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The Longest Kill: The Story of Maverick 41, One of the World's Greatest Snipers
Through conflicts in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, this is the vivid memoir of British sniper Craig Harrison.
It takes a tough mindset to be a successful sniper, to be able to dig in for days on your own as you wait for your target, to stay calm on a battlefield when you yourself have become the target the enemy most want to take out. Craig Harrison has what it takes and in November 2009 in Afghanistan, under intense pressure, he saved the lives of his comrades with the longest confirmed sniper kill – 2,475 metres, the length of twenty-five football pitches.
In The Longest Kill , his unflinching autobiography, Craig catapults us into the heat of the action as he describes his active service in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, and gives heart-stopping accounts of his sniper ops as he fought for his life on the rooftops of Basra and the barren hills of Helmand province. Craig was blown up by an IED in Afghanistan and left battling severe PTSD. After his identity was revealed in the press he also had to cope with Al Qaeda threats against him and his family. For Craig, the price of heroism has been devastatingly high.
It takes a tough mindset to be a successful sniper, to be able to dig in for days on your own as you wait for your target, to stay calm on a battlefield when you yourself have become the target the enemy most want to take out. Craig Harrison has what it takes and in November 2009 in Afghanistan, under intense pressure, he saved the lives of his comrades with the longest confirmed sniper kill – 2,475 metres, the length of twenty-five football pitches.
In The Longest Kill , his unflinching autobiography, Craig catapults us into the heat of the action as he describes his active service in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, and gives heart-stopping accounts of his sniper ops as he fought for his life on the rooftops of Basra and the barren hills of Helmand province. Craig was blown up by an IED in Afghanistan and left battling severe PTSD. After his identity was revealed in the press he also had to cope with Al Qaeda threats against him and his family. For Craig, the price of heroism has been devastatingly high.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
June 14, 2018
Obviously, the headlines and the 'come on' is concerned with the longest ever confirmed sniper kill. Though, if you're thinking that the whole book resolves around this, or even leads up to it, you'd be wrong. Obviously, it's in there, but - in typical British Army fashion maybe - it isn't really made that much of. The book is about Sgt Craig Harrison, how he came to join the army, how he came to be a sniper and how he came out of the Army. It is, again a British trait possibly, written very matter of factly. We British will understand a lot of what isn't said, the Americans might well be struggling. And not only over how long 2,475 metres actually is. They probably won't understand either, why Clint Eastwood hasn't made a film about him, if he's that good. All they need to know is - it's longer than your man could!
You could - could - take issue with the 'hero' part. I don't think Craig would want to be called a hero, he was doing his job. And that's a big point, it is a job, no matter how you look at it. He deserved help after the Army, and there should be more help, that no one, least of all me can deny. However, shpouldn't there also be more help for those, the family, of people who fall off scaffolding and die? The fighting for his country also is a bit rich, given how long away Iraq, Afghanistan etc are from the UK. Surely, the people in Afghanistan, like it, like them, or not, are fighting for their country a little more than he is?
You get the impression that he saw it as being out there helping his mates survive and they were helping him. He writes of it all as very much a team effort all the way through and doesn't seem to want any special handling. Apart from wanting the Army to keep their promises and journalists to keep theirs and keep his name out of the papers. That's where you really want to go punch someone in the face after reading of the 'we couldn't give a flying fuck' treatment he got at the end.
A very good, clear, understated, typical British, matter of fact read.
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You could - could - take issue with the 'hero' part. I don't think Craig would want to be called a hero, he was doing his job. And that's a big point, it is a job, no matter how you look at it. He deserved help after the Army, and there should be more help, that no one, least of all me can deny. However, shpouldn't there also be more help for those, the family, of people who fall off scaffolding and die? The fighting for his country also is a bit rich, given how long away Iraq, Afghanistan etc are from the UK. Surely, the people in Afghanistan, like it, like them, or not, are fighting for their country a little more than he is?
You get the impression that he saw it as being out there helping his mates survive and they were helping him. He writes of it all as very much a team effort all the way through and doesn't seem to want any special handling. Apart from wanting the Army to keep their promises and journalists to keep theirs and keep his name out of the papers. That's where you really want to go punch someone in the face after reading of the 'we couldn't give a flying fuck' treatment he got at the end.
