II, but this book brings some of the details to light and reminds you
of just how bad the fighting conditions were. It is always amazing to see and hear of the fighting strength of young men that are
fighting for a cause and this book is worth reading if you get the opportunity. This book is not available on Amazon.com as of yet,
but here is a link to where you can purchase a copy
Art Book Bindrey
Red Sniper on the Eastern Front ~ Joseph Pilyushin
Much like the book "Notes of a Russian Sniper" by Vassili Zaitsev, this book is the Memoirs of Joseph Pilyushin who
was a sniper who fought from July of 1941 through Febuary of 1944 up at and around Leningrad. Pilyushin was not one of
the top ranking snipers during the war, though 136 kills is very impressive, but his story is quite compelling and his
writing style is much more personal. He does not actually talk in much detail about the details of the conflicts but
does a good job of portraying the emotions and feelings. Pilyushin was older, 38 years of age, when he went to war so
his perspective is quite a bit different than most memoirs you read. Of course, the great losses he suffered during the
war would also change his outlook on the war; he lost his wife and one of his sons earlier in the war from artillery shelling, and then
lost his other son later in the war, again to the shelling of the city Leningrad. Because of these losses, the accounts are more
personal and emotional but there are still some good accounts of combat and the use of snipers during the battles on the
Eastern front. The translation to English is not bad, but not as good as "Notes of a Russian Sniper". There are a few
notes to help explain things as well as explain some corrections made from the original Russian version of the book that
were inaccurate. All and all, it is a good read without the graphic detail and provides a better insight into the emotional
perspective of an older soldier literally fighting to protect his home town.
Notes of a Russian Sniper ~ Vassili Zaitsev
This book is the one written by the legendary sniper Vassili Zaitsev many years ago and recently republished again.
It was an interesting read from the perspective
of Zaitsev himself and does provide a good account of his personal experiences. The translation was performed by several people
and is very well done and there are a good number of foot notes explaining certain words and nuances of Russian culture that
English speakers may not know. This also included some good information about Soviet military organization that I found helpful.
The writing style from a half century ago is a different style than the war accounts you read now as you do not typically get the
gory details. What you do get is a personal perspective of the Soviet mindset during WWII when their country was being
over run by Germany. Having read several accounts from both sides of the war during the invasion of the Soviet Union, I can say that
Zaitsev seems genuine in his feelings and recounting of his stories. There are some sketchy parts were the details are not
enough to determine how authentic some stories may be, but for the most part it is a good personal account of Zaitsev's
experiences and the experiences of Soviet snipers during the Battle of Stalingrad. As you might imagine, his own personal
telling of his story is nothing like the movie "Enemy at the Gates" and more authentic and believable. For those
looking for more details about the famous 'Duel' might be disappointed as the story is not overly detailed in his telling
of the encounter and you may not learn anything new about it. All in all, I did find the book worth reading and a good learning tool.
Trigger Men: Shadow Team, Spider-Man, the Magnificent Bastards, and the American Combat Sniper ~ Hans Halberstadt
The author, Mr. Halberstadt, has done a pretty good job with this book compiling a series of true stories told
by the people that experienced them. These stories are primarily from a year period in Iraq from several different units. There is also
a few stories from other conflicts prior to Iraq as well as some information about the history of snipers and some details
about the current sniper schools in the USMC and US Army. Over all the author is a bit over the top in terms of "rah rah snipers
are the ultimate soldier" enthusiasm, but it does not detract too much from the down to earth telling of sniper
operations by the actual snipers. It was a pretty good read and it does give a good feeling of how modern day sniper
operations in a built up area go down and for that I recommend it as a good read.
Sniper Ace: From the Eastern Front to Siberia ~ Bruno Sutkus
This is not a typical book written by an accomplished author but rather more like a summary of the authors own
sniper log book during WWII. The first half of the book covers Bruno Sutkus' fairly short but active combat
time on the Eastern Front as a sniper. There is some information about the German Sniper school and other
very interesting historical information about the German Sniper program during the war. It does read like a
log book and actually has many log entries from his 209 confirmed kills including many photos from his log
book as well as letters and commendations. For these reasons the book is worth reading, though it is a bit slow in
the 2nd half of the book which covers his time spent in
Siberia after the war and up until he finally gets back to his native land. I did find some parts of the book
a bit troubling
about his involvement as part of the Hitler Youth organization and the fact that it does not appear that he recognizes
any wrong doing on the part of Germany during WWII, but there are not many comments about these subjects and if the book
is treated
as a soldier's After Action Report (AAR), it does have some good information.
