book data
326 ratings, 4.10 average rating, 42 reviews
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published
December 1st 2007
(first published 1993)
by Bantam
binding
Mass Market Paperback, 592 pages
isbn
0553563513
(isbn13: 9780553563511)
description
He was one the best Marine snipers in Vietnam. Today, twenty years later, disgruntled hero of an unheroic war, all Bob Lee Swagger wants to be left a...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 415)
Read in September, 1997
Bob Lee Swagger is a tough, unforgettable character. The action, settings & plot are all plausible. If you like conspiracy theories, guns & snipers, it's a great read. Well written & thought out.
The biggest surprise to me was that when I tried to re-read the books maybe 5 years later, I couldn't get back into it. I didn't think of it as a read-once book. It's better than that. Maybe a little too good & I remembered it too well to make a re-read worth it. Usually my memor...more
The biggest surprise to me was that when I tried to re-read the books maybe 5 years later, I couldn't get back into it. I didn't think of it as a read-once book. It's better than that. Maybe a little too good & I remembered it too well to make a re-read worth it. Usually my memor...more
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Read in November, 2008
As most of us will know, the movie starring Mark Wahlberg, Shooter was loosely based on this novel.
I was very impressed by the movie that I decided to pick up the book.
This is the first book of Stephen Hunter that I've read. Wow, a book packed with conspiracies, paper patching, Vietnam war. What's boring in this book? The way the book is being written. Hunter has a good mind when it comes to the idea of the book but it is not as well-written as it should be. I find myself browsin...more
I was very impressed by the movie that I decided to pick up the book.
This is the first book of Stephen Hunter that I've read. Wow, a book packed with conspiracies, paper patching, Vietnam war. What's boring in this book? The way the book is being written. Hunter has a good mind when it comes to the idea of the book but it is not as well-written as it should be. I find myself browsin...more
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Read in June, 2007
I finally gave up reading this book on page 270. Which honestly was hard for me to do because I've never given up on a book before. Well, I gave up reading FAST FOOD NATION but that was different. Anyway, reading this book was an uphill battle only because Hollywood had recently turned it into a movie --a bad movie and although I never saw it, the mere thought of it shied me away from reading it. However, I decided to put my best foot forward and read the book and then see the movie and then dra...more
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Read in August, 2007
It's hard to believe that Hunter is a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic. He can't write fiction to save his life. The story itself is a fun little mystery with quite a bit of suspense. Everything else - the characters, the dialogue - is unbelievably clumsy.
This is still worth reading for the lengthy descriptions of all of the factors that go into shooting at range. If videogames have taught me anything, it's that shooting someone with a sniper rifle involves holding down the "...more
This is still worth reading for the lengthy descriptions of all of the factors that go into shooting at range. If videogames have taught me anything, it's that shooting someone with a sniper rifle involves holding down the "...more
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Read in April, 2007
This is the second novel by Stephen Hunter that I've read, and while it doesn't quite hit the cartoonishly hypertrophic heights of Dirty White Boys, it's more tightly focused and plotted. This is both good and bad, since after the first 100 or 200 pages it feels as if the characters are all slaves to the plot, which is unfortunate, since they actually had the potential to be pretty interesting people. On the plus side, the technical details of marksmanship and rifles are all pretty intere...more
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Read in January, 2002
This was my first introduction to Stephen Hunter and Bob Lee Swagger. I grew up on Clive Cussler and Robert Ludlum, so I was extremely excited to find a new character to dive into.
If you are a conspiracy theory lover, then this is a great book. The conspiracy against Bob Lee is deep and the plot fast moving.
I enjoyed the technical aspects of the book as well in relation to the guns and ammunition and the skills of the sniper. Very well researched and written about in my opinion.
If you are a conspiracy theory lover, then this is a great book. The conspiracy against Bob Lee is deep and the plot fast moving.
I enjoyed the technical aspects of the book as well in relation to the guns and ammunition and the skills of the sniper. Very well researched and written about in my opinion.
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Read in July, 2008
This was just an all around incredible book. Well written and fast paced with a great ending.
