One Shot - One Kill

by Charles W. Sasser, Craig Roberts

They are the lone wolves of the battlefield. Tracking the enemy, lying in wait for the target to appear -- then they shoot to kill. Armed with an unerring eye, infinite patience and a mastery of camouflage, combat snipers stalk the enemy with only one goal...

In World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Beirut, American snipers honed the art of delivering a single deadly shot from nowhere -- and devastating enemy morale. They met the enemy on his own turf, picking off officers, unwary soldiers, and even other snipers from extraordinary distances of up to 1 ½ miles. Now, these uncommon men tell their stories: of the emotions felt when a man's face came into their crosshairs and they pulled the trigger, of the nerve-wracking hours and days of waiting, motionless, for the enemy, of the primal savagery of a sniper duel.

Often trained haphazardly in wartime, and forgotten in times of peace, combat snipers were officially recognized after the Vietnam War, when the Marine Corps became the first military branch to start a full-time sniper school. One Shot-One Kill is their powerful record of desperate trials and proud victories.

A MAIN SELECTION OF THE MILITARY BOOK CLUB

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction, History, War, Military History, Biography, Historical

260 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1990

About the author

Charles W. Sasser has been a full-time freelance writer/journalist/photographer since 1979. He is a veteran of both the U.S. Navy (journalist) and U.S. Army (Special Forces, the Green Berets), a combat veteran and former combat correspondent wounded in action. He also served fourteen years as a police officer (in Miami, Florida, and in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was a homicide detective). He has taught at universities, lectured nationwide, and traveled extensively throughout the world. He has published over 2,500 articles and short stories in magazines ranging from Guideposts, Parents and Christian Life to Soldier of Fortune, True West, and Writer's Digest. He is author, co-author or contributing author of more than 30 books and novels.

As an adventurer, Sasser has, at various times: solo-canoed across the Yukon; sailed the Caribbean; motorbiked across the continent; rode camels in the Egyptian desert; floated the Amazon River; dived for pirate treasure; rode horses across Alaska; motorcycled Europe; climbed Mount Rainier; ran with the bulls in Spain; chased wild mustangs...

He has been a professional rodeo clown and bronc rider; professional kickboxer; sky diver and SCUBA diver; college professor; newspaperman; archaeologist/anthropologist...

Sasser now lives on a ranch in Chouteau, Oklahoma with wife Donna where he is a writer, rancher, and businessman who trains horses and team ropes. He also has a private pilot's license and is an ultralite aircraft Certified Flight Instructor.

Reviews

[Christian D. D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly readable and enjoyable history of snipers (British, American, Soviet, and so on, from Carlos Hathcock to Vasily Zaitsev) that finds a perfect balance between being concise and being detailed. The book came in handy for one of my research papers in my Masters in Intelligence Studies (w/concentration in Terrorism Studies) degree program at American Military University (AMU).

Catchy title too!

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, quick, intense read. Loved ever second of it. Story of Carlos Hathcock the greatest recognized sniper in U.S. history.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

