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Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper
Jack Coughlin is the Marine Corps’ top-ranked sniper, the man who personally brings America’s military muscle to the enemy’s front door. In twenty years of active service, he has accumulated one of the most impressive records in the Corps, ranging through many of the world’s hot spots. During Operation Iraqi Freedom alone, he recorded at least thirty-six kills, thirte
...morePaperback, 320 pages
Published
May 2nd 2006
by St. Martin's Griffin
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Book review I have read a book called Shooter
I enjoy this book because of all the action and adventure; it’s a book that can teach you about self defense. I have read this book three times! There’s explosives, heavy guns, terrorist, and it’s just about the same that’s happening in the middle east. So if you like weapons of mass destruction this is your book!
This book is all about C.I.A (government) chasing an elite marine who got framed, he traveled from South ...more
I enjoy this book because of all the action and adventure; it’s a book that can teach you about self defense. I have read this book three times! There’s explosives, heavy guns, terrorist, and it’s just about the same that’s happening in the middle east. So if you like weapons of mass destruction this is your book!
This book is all about C.I.A (government) chasing an elite marine who got framed, he traveled from South ...more
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When I was reading Shooter I found out that my favorite character is SGT. Jack Cougnlin. The reason I picked him is that he is a very skilled sniper and that he doesn’t take crap from anyone. While I was reading my least favorite character was started to be Capt. Casey Kuhlman. He would talk trash to all the snipers and would disagree with them. I will give him credit of how good he can fight but he is my least favorite character. While reading this book it made me happy and a little sad. The...more
The book "Shooter" was about a marine snipers first hand account of his Iraq tour after 9/11. He talks about all of his difficulties both in the army and in his personal life back home. It goes into details on training they had previously to 9/11 and then all the little battles and towns they went through on their way to Baghdad. Throughout the story he keeps track of his kills and details like what was going through his head during the time of the shot. He also talks about how h...more
shooter
Shooter was number one on the list of New York Times Bestseller in 2005. Shooter is an autobiography of the top ranked marine sniper in the Iraq war in 1993. Gunnery Sargent Jack Coughlin performed the world's farthest sniper shot. He carried a bolt action .50 caliber sniper rifle with a "magical" scope. His mission was Operation Iraqi Freedom. As he ran through blistering hot desserts and bizarre battlefields killing his targ...more
Shooter was number one on the list of New York Times Bestseller in 2005. Shooter is an autobiography of the top ranked marine sniper in the Iraq war in 1993. Gunnery Sargent Jack Coughlin performed the world's farthest sniper shot. He carried a bolt action .50 caliber sniper rifle with a "magical" scope. His mission was Operation Iraqi Freedom. As he ran through blistering hot desserts and bizarre battlefields killing his targ...more
HATED this book, and barely got through it. I read it thinking that it would be alot like the book that I read about Carlos Hathcock. I couldn't have been more wrong. I was overwhelmed by the egotistial writing, and the repetitiveness of the entire book. I only forced myself to get through it as I have a rule about finishing any book that I start. However, this one really tested my limits on that rule!
I borrowed this from my friend, because it seemed like an interesting read, especially for someone who occasionally dabbles in military-related books. It was my first book dealing with Iraq, so I wasn't sure quite what to expect. I think it could've been better.
The pros:
The book is well written, and the the events happen in the correct chronology.
I especially liked the ProMet part and how Jack Coughlin was able to establish a new, mobile way of sniping.
It has several f...more
The pros:
The book is well written, and the the events happen in the correct chronology.
I especially liked the ProMet part and how Jack Coughlin was able to establish a new, mobile way of sniping.
It has several f...more
Book Review for "Shooter" By Jack Coughlin and Casey Kuhlman
This book, for me, was one of the greatest war stories ever to be told. It was so in depth, and used so many little details to really paint a picture. You should definitely read this if you're into very detailed books about war.
Jack Coughlin was a staff sergeant over in Somalia. He was one of the best snipers there. Since looking through the scope, he could really see and describe the things he saw, whic...more
This book, for me, was one of the greatest war stories ever to be told. It was so in depth, and used so many little details to really paint a picture. You should definitely read this if you're into very detailed books about war.
