This book looks at the impact and role of the sniper from the American Revolutionary War to the present day. It was not until the late 18th century that advances in technology made accurate sniping with a gun possible. The American backwoodsmen took a toll of the redcoats with their hunting rifles, and the modern art of sniping was born. The book looks at how the art of sniping in war has become more professional and specialised, with dedicated training courses and equipment. Famous snipers throughout history are profiled, with testimonies from individual snipers who took part in modern conflicts from Vietnam to Afghanistan and the Gulf. Packed with first hand accounts from snipers and those who have faced them, this is the definitive guide to these secretive and deadly individuals and the role they have played in battle over the last three centuries.