When this book came out in 1990, its was one of the first of the popular sniper books, and in the second wave of Vietnam war memoir/history. Charles Sasser, a Veteran SF Medic, and Craig Roberts a Marine Corps Vet write a popular history of the sniping craft with a particular emphasis on American snipers of WWII, Korea, Vietnam and 1980s Beirut. Hathcock and Zaitsev are givens, but the authors have found a lot of other professionals and interviewed them. They choose to alternate short historical articles with more dramatised action chapters that often get a little overly dramatic , macho, or just hoky- or some combination of the three. I really enjoyed the history parts- and just found the more "action" chapters ring a little off.
Readers will note changes in sniper strategy, doctrine and tactics as America (and the world) moved through the four wars covered. In WWII, the Scout part of the Sniper/Scout designation was as key as the sniping, with some units letting their snipers have a lot of mission leeway to roam behind the enemy's lines. In Korea, defensive warfare meant sniper/countersniper tasks from within our own lines. Vietnam brought that back- but also the patrol protection and ambush roles- with the added factor of the Helo insertion anywhere the enemy might be near. Beirut brought back defensive protection sniping- but added the New Militiaman/Terrorist adversary that would figure in the next century. There's more than enough interesting content here- but some readers may prefer more readable and modern books.
Surprisingly, there is not as much adult content and graphic injury description as you might think, but this is still best read by the Junior reader over 13/14 years with a martial interest. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is more fertile ground than it is good reading. The Gamer may get some interesting WWII/Cold War scenario ideas- and some tactical concepts to try on a table. The Modeler gets a lot of diorama ideas, although I think a ghilly suit (the "Furry" Camo sniper stalking outfit) must be a real modeling challenge. The Military Enthusiast gets a lot of good material about the history of American sniping, especially if you can glean the morsels of reality in the hoky bits as well. An interesting book on an interesting topic, but some may not like the "dramatised" paasages.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book about very human (and young) men who became the most dangerous soldiers and marines in the Korea and Vietnam Wars.

I am in awe of their skills and their stories.

FIND IT! BUY IT! READ IT!

[Mike Negley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent first person account of the journey of an American Sniper during the Vietnam War. Not just any Sniper, Carlos Hathcock was America's Best!

[Medusa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for this book of American combat sniper stories. Dated and contains some pretty racist terminology, but some of the tales, especially those from Korea and Beirut, were new to me. Available at this writing on Scribd.

[Tyson Fleshner · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Shot, One Kill ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Charles W. Sasser
Non Fiction, Military History
260 pages

An Action Packed Page Turner
“One Shot, One Kill” is an exciting anthology of stories from snipers in past wars written by Charles W. Sasser, a U.S. Army Veteran and published in 1990. The stories range from snipers out on their first missions to missions that were considered suicide, like those completed by American sniper legend, Carlos Hathcock.
This book has a lot of very different characters. It tells stories of new snipers such U.S. Marine Private Daniel Webster Cass, Junior. Private Daniel is making his first beach landing in the war and it tells about how scary it was to go into battle the first time even though it ended up being a drill. Another story is about U.S. Army Corporal Chet Hamilton, an experienced in the Korean War on the front lines.
Most of the stories told in this book are placed in Vietnam. Vietnam is an extremely hot jungle. The land was scattered with rice paddies which were full of water. In the open clearings there was often elephant grass, grass so tall that you could hide an elephant in it. Fighting in this setting was very tough for soldiers because there is nothing like that in America for them to train in.
“One Shot, One Kill” is an extremely well written nonfiction book. I thought this book was very interesting and I couldn’t put it down once I started reading it. I think that Charles W. Sasser’s purpose for writing this book was to tell people about how useful snipers were in wars. He did a very good job of doing that because he gives many examples of them helping a lot in wars.
I enjoyed this book a lot and it got me very interested in other military history books that are similar to this one. This book made me think about how lucky we are because a lot of people in those wars were 18, and 19 years old which would mean if there was a really big war going on right now people only a couples years older than me would be fighting in it. You can see this when Private Daniel is on his first mission and he says, “He was trying just as hard not to look scared. At 19 years old I was younger than him by a year or two…(68). I think Charles was inspired to write this book since he was a veteran he wanted educate the public about what snipers did in those past wars.
This was one of my all time favorite books. I would recommend to anyone in 8th grade or above because it can be pretty graphic with the things that happen in the wars. I think that anyone who is even slightly interested in history would enjoy this book.

Works Cited
Sasser, Charles W, One Shot-One Kill, New York, Pocket Star Books, 1990.