Jack Coughlin was a staff sergeant over in Somalia. He was one of the best snipers there. Since looking through the scope, he could really see and describe the things he saw, whic...more
This book probably has a very narrow audience, and will probably fall into the "like it or hate it" catagory for most people. It is a first hand account of a little know military specialty. More importantly, it gives a good insight into how a lot of our military approach their jobs as soldiers and defenders of our nation. For those of us "on the outside", it seems almost crazy to acutally be enthusiastic to go to war. But we fail to keep in mind, that's what these people t...more
The short chapters made the book easy to read, but the publisher did an awful job of proof-reading and formatting the book. The book is an interesting look into the life of a marine sniper that focuses his experiences during the Iraq war. His vivid account of his daily engagements were graphic at times, but overall it was a good read to see what the war in Iraq looked like through the eyes of a "middle manager" who had to balance his desire to be on the front lines with his soldiers wi...more
I'm keeping my two star rating - I finished the book this weekend, really could have been one chapter - that goes like this...
"I am the best Marine in the sniper world, I have a crappy relationship with my wife, I go to training and change the entire system for the snipers, we go to war, I am the only sniper the commander above me wants on the battle field, commander Bob is a dweeb so I disobey him and go to the war front to kill bad guys, I come home and the marriage is over, I...more
"I am the best Marine in the sniper world, I have a crappy relationship with my wife, I go to training and change the entire system for the snipers, we go to war, I am the only sniper the commander above me wants on the battle field, commander Bob is a dweeb so I disobey him and go to the war front to kill bad guys, I come home and the marriage is over, I...more
So that one guy was Marine sniper 93 confirmed kills. This dude has fewer but he still manages to spill blood all over the desert. One thing is for sure, there is no lack of confidence in the snipers of the world. I just like these books because it reminds me that things are not always as they appear. Lots of political insight...from the Marine perspective and frankly a lot of information and feeling that has been lacking in the Iraq news coverage. I think stuff like this and say...a good J...more
A quite readable, well-written account by a Marine sniper/sergeant in the vanguard of the Iraqi invasion by the Coalition forces. He describes his grim experiences as a sniper and his clever innovations to boost the snipers' military effectiveness as mobile warriors used in urban war zones like the Iraqi cities. He was there at the famous toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue in the city square in Baghdad. If you want to read the fighting soldier's view of the invasion, this is a good source. So...more
This book was not perfect, by any account, but portions of it were fascinating and hugely entertaining. Coughlin's life (OK, other than his marriage and its unfortunate end) makes for an intriguing tale, and the story moves along nicely. Many of the sniper sequences are, quite simply, riveting. Also, by any objective measure, Coughlin was "in the thick of things" early on in Iraq, and his micro perspective adds an interesting twist to the history of a familiar event. More than anyt...more
Amanda
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Adults and teens, regardless of their political views
Recommended to Amanda by:
Frank (father-in-law)
While I don't think this book is for everyone, I do think it deserves 5 stars (though it should have spent more time with the copy-editor, as there are some obvious errors). It was a fascinating, first-hand, account of the war in Iraq from the perspective of a Marine sniper. It was written very honestly and bluntly, a style that typifies most military men, yet Jack was able to infuse the book with humor and emotion.
It was truly amazing to hear this story told from a first-hand, m...more
It was truly amazing to hear this story told from a first-hand, m...more
Arrogant stooge bragging about killing people in Iraq. The best part is he's in a logistics company, but to read his book, you'd think he was in the special forces. Nice try, jarhead. This is horribly written. I think he took a creative writing class at the local middle school because it's packed with some serious literary skeelz. My favorite are the silly metaphors describing nothing. Oh, and Jarhead the book is outstanding by the way...and it's written by a marine sniper.
This was an interesting view of a snipers role in the military. Definitely a "HOOYA" book. This is someone who is very good at a very challanging 'job'. I put 'job' in quotes since because I'm not sure how to classify it -- is it a job, a task, a need -- what? At any rate, he's put a _lot_ of tie and effort into doing the best he can and so he tends to get a bit testy when other people get in the way of his doing his job to the best of his abilities. And from reading his story, yo...more
This was an interesting read. It was nice to read a war memoir from a different perspective than the basic soldier or the more well known special forces. At times it felt strange. In the attempt to illustrate the sniper's need/ability to disconnect himself from his emotions in order to do his job, the sniper/author at times made it seem like the sniper was eager and excited to hunt and kill people, although the sniper directly refuted that opinion several times.