A very good, clear, understated, typical British, matter of fact read.
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July 14, 2016
I'm going to hold my hands up here and admit straight away that a fair amount of this book, I didn't 'understand'. I'm ashamed to say, I'm not particularly educated when it comes to war - so I'm glad I read this book. Really glad.
I'm not going to insult Craig Harrison by saying that this was 'entertaining' despite being utterly gripped to every word this absolute hero wrote. What I will say is this - The British Army let this hero down. Badly. I am so angry for him.
This was honest and stunning.
I'm not going to insult Craig Harrison by saying that this was 'entertaining' despite being utterly gripped to every word this absolute hero wrote. What I will say is this - The British Army let this hero down. Badly. I am so angry for him.
This was honest and stunning.
July 11, 2016
This is a brutal and uncompromising autobiography of a modern sniper in the British army. The book doesn't take prisoners, either in its language or the action it describes. There is a sense of honesty here. He is telling it like it was.
The author is not an easy man to like. He comes from a dysfunctional family and at times his decisions and actions leave you scratching your head. There is one section where he goes AWOL from the British Army to join the foreign legion, then decides that he doesn't like it and goes back to the army. There is another section where he disobeys orders and threatens to punch an officer.
The book ends on quite a sour note. He feels let down by the establishment about how he was treated. In a sense the book doesn't seem ti be properly finished. It seems as if he needs something more. A sense of closure. A coming to terms with what has happened to him.
Throughout the book we are never quite sure how much we can trust what he is saying. It is a very personal account and that may include some squaddie exaggeration. Or it may not. We really don't know.
Recommended. It is a brutal, honest and messy account of a brutal and messy existence. And if it isn't quite the finished article, that doesn't really matter. It is one man's story. He stops you in your tracks and demands that you hear his tale, like the greybeard loon in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Just don't complain about the effing. It's a squaddie talking.
The author is not an easy man to like. He comes from a dysfunctional family and at times his decisions and actions leave you scratching your head. There is one section where he goes AWOL from the British Army to join the foreign legion, then decides that he doesn't like it and goes back to the army. There is another section where he disobeys orders and threatens to punch an officer.
The book ends on quite a sour note. He feels let down by the establishment about how he was treated. In a sense the book doesn't seem ti be properly finished. It seems as if he needs something more. A sense of closure. A coming to terms with what has happened to him.
Throughout the book we are never quite sure how much we can trust what he is saying. It is a very personal account and that may include some squaddie exaggeration. Or it may not. We really don't know.
Recommended. It is a brutal, honest and messy account of a brutal and messy existence. And if it isn't quite the finished article, that doesn't really matter. It is one man's story. He stops you in your tracks and demands that you hear his tale, like the greybeard loon in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Just don't complain about the effing. It's a squaddie talking.
August 15, 2018
Read this in two sitting,what craig as to go though is insane, could not read quick enough,
November 7, 2025
One of the only two books I read while at University.
April 7, 2023
Overall I’m giving this book about a British soldier who became a sniper three stars, but the book basically has a one star absolute shite half - the first half, before the author became a sniper and comes off as an arrogant , bragging, narcissistic , homophobic, brawling, self centered misogynistic prick - and a three to four star half centered on his combat experiences in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In the first half of the book pretty much everything is someone else’s fault, it’s okay to assault and rob someone who came on to you despite your giving off super twink vibes, women figure rarely, etc. in the second half, though, he narrates some utterly wrenching experiences honestly and with, from what I can tell, a lot less inflation and puffery. And it is beyond question that he, like so many other veterans of the GWOT, was expended and discarded by the government to whom he gave the best of himself. That too is plainly and honestly described. He and others who served deserve better.
August 12, 2015
Awesome, gritty, the truth of army life, boring as hell one minute with the next time they're off to war! Ups and downs of army life. The book starts of slowly, gathering paste! Before you know it you can't put it down, then it's the end! Gutted.. Wanted more! Absolutely feel for CoH Harrison, don't care about his record! It's the history of the man and character that brings this book together! Good to see your on the mend! Bloody good book well written! Enough said!!!