[Marley Mascarenas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lone-wolf, cold-blooded, murderer, unsportsmanlike, all of these words have been used to describe the most infamous armed service men in history, the sniper. Even though now snipers are regarded as a normally part of war they were looked down upon by the other soldiers as cowards, this book, “One Shot-One Kill”, tells the story and the hardships that the scout snipers of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Beirut. The authors, Charles W. Sasser and Craig Roberts, tell the history of the modern day sniper with many thrilling stories from true snipers. The book follows the stories of six different very unique snipers through the four wars they were put in. I read this book because I wanted to learn more about snipers after I read “American Sniper”.
The book starts with a foreword that describes the mentality of the sniper throughout history. It is the followed by short stories about each of the wars going in time order between World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Beirut. After each story, or before, there is a chapter that helps to elaborate on what the soldier in the story did, or will do. When it begins describing a new war it describes how sniping was different in each war, for example long range sniping was more effective in Beirut than it was in Korea because of the terrain. The book attempts to have soldiers that have multiple stories but for the most part every story is about a new man.
The end of the book is just a synopsis of the major points the book makes, in a few sentences. It adds how one group of snipers eventually create the “perfect” sniper by combining different guns and parts. The gun could outdistance the popularly used Dragunov and was eventually named the M-24 and is now the standard weapon for a sniper. I enjoyed the stories toward the end that emphasized that a sniper can not have a hot head, and that most snipers are very reliant on luck. The last sentence restates the title by saying “one shot-one kill”.
I enjoyed this book, but I sometimes got lost with the story since I do not understand all of the military language. This book is definitely for someone who understands military and has a strong stomach. It does not center around a single story but instead many interesting short stories that all revolve around a similar subject. This book is very similar to many other books about was, especially “American Sniper”.

[Ben A · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Shot One Kill by Charles W. Sasser is an action book containing great stories of expiriences of snipers in American Wars. The stories are full of action and twists, which is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. I say stories because One Shot One Kill has a different story every chapter. Some people may not like this, but personally I enjoyed to because the writers didn't miss a beat when it came to filling their book with action. If you like books that contain multiple stories, and action books, I strongly recommend you read One Shot One Kill by Charles W. Sasser.

[Hans Brienesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an interesting read this as it was a little different than other books on the same subject. Instead of concentrating on the one person (to be fair they were autobiographical) it had examples of many and not just the hardy annuals. This book had examples from the birth of firearms. Told in their own words it neither denigrated nor glorified their acts: it was wartime and many, many, unsavoury acts are committed by many. As I said, interesting.

[Douglas Purdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Not the type of book I would typically read (military history non-fiction) but it was very entertaining and a very easy read. The book has first hand accounts and stories mixed with historical background and information. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history as a whole, US Military history, or guns and shooting.

[Andrew Fast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in High School, really changed my perspective on sooo many things, health, fitness, patience, research, training and the unbelievable audacious nature of war. Wanted to add this review since the book came up in conversation the other day. Really was a great read (says Teenager me).

[Will Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best book I have ever read. If you want to know what it was like to go to war without the Hollywood watering down that can occur this is the book. I am not a hard core war guy but this man was incredible and sacrificed everything - very interesting and you won’t regret reading it.

[Rowan Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A through look at sniper history and evolution

[Todd C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing sniper stories, especially Hathcock's.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snipers & U.S. Military

Detail from individual snipers telling their own incredible stories. How they trained in order to do their duties & how they survived.

[Bob Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very god read

It kept me wanting to keep reading this book I would recommend this book to all readers I know it will keep them wanting more.

[Larry Cagle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done

This is both a history and a personal narrative, with a imphasis on the Vietnam Era. It is very well written.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, quick read but the organization was sometimes a bit wonky and I wonder how faithful the personal recollection chapters are to what was actually said in the interviews vs embellishments.

[Peter Nielsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A look at the lives and history of snipers in the military in the words of various snipers.