Silent Warrior: The Marine Sniper's Vietnam Story Continues ~ Charles Henderson
This book is an add on to the the book that introduced the world to Carlos Hathcock, Marine Sniper, way back
in the mid 1980's. This book contains much of the several hundred pages that were removed from the original
manuscript of the Marine Sniper book as well as some additional information from the later years of Gunny
Hathcock's life and I especially enjoyed the additional chapter on John Burke as well, it was well worth it.
It was also nice to get some more information and details about some of the events but there is
a decent amount of "literary license" where Mr Henderson filled in what various people may have been thinking
or doing, including Gunny Hathcock at the end of his life. He admits in his forward that he had done so, so
it is not a huge deal. The book is fairly scattered and covers a broad amount of events and I would not
recommend this book until after you have read the original. Preferably this one right after the first.
It is a pretty good addendum to the original and does provide some further insight into the legendary Marine
and Sniper.
Long Rifle: A Sniper's Story in Iraq and Afghanistan ~ Joe LeBleu
Well, this was a fairly interesting book but I did not find it as enjoyable as others on the subject
and certainly not very in depth. It tended to be a shallow covering of a sniper's (LeBleu) experience in Iraq and
a very brief mentioning of a little of LeBleu's experiences from a tour in Afghanistan. Neither experience
was very intriguing or many details covered and the author seemed quite "confident" in his decisions and
knowledge on various non sniping subject matters including politics. The read was fine, just not one I particularly enjoyed
compared to other offerings from other authors in the same type of situations. There are not many sniping
details covered so the read is more of a personal opinion type of book from the first person perspective. Enjoy
it for what it is, just don't expect a detailed telling of sniping engagements and be prepared to wade through
a lot of opinions on various subject matters.
Sniper One: On Scope and under Siege with a Sniper Team in Iraq ~ Sgt. Dan Mills
Wow! This has been one of the most enjoyable books to read on the subject of sniping in Iraq. Sgt. Mills
was a Platoon Sgt in charge of a Sniper Platoon in the U.K. military (1st Battalion, Prince of Wales Regiment),
over in Iraq in 2004. Sgt. Mills has a good writing style which makes it easy to read but what makes the
book so good is the descriptions of the way of life of the modern sniper and
soldier during combat. It is also an
excellent illustration of how the modern day sniper integrates and operates with an infantry battalion.
There are many times when the snipers are on patrol with standard battle rifles, SA80's in this case,
and operating in a infantryman role, and then other times they have their sniper rifles, L96A1's,
operating in a traditional sniper role. I think this is far more common then perhaps sniper teams would
like to admit but shows the true versatility of the modern sniper. There are some very good stories
and incidents in the book and you find yourself caught up in the same emotions as the participants.
All in all, a great choice for a good read without much political thoughts... just soldiers doing their
duty the best that they can.
Backshot: Starfist: Force Recon, Book 1 ~ David Sherman & Dan Cragg
This book is a little different from what we typically read and review for this page in that it is a
science fiction novel. Looking for an easy Sci-Fi read I picked up this book because of the military
theme and hoping to find a good series to read in the future. It turns out this book, number one in what
appears to be a long series, has a very heavy
sniping theme, based several hundred years in the future. I liked the authors' ideas on the future of
military and infantry technology, especially in regards to Force Recon as well as sniping and how it
would still play an integral role on the battlefield. It is a fun read that has sniping elements, and
for that it was exactly what I was looking for in this type of book. Both the authors are ex-military
so they get the protocol right as well as some of the inter service rivalries and those feelings. All
in all, a good sci-fi read if that is what you are looking for.
Ronin: A Marine Scout/Sniper Platoon in Iraq ~ Mike Tucker
Ronin, unfortunately, is a true tale of a sniper platoon in the USMC that fell under the command of a
commander who did not know how to properly utilize his Scout Sniper platoon. The author, Mr. Mike Tucker,
was attached to this sniper platoon for about a 6-7 month time period and he relays interview information
in the book. It is written in an odd format with most of the book composing of various interviews and
after a while you get the feeling it is almost like a gripe session. But it appears (remembering that
every story has two sides of which we only hear one side in this book) that it was justified frustration.
