For the ordinary soldier, modern warfare is an impersonal business over which he has little direct control. For the sniper, however, it is a deadly one-to-one confrontation - with only one winner. This book is a comprehensive study of sniping on both sides of the Atlantic. The author examines sniping's historical background, from its origins in the American Revolution and subsequent development in the 19th century through to its establishment as a tactical discipline during the two world wars. The role of the modern sniper is carefully evaluated, as is his training and effectiveness in more recent conflicts, including Vietnam, the Falklands and the Gulf War.
The inclusion of eyewitness accounts provide a telling insight into what it is like to look down the sights of a telescopic-mounted rifle: how the snipers of the Wehrmacht and Red Army dodged through the rubble of Stalingrad, to fire the first shot that could mean either life or death; why US Marines operated deep behind enemy lines in Vietnam, taking on vastly superior forces in long-range firefights; the story of the SAS in the Gulf, taking on targets at ranges of over a mile.
Adrian Gilbert has written several books on military history, most notably on the First and Second World Wars and sharpshooting. His most recent book, POW: Allied Prisoners in Europe 1939-1945, was published by John Murray in October 2006 and was acclaimed by The Sunday Times as one of its books of the year .Adrian Gilbert is also an authority on combat sniping. His best-selling works on the subject include Sniper and Stalk and Kill, published on both sides of the Atlantic. Some of his other books include The Imperial War Museum Book of the Desert War, published in 1992 to coincide with the...
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