A few notes:
In this novel, the author had a tendency to use very long sentences at times which could get irritating. Also, the sentence arrnagement could be confusing at times.
If you're not a shooter, don't worry if you don't understand the technical information about the hardware. You'll know what you need to know by the end of the book.
A few notes:
In this novel, the author had a tendency to use very long sentences at times which could get irritating. Also, the sentence arrnagement could be confusing at times.
If you're not a shooter, don't worry if you don't understand the technical information about the hardware. You'll know what you need to know by the end of the book.
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Read in June, 2007
This book was a damn good read. Hunter did a good job of leading the reader where he wanted them to go, dribbling out a few details here and there and then twisting it around again. When you think you've got it all figured out, another twist is added into the mix. Even though I was lost on some of the details, his knowledge of the subject was impressive and it was a fast, engaging read I didn't want to put down.
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For those of you who like the good guys to be hard guys, like a Jack Reacher type.
This is not great literature, just a good read, like the Lee Child books. The only disconcerting thing about this first Swagger book is the author's obsession with firearms and all things about them (and I have reason to believe that such an obsession continues through all of the Swagger books).
This is not great literature, just a good read, like the Lee Child books. The only disconcerting thing about this first Swagger book is the author's obsession with firearms and all things about them (and I have reason to believe that such an obsession continues through all of the Swagger books).
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Read in December, 2007
Really good book (and way better than the movie) You really won't enjoy the movie if you liked the book a lot though. Mark Walberg just wasn't who I pictured in my head as Bob Lee Swagger. Plus the movie is set up to simply be action with a good looking guy shooting people up. The book really has a better plot and way better ending.
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Read in October, 2007
I read this after having seen the movie a couple times, and wow is it different! I'm amazed at how different they both are but yet both are very good. Perhaps it helps that the author helped write the movie plot (which is parallel to the book). Either way this was a fun thrilling read, and I enjoyed it.
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Read in December, 1999
despite reading this "bob lee swagger series" story out of sequence, and continuing to be on subject matter i don't typically read -covert government action, gun-fighting, high testosterne levels -i still enjoyed this book quite a bit. there is much to be said about a well-written tome!
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Read in March, 2002
One of my favorite books of all time. I read it 3 years before the movie came out. The movie was good, but not great, and nothing compared to the book.
If you've seen the movie (Shooter btw), not sure if it would be the greatest book ever... if you haven't, definitely read it.
If you've seen the movie (Shooter btw), not sure if it would be the greatest book ever... if you haven't, definitely read it.
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Read in January, 1991
This one was pretty good, about a Vietnam vet sniper hired to prevent an assassination.
This would make a terrific movie. I've read about his next books and they're supposed to be better than this one, so I'll definitely check out Dirty White Boys one of these days.
This would make a terrific movie. I've read about his next books and they're supposed to be better than this one, so I'll definitely check out Dirty White Boys one of these days.
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despite not knowing a lot of the lingo, i still thought this was a good military/sniper book and found it hard to put down. interesting plot that keeps you guessing until the end. it was made into a movie, which i have been told doesn't do it justice.
Read in September, 2008
I read this years ago and recently revisited it.
The book was probably better than I recalled, which is surprising, since I initially thought it was pretty damned good.
Excellent action/adventure book and among Stephen Hunter's best.
The book was probably better than I recalled, which is surprising, since I initially thought it was pretty damned good.
Excellent action/adventure book and among Stephen Hunter's best.
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I found this book to be well written with well developed characters. The storyline was original and well thought out; a very entertaining read. If you have seen the movie, please read the book. The movie was extremely disappointing.
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I adore this book. I love it's page turning quality, because so many acclaimed "page-turners" do not draw me in. I like the author's strict meticulous descriptions of sharp shooting. I like Bob Lee Swagger's code of honor.
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Great book that is always moving and making you turn pages. The ending was one that I don't think anyone can expect. Just a real "whoa I didn't see that coming" kind of book. Much better then the movie.
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i read this book years ago and still like it in fact i like it about a hundred times more than i liked the movie!!!!!! it has a fast pace and every detail is important and comes into play later in the story
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