There is not a lot of actual sniping experiences relayed in the book but it does outline and show the
problems that can develop when a commander does not know how to properly utilize snipers and scouts and
what will happen if soldiers loose trust in their commanders. If you are looking for a book with sniping
experiences in it, this book is not for you, if you are interested in examining the various psychological
effects of stress induced on combatants and the failure of leadership and the troops
working together, this book offers a lot of insight.
Hogs in the Shadows: Combat Stories from Marine Snipers in Iraq ~ Milo S. Afong
I will have to say that I was quite impressed with this book. Sgt. Afong did a very good job relating
a good all around assortment of stories of combat snipers over in Iraq. What possibly made the book
so good is that the author, Sgt. Afong, served as a Sniper over in Iraq which allows him to tell the
story in a different manner than the typical author who only interviews those that were there. Though
Sgt Afong was there and writes the book, there was only a single fairly simple
chapter relating to his story. The rest of the chapters were personal accounts about various other
Snipers that served within the USMC in the same areas during 2004-2005. There are possibly a few over the top
hurrah moments in the story telling but for the most part it is down to earth and there are some good
tidbits to be gained from reading the book in regards to sniping in the sort
of environment snipers find themselves in over in Iraq. Sgt. Afong has a straight forward writing style
that is easy to read and as a whole the book was a nice change of pace
from some of the self promoting or profiteering combat story telling that has become popular today.
Sniper, A History of the US Marksman ~ Martin Pegler
Well, perhaps a more appropriate title for the book might just be "A History of the US Marksman" as there
is more history about the early development of the rifle and its use in combat than there really is about
Sniping and/or Snipers. Perhaps it is just because I have read so many books about sniping that I have
just read about the history of the musket and rifle development too many times and it has grown old, but I would probably
prefer to see this information left out of books supposedly about the history of sniping. The development
of the ball and cap just is not entirely relevant to the history of US Sniping. Descriptions of equipment
used by the early marksman is one thing, but a full dissertation about the development of the various
ignition systems is a bit out of place in a book titled "Sniper", I would prefer to have read more
history about the marksmen themselves and training. Still, there is some good information about some of
the various conflicts that US Snipers were involved in, there was just not as much detail and information
as there was about the development and history of the rifle.
13 Cent Killers, The 5th Marine Snipers in Vietnam ~ John J. Culbertson
This book is written by a 5th Marine Sniper veteran from Vietnam which is both good and bad. The good part
is that it is coming from someone who was there and is the real deal, and for that alone the book is probably worth reading.
But I will be honest and say that the book is more a culmination of unrelated short stories, or experiences, of the
5th Marine Snipers in late 1966 and early 1967, and is not a historical account. It can be difficult
to follow as the stories are not necessarily in chronological order and typically do not relate to each other
from one chapter to the next. The writing is not the greatest as there are a few too many "... the enemy's
head exploded like a smashed pumpkin" references as well as some odd inconsistencies like referring to the
173gr bullet and then in another chapter referring to it as a 168gr bullet, without any sort of explaining
of why they may have been using 168's (I don't believe they ever did). Beyond that, the separate stories/chapters
are good for giving an account of what it was like to be a combat sniper on the Vietnam battlefield and
Mr. Culbertson certainly deserves credit for sharing the experiences of the 5th Marine Snipers, and for that, despite
the books shortcomings, it is worth the read.
Illustrated Manual of Sniper Skills ~ Mark Spicer
I will say right off the bat that I really enjoyed this book. Mark Spicer is an experienced sniper with
the UK military and this book itself is different in that it is not the same sniping manual that you see
now a days, but instead it is a book outlining things learned from both good schools as well as real world
experience. The subject matter is more along the lines of advanced knowledge and covers some very good topics.
I especially appreciated the section about mountain sniping since I am here in Western Montana and I
have already tried several of the ideas mentioned in the book that are not typically taught in any of the US schools.
