The Sniper at War: From the American Revolutionary War to the Present Day

by Michael E. Haskew

Nothing chills the blood of a soldier on the battle field more than the crack of a rifle shot and the cry of "Sniper!" A skilled sniper can stop even large units in their tracks and damge the enemy's morale. The Sniper at War looks at the impact and role of the sniper from the American Revolutionary War to the present day. From the very beginning, snipers risked their lives for the chance of a clean "kill." Haskew looks at how the art of sniping in war has become more professinoal and specialized, with dedicated training courses and equipment. Famous snipers throughout history are profiled, such as Vasili Zaitsev, a hero of the battle of Stalingrad, with testimonies from individual snipers who took part in modern conflicts from Vietnam to Afghanistan and the Gulf.

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published November 22, 2004

About the author

Michael E. Haskew is the editor of WWII History Magazine and the former editor of World War II Magazine . He is the author of a number of books, including The Sniper at War and Order of Battle. Haskew is also the editor of The World War II Desk Reference with the Eisenhower Center for American Studies. He lives in Hixson, Tennessee.

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good history of the role of the sniper in the last couple of centuries.

Lots of detail on the firearms deployed by the various forces for the gun fanatics out there.

I enjoyed the first person accounts which added a human element to a fairly gruesome topic.

I felt some of the sections could have been bulked up a little. The world War 2 and Vietnam entries felt a bit sparse. Also I would have expected a lot more detail on the contemporary conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.