October 7, 2025
This was a surprise book that I had sitting on my shelve and I had no idea. I loved this true story which has a sad ending but overall I enjoyed it.
August 29, 2024
Hope he's doing better these days.
Equal parts hilariously entertaining and horribly grim.
Equal parts hilariously entertaining and horribly grim.
April 7, 2018
Over a period of 100 years the longest kill had repeatedly increased from the 1918 record, a kill at 1,800 yards made in France by U.S. Army Sergeant Major Herbert Sleigh. Since then the sniper has become a separate class of soldier and books on sniping have become a genre. Craig Harrison’s The Longest Kill (2016) is a memoir perfect for sniper-wannabes. His descriptions of life in a war zone are powerful and compelling, though not much different from others whose memoirs report their experiences in combat; his.descriptions of sniper training and of being a sniper in Iraq and Afghanistan are surprisingly literate and well worth reading.
Harrison was a Corporal of Horse (U.S. Army sergeant) in the British Army’s “Blues and Royals Cavalry,” a part of the Queen’s Household Regiment. In 2009 he rose to prominence by making the longest recorded sniper shot in history (2,705 yards, 1.53 miles). That record held for eight years until 2017, when an unnamed Canadian sniper hit a Taliban in Afghanistan at 3,871 yards or 2.2 miles. (If you read this book you’ll understand why snipers are not identified.)
Harrison’s 2009 record was actually two shots made against a Taliban machine gunner and his assistant. The targets were actually at the far bottom of his scope even when it was dialed to maximum elevation, and he had several near-hits before he got the exact position. The 2,705 yard range was verified by a helicopter’s laser range-finding device.
Lest one think that the records are held only by foreign or U.S. Army snipers, one should recall U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock. In 1967 Hathcock reached out to 2,500 yards to kill a North Vietnamese Army officer. This record is notable for two reasons. First, it held for 35 years until broken in 2002 by Canadian Corporal Rob Furlong (Afghanistan, 2,657 yards). Second, while other records were set using dedicated sniper rifles, Hathcock used a standard M2HB Browning machine gun mounted with a telescopic sight. The M2 is a remarkably stable platform—for the first shot! Thereafter, the recoil from its .50-caliber rounds makes precision shooting impossible. So Hatchcock used an M2HB, which is configured for both semiautomatic and automatic operation.
The dramatic improvement in range, particularly in recent years, is due largely to technology and improved optics. Computer-aided calculating power processes numerous relevant ballistics factors quickly and accurately. No longer need guesswork be an element in judging the effects of direction to target, target motion, wind direction and velocity, air density, shooter’s elevation relative to target, and other factors as esoteric as the Coriolis effect from Earth’s rotation. Those calculations are beyond the unaided brain, but even with that assistance, the sniper is not just a robot: his shooting position, sight alignment, breathing cycle, eye-hand coordination, and trigger control are essential to converting careful calculations to a hit. Still, Harrison’s record was made without computer assistance.
What makes a sniper? It’s clearly not just technology. Harrison once asked a sniper that question, and got the following answer:
”You make a sniper by taking a human being and re-engineering him. You go down to the essence of who he really is and then you build him back up from there, except you leave something out. You leave out the bit that says it’s not okay to kill another human being. You make him into a weapon and a weapon’s job is to kill people. A sniper isn’t a man anymore; he is a weapon, a weapon waiting to be fired.”Harrison was hooked!
And what kind of man can be trained to be a top sniper? Harrison’s memories of his early life might be instructive. His father vanished early and his mother was, at best, indifferent. He was on his own from an early age, making his way by private prize boxing (the back-room variety) and by minor crime. At one point he was looking for a more disciplined life and, having some experience with horses, he decided to become a farrier. To achieve this he successfully applied for a position in the Household Cavalry, the Queen’s eye candy of regally dressed men on fine horses. The experience with horses would, he thought, put him in line for a farrier’s position.