A lot of the mountain section comes from the German Alpine Sniper school that Spicer attended. The other
wonderful part about the book is the photos, there are a lot, and they are very good. Real world photos as
well as training. With the author being from the UK, there is a European influence to the book which
again is nice to have a different perspective on things. All and all, I recommend this book.
Snipers: Stalkers and Shooters - A History of Snipers ~ Kevin Dockery
This book is a different read than your typical book about sniping, as the first half of
the book takes you through the very early development
of sniping tactics starting with the Long Bow in the medieval period up through modern sniping in Iraq
and the history of Law Enforcement sniping. The second half of the book is personal biographies of
some current military and law enforcement snipers written by their own hand, as well as a few industry
professionals. The historical part was interesting but it seemed to have more details and information
on the very old weapons and tactics then it did with the development of the modern day sniper and
tactics today. There were a few things that were not quite right but for the most part it did have
a good amount of little facts you don't see in most of the other books. The Biographies were okay,
especially the military ones, though some of them drug on a bit and were perhaps a bit repetitive.
Overall the book did offer some interesting facts I did not know before and the biographies, while
seeming a bit out of place and almost like a separate book, offers some personal connection to the
snipers themselves as men.
Octopussy and The Living Daylights ~ Ian Fleming
We all know who James Bond is from the movies, but the reality is the original books written by
Ian Fleming are considerably more realistic and in my opinion more enjoyable. This was actually the
first of the James Bond books I have read and I now plan to read more. The reason I read this book
was because I heard that "The Living Daylights" was about sniping and worth the read.
This book is actually a compilation
of 4 short stories about James Bond, of which "The Living Daylights" is the one we care about, though
the other three are good as well. If you recall the movie of the same title, there is a scene when
007 uses a Walther WA2000, the entire story is about the preparation of and the taking of that
particular shot taken in the movie.
The details of the sniping incident are fairly accurate, though there are some tactical flaws in
Bonds sniping techniques. It is apparent that Ian Fleming did some good research leading up to the
writing of this story, but back in the late 50's and early 1960's the tactics were not as developed
as they are today and Mr. Fleming missed a few obvious flaws, but still it is an entertaining read and nice
to see an entire short story dedicated sniping. I enjoyed it.
Snipers: Profiles of the World's Deadlist Killers ~ Craig Cabell and Richard Brown
This book takes a different look at snipers and sniping. While there is a brief history of sniping
and some facts and tidbits sprinkled throughout the book, it really focuses on a few historical snipers
and their shots. The book is written by two authors that really have no experience in sniping and it
shows in various spots with some of their comments and opinions, and in some places it does distract
from the book as there are some things that are just way off base. But it is a different take from the
standard sniper book that seems to be rubber stamped into publication as of late. It has no real info
about tactics or techniques and a brief and not very detailed section about equipment, but that
was not the focus of the book. If you would like to read about some interesting historical snipers,
good and bad, and some 3rd party insight into what "might" have happened in cases like the JFK
assassination, then this book is worth the read.
Sniper on the Eastern Front ~ Albrecht Wacker
This book also bears the title "The Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger". Sepp is a fictional name given to an
actual sniper to protect his identity. The book is the Memoirs of Sepp who joined as a young man
just in time to be a part of the German withdrawal from Russia and up to its defeat in Germany.
He became a sniper soon after he joined and survived the remainder of the war becoming the 2nd highest
scoring sniper in his Theater of operation and was awarded the Knights Cross. The book
is an okay read with a few good and interesting photos, but there is a lot of focus on the brutality
of the Russians during the war with numerous accounts of prisoner brutality, though only minor mention
of the German's equally brutal treatment of captured Russians. The insight and recounts of the battles
are interesting especially to see how a sniper operated in a war of losing ground. But the frequent
and very descriptive telling of gruesome scenes detracts some from the book. Yes, tell how the soldier caught
a snipers bullet in the head, but do we really need to know the details of how the skull shattered and
where all of the fleshy tissue ended up? What otherwise is a very unique story and experience worth
telling of an Eastern Front sniper is sidetracked by unnecessary gruesome details of little importance.
A Rifleman Went to War ~ H.W. McBride
Henry McBride is one of the forefathers to modern sniping in the US Military. This book is a
real treat and a book that everyone with military interest should read. It is a first hand
account of his own experiences during W.W.I. Henry did not think the USA was getting into
the war fast enough so he went North in 1915 to join the Canadians and headed over to France.
