Sniper - A History of the US Marksman

Sniper

Sniper - A History of the US Marksman

Sniper - A History of the US Marksman
Written by Martin Pegler
Osprey Publishing 2009, 304 pages

ISBN: 978-1-84603-495-4

Sniper - A History of the US Marksman...

The role of the sniper has subtly evolved over the past couple of hundred years, but their equipment has drastically changed. Recently re-released as in softback Martin Pegler takes a detailed look at the role of the American rifleman, sharpshooter and sniper, as well as the development of the earliest rifles during the 15th century through the weapons in use in conflicts across the world today.

The book is neatly divided in terms of its coverage of the various periods, with the 20th century taking up approximately half the content. For my personal interest I would have liked to have slightly more coverage of World War Two, with more first hand accounts, however the reluctance of most veterans to discuss their activities would have hampered any author. He has managed to find a significant number of historical accounts from riflemen, snipers or their targets over the few hundred years that the book focuses on.  
These short accounts give the reader a true sence of the importance or influence that a relatively small number of men had on the battlefield, more effectively than any other text. The level of detail in the book is certainly aimed at experienced shooters rather than the layman and this detail can result in the book being a struggle to read at times. Perserverance however results in a good reward as the coverage of the history and development is very interesting.

Chris


Last Updated On Thursday, June 25, 2009 by Wayne at Battlefront