In the Cavalry Harrison was usually hung over and always in trouble, just as he had been in civilian life. He thought his superiors were insensitive brutes, and he found sitting motionless on horses for hours less appealing than he had expected. In 1999, though still in the Household Cavalry, he was reassigned to the regular army for duty in the Balkans, where the breakup of Yugoslavia had created numerous civil wars between religious (Christian and Muslim) and ethnic groups (Serbs and Bosnians)—divisions that have historically made the Balkans a tinderbox.
In Bosnia Harrison was a driver of light-armored vehicles. He spent a lot of time collecting the torn, mutilated, and stinking civilian bodies generated by the mutual ethnic cleansing of the civil war. He also spent time under fire by various groups. After his six-month tour ended he returned to Britain and to the Household Cavalry.
In 2003 Harrison was sent to Kuwait to prepare for the invasion of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. In Iraq he continued collecting bodies, this time of Kuwaitis killed by Iraqis and Iraqis killed by Allied forces. And there he met the sniper quoted above. He saw that snipers were treated like men rather than like expendable cogs in the war machine: they were solitary (though they would work in teams) and they were autonomous, having a high degree of authority over their own actions. For a man who had obvious problems with authority, this sounded pretty good.
After six months in Iraq and a tour in Afghanistan, Harrison returned to the Household Cavalry in Britain, where he pestered everyone to get transferred to sniper school. The squeaky wheel does get the oil, and in early 2006 he began training as a sniper. In spite of his limited experience with distance shooting, he excelled and was sent back to Iraq where everyone and the dog had western soldiers in their sights. Once again he would follow that with a tour in Afghanistan before returning to Britain. His descriptions of his sniper training and of being a sniper in Iraq are surprisingly literate and well worth reading.
After returning to Britain he had extreme PTSD with nightmares populated by the ghosts of his kills and with extreme daytime rages. He went through an agonizing period before recovery, a recovery that, he reports, was completely without army support--once he had done his job in the army, the army was done with him. He even had an officer tell Harraison that he had been awarded a Military Cross but that the officer had turned it down on his behalf so that Harrison wouldn’t have to deal with the notoriety.
3½ Stars.
June 11, 2016
The headline here is that it is the story of Craig Harrison who was a British sniper with the longest recorded ‘kills’. I was expecting something along the lines of the excellent “Sniper One”, but there is so much packed into this that it does almost read as fiction.
The author came from a dysfunctional family (more on that later) and joins the Household Cavalry. A journey that takes him AWOL to the French Foreign Legion, back to the Household Cavalry, earning money on the side as a kind of bodyguard and a boxer and then into service in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. The time in the Balkans was a horrific reminder of the terrible things that happened there. Eventually we get to his time as a sniper, equally fascinating and, by this stage of the book, we get the detail in blunt reality. After the shot which earned him the accolade of the “longest kill” the story doesn’t end as the author is blown up by an IED and even sent back into service without adequate mental health checks. Further MOD incompetence allows his name to be released by the media adding extra pressure on the author as he become a target.
That would be more than enough for any book of this kind, the sort of reading experience that leaves you breathless. But, amongst the reviews of the book you may find a low scoring one, from his Mum! And his brother! Obviously being uncomfortable with the way she is portrayed (in fairness his Mum comes out of this very badly) she has pushed back with a review. But that just adds to the theme of the book really, one of astonishment for the reader. Talk about a jaw dropping page-turner…..
The author came from a dysfunctional family (more on that later) and joins the Household Cavalry. A journey that takes him AWOL to the French Foreign Legion, back to the Household Cavalry, earning money on the side as a kind of bodyguard and a boxer and then into service in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. The time in the Balkans was a horrific reminder of the terrible things that happened there. Eventually we get to his time as a sniper, equally fascinating and, by this stage of the book, we get the detail in blunt reality. After the shot which earned him the accolade of the “longest kill” the story doesn’t end as the author is blown up by an IED and even sent back into service without adequate mental health checks. Further MOD incompetence allows his name to be released by the media adding extra pressure on the author as he become a target.