The book is an enjoyable read and written in a free spirited manner that I enjoyed. H.W. is
not overly dramatic or over zealous in his recounts of the war, he just matter-of-factly
explains how it was. It is quite amazing how much of what he says is still true nearly 100
years later. H.W. was mostly a machine gunner during his two years of fighting in the war
but he did operate as a sniper for several months during trench warfare, and there are a
few chapters about it. His big agenda for the book is to emphasize the importance of rifle
marksmanship and the individual infantryman, and yes, that is still the same 90+ years later.
One Shot - One Kill ~ Charles W. Sasser and Craig Roberts
This book has been around for a while and includes many real accounts about combat sniping
as told by the men pulling the trigger. There are stories from many of the major conflicts
in the past 75 years and overall is a good read. It may not be overly great reading and
some of the facts may be sketchy based on memory, but the various stories do provide a
good overall view of combat sniping.
Spirit of a Sniper ~ Bill Russell
This book is an interesting and entertaining read. The book is published in limited
release and is available via direct contact. The book is based on the actual events
of a South African sniper in WWII, as written by the subject himself. It is a bit
odd in that it is written in the third person, which makes it read more like a novel
than historical non-fiction. It is obvious in spots that some content was created
to fill in the story, and it may be hard to determine fact from fiction. But that
does not detract too much from the book itself. The book is interesting in both
its sniping content, which is detailed and appears mostly accurate, and in the
history of the South African military involvement in the various African and
European campaigns. The Zulu influences are strong throughout the book,
but not too much to cause a major distraction and it does offer additional insight to the
culture of South Africa. I enjoyed learning about another part of the world and
how they employed their snipers, even if history was enhanced by literary freedoms.
If you are interested in reading it, you can contact Hendrik van der Schyff via
email to order a copy, currently its
$15 USD.
Sniping Pamphlet No.28
Nigel Greenaway is reproducing this excellent sniper manual used by U.K. snipers. Its an
excellent reprint of the 1946 No. 28 Pamphlet (U.K. military manual). There is a lot of
information contained within the manual, and while its not nearly as in-depth or as long
as FM23-10, it still contains a large amount of useful data. The information is more of a
practical field nature, not so much of a technical nature. I found the tidbits and pointers
that are in the manual are still very much useful today. There is more information about
field craft then marksmanship, but that has always meen the specialty of the U.K. snipers.
I found the manual excellent, and a valued addition to any library for both its historic
value, and the information contained within. The cost is $25 USD or £15 sterling (cash only).
Email Nigel Greenaway if interested in
purchasing the manual.
White Feather ~ Roy and Norm Chandler
When I first heard about the new book about Carlos Hathcock several years ago, I feared that
it would be a direct slam against the book by Charles Hendserson, I have been pleasantly surprised,
as there is even a section in this book that praises the book by Henderson, very classy. This
book is very in depth look into the life of the late Carlos Hathcock II, not just his war time
exploits, but his entire life, including such things as his successful competition shooting and
many other accomplishments. There are a lot of photos and copies of historical documents. This
book is a great historical source of information and I strongly recommend it. Click on the image
of the book to be taken to the Iron Brigade Armory site to purchase the book.
Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills ~ Charles Henderson, E. J. Land
This is the book that starts the interest for most people. It is about Carlos Hathcock,
mostly about his exploits in Vietnam, but also with some insite into his childhood and post
war experiences. Its great reading, and it makes you appreciate just exactly how much Gunny
Hathcock did. The book is highly recommended.
Sniper One on One : The World of Combat Sniping ~ Adrian Gilbert
This series of books by Adrian Gilbert are a very good look into sniping, and its history.
There is no actual tactics or how to information involved, its more about the actual use
of sniping and their historical role in combat. Very very interesting reading.
Stalk and Kill : The Sniper Experience ~ Adrian Gilbert
Another book in the series by Adrian Gilbert. This one is focused more toward the actual
experiences of the sniper, in a wide variety of conflicts. Once again it is more of a
history book, but not a historical reference. He gathers a lot of first hand accounts
and presents it in a tasteful way.