[Richard A Lambing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read. The sniper is a very relevant weapons system.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the novel One Shot One Kill by Charles W. Sasser many important events in modern day warfare and the tactics of concealed combat are dissected and explained by trained combat veterans placed in the situations many today couldn’t have made it through. This book takes the advanced, complex tools used in the shadowy works by all snipers and explains it to the average civilian. One Shot One Kill explains the early day of sniping, before long range scopes and the advantages of modern day tools, like GPS and range finders. It goes back to the days of soldiers with nothing more than high boot camp shooting scores gaining a special rifle and being sent forth to wreak havoc upon the German lines. It recounts how the use of one refined tool can stop an army. During the intense combat of Vietnam deep in the impenetrable foliage of thick canopy, veterans of the long range kills start the training to get snipers to survive and actually be an effective weapon of war. Most interestingly enough the book tells of how quickly governments wanted to sweep their terrifying tool under the rug. During the 1900s nipping was seen as a cowardly act no matter what the casualty rate or combat effect told the higher ups in charge. After the conflict was over many wanted the faces to be forgotten, their existence as the deadliest and scariest weapon held from public eye. Also the book begins to touch on the psychology of being a sniper. The average infantryman engaged targets at roughly 300 to 400 yards, or closer. Snipers engaged closer to 500 to, in the earlier times to 900, but in today up to over 1,000 yards. Now this seems easier than what the infantry deals with but snipers get to see their faces, the way the eye blinks, and they see it in crystal clarity. Being a sniper is a deadly and masterful art that only a select few can use to their advantage through weeks of study and years of mental and physical training. The sniper is a tool of war and a raises fear with each body dropped by an invisible round.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hubble read this, not me and he loved it.

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of military novel pertaining to snipers I have ever read. The way it's written, the words used, and the stories told it makes you feel as if your there in battle with them. Some parts are rather slow and repeat a lot but it's a nothing big. The authors use very good imagery, symbolism, and personification. Imagery in one scene from the book a Sioux sniper is hunting Nazis and he shoots him and he flails about for about ten seconds and he says,"He flayed around like a deer after you done shotem in the neck." He also uses imagery by saying that a thicket of brush in Germany as a thicket of unbrushed cat hair." And personification by at one point saying that the scope becomes like a person after you pull the trigger. The intense and graphic scenes are the thing that mainly drew me to read this book, and it definitely delivers.

[Ann Schaffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to marine and army snipers. I bought this book for my husband, but read it upon his recommendation. I didn't know anything about snipers, so all the names in the book were new to me. I liked that the book didn't focus on one time period or war because it gave a good history about how snipers have been trained and used over time. I especially liked the chapters based on interviews with specific snipers. Their stories are amazing! This book was written in 1990, so I'm curious about the advances in weaponry and training since that time.

[Tony Poerio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book growing up and it made me want to join the army, for a time. The stories are absolutely engaging, exciting, page turning, death-defying. I'm a little surprised the book isn't more popular, but I guess the appeal is limited, and some people will just never give a chance to this kind of storytelling. War is certainly hell, and this book doesn't sugarcoat or glorify it. It's about the difficulties, the struggle of what each man went through, and how he somehow survived it to tell the tale.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great no nonsense book. The stories inside of it are what Hollywood writers use to make their movies with; They are unbelievable but they are true, especially Carlos Hatchcock's 3 day stalk of a Vietnamese general. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in long range precision shooting and to big game hunters who are interested in improving their stalking fieldcraft. These guys know their stuff.

[Les Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary chronicle describing the activities and motivations of the military sniper from the period of the American Revolution to the war in Beirut, Lebanon. The authors describe the men, the missions, the weapons and the tactics that turn the battlefield into a contest of skill, raw nerve, stamina and strategy. The first-person narratives are surprisingly candid and remarkably detailed.

[Jw423 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an exelent collection of real life Snipers. These guys are amazing! One guy spent three days crawling through a open field to get to the shot on a enemy general. The book has information on the eveloution of the modern day sniper too.
There are a few disterbing images portaid in the book but well worth the heroic stories.

[Dustin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cool. It chronicles sniper stories from WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Beirut. The details are pretty vivid for the short length. And it's definitely not PC. No one is trying to win hearts and minds in this book. It's about men that stay out in the ether, waiting days sometimes to pop off a single shot to bring their target down. If you're into that kind of thing, you'll probably enjoy this.