I read this book for research purposes as the main character in the story I'm writing is a former Marine sniper. Reading it, I did truly feel that I was walking in the shoes of Jack Coughlin, a former sniper. The book mainly deals with his mission into Iraq in the second Gulf War. As far as I could tell, it was very straight forward and honest. I didn't get the feeling he was exaggerating or minimizing what combat is like and he describes shooting people and watching them die through the scope o...more
This book is a little too clunky and unfocused. Coughlin doesn't find the right mix of ingredients between his personal story and the story of snipers on the battlefield. It's not bad, but if you want to read about snipers, Trigger Men is much better, if you want to read about the on-the-ground reality for US troops, Joker One is much better, and if you want the bigger picture on the war in Iraq, The Forever War is much better.
I gave this book three stars because I like it, but it was not as exciting as I had expected. There were a couple of really good chapters but the rest of the book was not as interesting of a read as I had hoped. The one thing that I really didn’t like about the book was a lot of the terminology I couldn’t understand. Just giving a specific name of a weapon is enough for some people but I would have really liked it if they were to give a bit of a description. Because of my lack of knowledge o...more
Couldn't finish it. Didn't even make it half way. I enjoy reading wartime acts of heroism and I admire those who give so much to serve our country. This book, however, was the vulgar, self-aggrandizing account of a single marine who spent page after page grousing about wanting to "get into the fight." Dull and repetitive, I was driven away from this book.
This was a pretty good book. It offers an interesting inside view of the early war on terrorism. It gave me a better feeling of what was really going on over there and not the normal skewed view of what the media tries to portray. Very exciting but does have some dirty language. Overall I would say it was a good read.
Although the story is written with a classic republican and somewhat of a redneck attitude, it is still quite admirable to listen to some of the hardships soldiers are exposed to, even in a war so one sided. However this book also brings to light what it takes to be sniper.
I liked how it was a first hand account of Jack Couhlin, Gave some great stories of things that were happening on the battle field, but you won't get the strategic view of the war in Iraq...If thats the kind of book you are looking to read.
If I could, I would have given this 3.5 stars ...
Interesting material. Interesting perspective. Too much narrative overall though ... not enough "plot." I know it's autobiographical ... but it feels like an "almost, but not quite" sort of work. Readable. Recommendable.
Interesting material. Interesting perspective. Too much narrative overall though ... not enough "plot." I know it's autobiographical ... but it feels like an "almost, but not quite" sort of work. Readable. Recommendable.
This is an excellent book for anyone interested in snipers, the Marine Corps, or the war in Iraq. It is a gripping account if two Marine snipers beginning in Somalia, but based mainly in the conflict in Iraq following 9/11.
this is a well-told story. the subject matter could be macbre and heavy, but he treated it with a humorous outlook and it actually worked-it wasnt weird. a very smart, funny book written about the heat of battle in iraq with the benefit of heinsight.
This was a love/hate book. While an interesting read of one man's journey through war, at times it was like reading about a child throwing a temper tantrum because others were preventing him from doing what he wanted to do. Imagine if everyone in the military decided that they were just going to go do their own thing, "I'm not going to follow that order because it is not what I want to do" which Coughlin admits several times throughout the book he did.
I would recommend this book to people that like to read about army or war books. It was a great book and the author did a good job of describing each detail and every battle. I think that this book was very unique overall.
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Gunnery Sgt. Jack Coughlin’s autobiography, Shooter, describes his experiences as the top-ranked marine sniper in the Iraq War.
Coughlin is also the author, with Donald A. Davis, of the Kyle Swanson Sniper Novels: Kill Zone, Dead Shot, Clean Kill, and An Act of Treason.
Coughlin grew up in Waltham, Massachusetts, and joined the Marines when he was 19. He served with the Mar...more
More about Jack Coughlin...
Coughlin is also the author, with Donald A. Davis, of the Kyle Swanson Sniper Novels: Kill Zone, Dead Shot, Clean Kill, and An Act of Treason.
Coughlin grew up in Waltham, Massachusetts, and joined the Marines when he was 19. He served with the Mar...more
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