Sniper : The Skills, the Weapons, and the Experiences ~ Adrian Gilbert
This book goes more into the the technical side of sniping, and the developement history of
the training, equipment, and tactics of sniping. It also goes into the impact of modern
eletronics and other devices on sniping. This series of books by Adrian Gilbert covers about
all the aspects of sniping, and does a pretty good job.
The Ultimate Sniper : An Advanced Training Manual for Military and Police Snipers ~ John L. Plaster
This is one of the more popular technical manual, and it has a ton of information. The book
takes you from ground zero and works from there. It covers most of the aspects about being
a sniper, from choosing your weapon, to ballistics, to special sniping applications. I personally
think the book has a lot of fluff, but makes a good beginners manual.
Sniper Training : Fm 23-10
Well, here it is in all its glory. This is the Field Manual that the US Army uses for its
training. Since I am US Army trained, I'm very framiliar with this book, and it covers all
the aspects of sniper training.
The Army (at least instructors at the Sniper School) has come out with an adendum about sniper
employment, but I doubt its included with the copy you buy from amazon. Keep in mind that
this is an Army field manual, it is not written for the general public, so its not a good
"reading" book. Its just stuffed full of useful info.
U.S. Army Special Operations Target Interdiction Course : Sniper Training and Employment
Well, here is the "other" army sniper training manual. The Special Operations Target Interdiction
Course (SOTIC) has actually been around longer then the standard US Army sniper school. Once
again, this is a US Army training manual, and isn't the best "reading" but its packed full
of info.
U. S. Marine Corps Scout/Sniper Training Manual
This is a collection of lesson outlines that are used to teach the blocks or instruction
at the USMC scout/sniper school. The information is dated (I believe 1979) and is in
a odd format (that of a lesson outline). There is some valuable information, but it
takes some digging in a clumsy format to retrieve, never the less, it is there. Obviously
some of the equipment covered is no longer in use, like the redfield scopes.
U.S. Marine Corps Scout-Sniper : World War II and Korea ~ Peter R. Senich
Peter Senich is one of the big name history guys when it comes to sniping. His books are loaded
with historical pics and copies of documents. The books are purely historical reference, and
contain very little narrative or discriptions, but that is what the books are suppose to be.
This one is about the USMC sniper program and equipment during WWII and Korea.
German Sniper : 1914-1945 ~ Peter R. Senich
Here is another of Peter Senich's books, this one deals with the German snipers during both
the World Wars. Contains a whole ton of pics of all the german rifles and optics used during
that time period. Its a must of those history buffs out there.
The Master Sniper and Point of Impact ~ Stephen Hunter
Okay, well, they are novels, they are about sniping, and they are entertaining reading.
Don't take them much beyond that. Not everything is accurate, but they do a better job
then most movies out there. Enjoy the books for what they are.
The War of the Rats ~ David L. Robbins
This book is historical fiction about the legendary sniper duel between Zaitsev and
Thorwald during the battle of Stalingrad. There is a love story mixed in, which
kind of hurts the overall story of the book, but the book has a lot of historical
accuracy mixed with fiction, and offers some good entertainment along with historical
data that allows you to learn some history at the same time.
Dead Center ~ Ed Kugler
Ed wrote a good book here. It was about his two years spent in vietnam as a USMC Scout Sniper.
Ed's time in country was not spent as a traditional sniper, but more as a small unit hit and
run tactics. There are certainly times when him and his teammates used their sniping skills, just
not as much as some might think. I actually think Ed's experience is more in line with most
soldiers who spent time as an operational sniper. I enjoyed reading the book, and recommend
it.
Dear Mom : A Sniper's Vietnam ~ Joseph T. Ward
J.T. was an accomplished sniper in vietnam, and this is his story, based around his letters
he sent home to his mother. The book has some good stories about JT's experiences, and it
reads ok. I didn't find it as good as some of the others, but its worth reading. Plus, it has
the destinction of being the book that exposed Charles B. Mawhinney to the spot light.
Sniper Elite ~ Namco
Sniper Elite is a pure sniper game, but, it is a sniper game for the general public, so it
is not a simulator and is very dumbed down. But it does have things like ballistics that
most games with snipers in them do not. The game is scripted missions with not a whole lot
of freedom to do various things, and a long shot is about 150 meters. So, if you are looking
for a good sniper simulator, this is not going to satisfy you. But, it is entertaining and
is a pure sniper game.
