The Sniper at War

Nothing chills the blood of a soldier on the battlefield 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 damage 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. Although expert archers in ancient and medieval times had been able to pick off their targets, it was not until the late eighteenth 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. From the very beginning, snipers needed excellent camouflage and concealment skills to go with their accuracy, as they risked their lives for the chance of a clean ‘kill’. 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, such as Vasili Zaitsev, a hero of the battle of Stalingrad and one of the ‘stars’ of the film Enemy at the Gates, 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, The Sniper at War is the definitive guide to these secretive and deadly individuals and the role they have played in battle over the last three centuries.