Out of Nowhere: A History of the Military Sniper

by Martin Pegler

From the American Revolution to World War Two, the history of the military combat marksman is one of indifference, unpreparedness and cost cutting. Despite the proven effectiveness of the rifleman in battle, the sniper in the 20th century has been regarded as little more than a paid assassin, whose life if captured was forfeit. However, since the Vietnam War the undeniably effective use of such men in combat means that the value of the sniper has gradually become more appreciated by the military, and their prominence on the modern battlefield has increased significantly. In the 21st century they are now regarded as one of the most vital battlefield specialists.

Illustrated throughout with colour and black and white photographs, this is a chronological study of snipers, detailing their evolution, training, weaponry and actions. There are also unique contributions from the men and women whose skill and extraordinary courage have made them the most greatly feared specialist in warfare.

From the Foreword by Harry Furness, decorated Sniper-Sergeant, British Army Wold War II
We will always need to deploy our new age warrior, that highly trained specialist, the military sniper....
Factual books on snipers are few and far between, so I find it refreshing and timely that this new book has been published which will provide the reader with the true facts about these unique soldiers; and readers of this excellent, deeply researched book will now be more knowledgeable about a rarely discussed subject. You have to dig deep to bypass the many half truths in order to reach any conclusion as to why manking continues to wage wars that kill off the cream of our young society, but it might be said that if it is the fate of a soldier to die in battle, then a sniper's swift killing bullet must be preferable to dying from devastating wounds.

Chapter Heads The sniper in perspective. The rifleman emerges 1500-1854. The American Civil War and European wars 1854-1914. The First World War, the watershed 1914-16. The First World War, the fight back 1916-18. Russian sniping 1936-45. The German sniper and the war with Russia 1941-45. The war against Japan 1941-45. The war in Western Europe 1940-45. Limited wars 1945-85. Vietnam, America's nemesis. Into the 21st century.

Genres: Military Fiction, History, Nonfiction, Military History

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Martin Pegler has a BA Hons in Medieval and Modern History and an MA in Museum Studies, both from University College, London, and was for many years the Senior Curator of Firearms at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds. He now lives in the Somme, France, where he and his wife run a small bed and breakfast, which is situated on top of the old German front line! Martin has established The Somme Historical Centre (www.martinpegler.com), where visitors can see the technology used in the 1914-18 trench warfare. Martin enjoys shooting historic firearms, and has participated in many shooting competitions. He is currently an author and firearms consultant and he also lectures at local Great War museums. In his spare time Martin runs motorcycle tours of the battlefield. He is the author of a number of books including The Military Sniper since 1914 (Osprey, 2001), Firearms in the American West 1700-1900 (The Crowood Press, 2002), and the highly acclaimed Out of Nowhere: A History of the Military Sniper (Osprey, 2004), and he has also contributed to a number of magazines. In the 1980s he had the privilege of interviewing many World War I veterans about their wartime experiences, and the recordings are now part of the sound archives of the Imperial War Museum, London

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, first a confession. I am a long-time gun enthusiast (but not a gun nut— please keep your opinions to yourself); I am also a devotee of novels about snipers (Stephen Hunter’s Bob Lee Swagger series is my favorite). All of this comes from a youth improved by my service time in the Viet Nam-era Marine Corps, where I learned about firearms, and from the near Hollywood-star role of the sniper as the last frontiersman: a hunter adept at his craft, working in isolation and without direction—the epitome of the American Individual; able to withstand long periods of cold, damp, insects, varmints while remaining completely motionless and patiently awaiting the right moment; skilled at concealment and deception.

But Martin Pegler’s Out Of Nowhere: A History of the Military Sniper is not a novel. It is a serious study of the sniper’s role in the history of war and in military society. It reviews the advances in sniping technology: from smooth bore to rifled bore, from ball and powder to modern cartridges, from naked sight to optical assistance. It tells us of the amazingly long shots made by expert marksmen (the longest recorded successful sniper shot is by a British sniper in Afghanistan—2,706 yards, over 1.5 miles, using a standard sniper rifle). It tells us of the psychology of the sniper—introverted, thrilling at being the hunted as well as the hunter, depending for survival on his skill rather than the random luck of the common soldier, putting it all on the line because capture means death. The sniper is often a social outcast because he is seen as a cold-blooded killer, a murderer rather than a soldier. Seen by many as a repulsive creature, Pegler gives us a different view—the sniper as a special person with a job to do.

So what did sniping accomplish, other than deaths? It was a psychological weapon—the kill-shot-from-nowhere bred fear, kept opponents off balance, and limited their movements. It was a means of decapitating the opponent’s leadership—senior officers were prime targets. And, circularly, it allowed counter-snipers to reduce the opponent’s sniping ability.

A large part of this book is about the technical aspects of ammunition, rifles, and scopes—things of interest only to specialists. But it is also filled with vignettes that reveal the attitudes and skills of snipers, as well as some great sniping stories. For example, consider WWI’s Sgt. York. Observing a series of machine gun nests arranged to ambush his unit as it advanced, York began picking off the machine gunners one-by-one, killing 15. The exchange ended when he was charged by ten Germans and used his .45 caliber pistol to kill each one. On seeing this, 132 German soldiers surrendered to him. His unit was saved and he removed 157 Germans and their machine guns from action.