Rainbow 6 Gold ~ Red Storm Entertainment
Okay, well, I like games also! A few things, Rainbow 6 is a great game, but it has its
limitations. The fact that ballistics are not modeled is the biggest draw back. While Rainbow
6 doesn't model snipers exactly, there are areas that where a simu-snipers can be used.
Especially if you play the excellent multi-player games.
Rainbow 6 : Rogue Spear ~ Red Storm Entertainment
This is the sequel to Rainbow 6, and it actually models snipers, giving them special deploy
positions in the planning phases, and some other capabilities. It actually has a couple of sniper rifles. (PSG-1, SVD,
M82A1???, and the Walther WA2000). The game also sports other updates to the original R6, but
still no ballistics modeling.
Ghost Recon ~ Red Storm Entertainment
Well, here is the next in the line from Red Storm. This is a more "military" based game then the
Rainbow 6 family. The maps are more wide open, and there is more of a focus on squad based
tactics. In regards to sniping, its probably the best yet. Ballistics have been modeled on a
very limited scale, but better then before. There is also ghillie suits and the ability to go
prone. The multiplayer games are much more slow and not nearly as fast pace shoot'em up, which
can be good for some, but boring for others. The single player game is lots of fun.
Delta Force Land Warrior ~ Nova Logic
Okay, okay! Enough already! I've had so many requests and mention of the DF series of games I
decided to put it up. I have never been a real fan of the DF games, they are just too arcadish
for me, the realism just isn't up to the level of the R6 games. BUT, DF does indeed model ballistics
a lot better then R6. There is a huge following for this game, so a lot of people obviously do
not feel the same as me. To be honest, I have not played this one multiplayer, it "might" be
better then the single player.
Hitman & Hitman 2 ~ Eidos New!! 11/22/02
Here are some games that portray the "darker" side of the art of sniping. While its a game, I
do not recommend these games for anyone who is not mature. These games portray the criminal
life of assination. For a single player games, they do a great job of creating the sense
of survival and sneak and peak. They are not just shoot'em up games, you have to actually think and plan.
The orginal Hitman was revolutionary, but the newly released Hitman2 is more "evolutionary"
and some think it didn't live up to the hype. Either way, the games are fun and an interesting
twist on the sniping profession (and one I do not support in the "real world").
Operation Flashpoint ~ Code Masters New!! 11/22/02
Operation Flashpoint is another first person shooter, but on a grand scale. Not only is there
some sniping involved, but there are tanks, aircraft, and other vehicles to operate. Flashpoint
actually made an effort to portray ballistics and likewise offers more realism. Of course, its
not totally accurate but is at least better then then "laser" rifles most all FPS. Everything
in Flashpoint is BIG, landscape and all. Overall, its not a bad play, though sniping takes a
very limited role.
Enemy at the Gates (Added 08/15/01)
This is the most recent "sniper" movie, it was released in early 2001 and was fairly successful.
It attempts to recreate the historical duel between Konings/Thorvald and Zaitsev. The movie is
okay as a movie, but I was not too happy with it. They missed a good opportunity to portray snipers
in a better light, and to really show some good sniping scenes, but they didn't. I didn't like
that every shot was a head shot, the ending was completely screwed up (the real one was better),
and that there were several inconsistencies. But hey, its entertainment I guess, and probably
worth watching.
Carlos Hathcock:Marine Sniper
To be honest, the quality of the video is pretty bad, its pretty much just a home video camera
recording an interview with Carlos Hathcock. The saving grace is Carlos himself, as he relates
a lot of personal experiences and some other insites.
Ultimate Sniper
This video is intended to go along with Col. Plasters "Ultimate Sniper" book, but I didn't find
the video very useful. In fact, it was pretty disappointing. I don't know if I'm expecting
too much, but the video was all fluff, and only skirted on important issues. There could have
been a time limitation, but it just didn't seem to have much focus, and showed just about enough
to get someone in trouble.
Sniper
Well, here is the one full length movie that is all about a sniper(s). Unfortunately they really blew the
technical side of sniping. There is not enough room on this page to write all the things
they got wrong in the movie. But I will give it one thing, its entertaining. If you go into
it with an effort not to criticize everything about the sniping art, then it'll probably be
entertaining to you.