Or the Finn Simo Hayha who, during Russia’s 1939 invasion of his country, made 505 confirmed kills, becoming the most successful sniper of all time. Or Lyudmila Pavlichenko, one of 2,000 female Russian snipers, who had 309 confirmed kills at Stalingrad and after.

Perhaps this isn’t chick lit. I give it four stars as a specialty book. Semper Fi!

[Checkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched piece that covers the evolution of the military sniper from the early days of gunpowder up to the present and the role that they are playing in conflicts around the world. The book pays particular attention to the evolution of sniping in World War I and World War II. Rifles, optics, ammunition, ballistics, training and tactical deployment are all examined.

For such a large topic Mr. Pegler does a good job of being both in depth and brief. The book never lags and if you're interested in the topic you will find an abundance of information as well as many photos that are reproduced at a high level of quality.Additionally Mr. Pegler has access to museum inventories and there is a real edge of professionalism and technical knowledge in his writing. This is a serious, well researched, academic examination of the military sniper - not a sensationalistic piece full of breathless accounts of battlefield derring-do.

Highly recommended.

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introductory history to sharpshooters and what became known as snipers.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising as it may sound, I think that Osprey has managed to create something very unique here. You see, history of sniping is something of an on/off study subject for me and I have read my share of "sniping histories" and stories about snipers. Most of history volumes focus on U.S. and take the predictable path of War of Independence, American Civil War, trenches of WWI, western front of WWII and finally Vietnam. Furthermore, because of usual linguistic barriers, focus of those books lies most often on experiences of american and to a lesser degree British snipers.

Not in this book though! Here, the author systematically goes through all relevant time periods and theaters of conflict and presents a well-rounded history of not only all involved sides (for example, there is a special section dedicated to Russian sniping during 1918-1945 and it actually contains factual and useful information instead of usual rubbish about Zaitzev!). The book covers all aspects of the subject matter - training, developments in fields of weaponry, ammunition and optics (another first!). Finally, the text of the book is sprinkled with first person commentaries from snipers of different nationality; a touch that brings the reader "back to earth" and to the reality of sniper's grim task on the battlefield.

Overall, highly recommended to anyone interested in this topic.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent - and one could say equally-balanced in its structure - examination of the history of military snipers, from the early days to the 21st century. It combines just enough history to inform, technical talk for weapons enthusiasts and a healthy amount of first-hand accounts researched from diaries and reports, as well as some personal stories told to the author. It also has a great collection of relevant photos showing both equipment and soldiers in the field with their tools of the trade.

Personally, I'd have appreciated more stories or slightly deeper coverage of those told, but that didn't detract from what is already a fairly hefty book.

[Pete · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author certainly knows his way around optical sights and rifles but this was very dry and technical writing. At no time does the reader really experience what the actual sniper must be feeling as the human element never becomes personal.

[Todd C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated by snipers, and this is a full history on them.

[Issehiah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book"Out Of Nowhere"is about military specalist are explaining about the rifel.Also the way it is used and the differnt types of them.From the first year into now.This story is gun like.So I don't recomend this book to lots of people.The book has vilontice and images not suddet to 5th grade and under.I say this book is a three star book.


The book talks about a sniper and his partner.the same things to them is that they both wear the same gear,and they are both armed with deadly guns.Also they work as a team.the sniper shoots at the targets and tries to kill the target.The sniper also cleans the gun.Reloads the gun.Also a lot more.The sniopers partner looks for target.Helps aim at target.He is also backup.


I recomend this book to people that like war and wheapons.This book is for muctrue kids.The guns and pictures may not be okay for some kids.The book was okay but some other people will like it.If you read this I hope you injoy.Also there is high reading level.

[F · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed in its breadth. It's pretty much all Western (America, England, Russia, Germany, some France/Canada/New Zealand/Austrailia) For example, when talking about the Vietnamese in the Vietnamese War it's all American POV/quotes. So it felt a bit limited. But it was very interesting and I generally liked reading it.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book that I recommend to anyone with even a passing interest on the subject. The book is broken down well covering the evolution of equipment, tactics, wars and snipers themselves and is full of excellent photographs which really effectively show the points made by the text.

I learnt alot from reading it and plan to read it again soon

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough and very detailed history of every aspect of military sniping from its inception to the present. The author covers the evolution of the technology and tactics used, relates important events, and profiles key people. Extensively illustrated with photos of equipment throughout.

[Derrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another must if you're interested the history/development of a very controversial battlefield occupation. Great pictures!

[Norbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book about sniping from the 19th century, more or less. It's an osprey bok, so it's short. But it is interesting

[Jon Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended for any student of long range rifle shooting and/or it's application in war.

[Tod Bellrichard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A history book on the sniper. interesting read more on the guns and training rather than the men themselves.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding academic history review of this special type or warrior.