That would be more than enough for any book of this kind, the sort of reading experience that leaves you breathless. But, amongst the reviews of the book you may find a low scoring one, from his Mum! And his brother! Obviously being uncomfortable with the way she is portrayed (in fairness his Mum comes out of this very badly) she has pushed back with a review. But that just adds to the theme of the book really, one of astonishment for the reader. Talk about a jaw dropping page-turner…..
June 22, 2016
I believe what the author says about his shot being one of the longest, if not the longest, sniper kills in a war -- he had a spotter and other people around him when this happened. But some aspects of the story, such as his beating up 3 bouncers while drunk, I don't entirely believe and since this isn't a biography there's no one to dispute his accounts. I also think that the book is so detailed, and there's no credits at the beginning or end of the book showing he conferred with anyone else who shared his memories, that he either has photographic memory or he's embellishing and adding in details of what happened that might not be true. The book is also written in a macho / gung-ho kind of style which I often find irritating regarding true military books (I enjoy the ones that aren't so macho in their approach). I liked the book but it doesn't get past a 2 / 5 in terms of being a book of any depth or insight.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2022
This guy has been there
This is a tale from the heart, and a sombre read at times. At the end, a damaging indictment of being a cog in the machinery of the army. I cannot imagine what this guy saw and felt. The UK needs to honour the pact with all serviceman and look after them and their families. Those charged with their welfare need to take a hard look at what they offer. I hope things have improved.
This is a tale from the heart, and a sombre read at times. At the end, a damaging indictment of being a cog in the machinery of the army. I cannot imagine what this guy saw and felt. The UK needs to honour the pact with all serviceman and look after them and their families. Those charged with their welfare need to take a hard look at what they offer. I hope things have improved.
January 22, 2018
This was a book that felt brutally honest about the author's life before, during, and after the British Army as well as his experiences in combat. Even though he came from a broken family, he did develop some personal skills as a child and young man that would hold him in good stead when he joined the army. The last few chapters were especially hard to read, as they described his struggles with PTSD and an uncaring military or government.
The book is not completely focused on warfare, killing, and trying to stay alive. It does have plenty of humor in it, as well (and not "black" humor, either). He shares humorous circumstances that happened to him as well as to the men who he would eventually be put in charge of.
He had a "life-changing" moment where he experienced a type of epiphany while in combat.
The author describes horrific experiences while in Bosnia and Kosovo, as well. Those chapters were equally difficult to read.
It was a powerful, hard-hitting book that described that hit the reader pretty hard. I thought it was well-written, and it held my interest throughout the entire book. I am glad I took the time to read it.
The book is not completely focused on warfare, killing, and trying to stay alive. It does have plenty of humor in it, as well (and not "black" humor, either). He shares humorous circumstances that happened to him as well as to the men who he would eventually be put in charge of.
He had a "life-changing" moment where he experienced a type of epiphany while in combat.
The author describes horrific experiences while in Bosnia and Kosovo, as well. Those chapters were equally difficult to read.
It was a powerful, hard-hitting book that described that hit the reader pretty hard. I thought it was well-written, and it held my interest throughout the entire book. I am glad I took the time to read it.
October 29, 2018
An uncompromising read, war described in brutal reality.
My heart goes out to Craig and his family, at least the directors of AI helped them.
I'm going to use somebody else's words now.....
"I WENT into a public 'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, " We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' " Tommy, go away " ;
But it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' " Tommy, wait outside ";
But it's " Special train for Atkins " when the trooper's on the tide
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's " Special train for Atkins " when the trooper's on the tide.
Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap.
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an` Tommy, 'ow's yer soul? "
But it's " Thin red line of 'eroes " when the drums begin to roll
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's " Thin red line of 'eroes, " when the drums begin to roll.
We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an` Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's " Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's " Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.
You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an` Chuck him out, the brute! "
But it's " Saviour of 'is country " when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An 'Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!"
Rudyard Kipling
My heart goes out to Craig and his family, at least the directors of AI helped them.
I'm going to use somebody else's words now.....
"I WENT into a public 'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, " We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' " Tommy, go away " ;
But it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' " Tommy, wait outside ";
But it's " Special train for Atkins " when the trooper's on the tide
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's " Special train for Atkins " when the trooper's on the tide.
Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap.
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an` Tommy, 'ow's yer soul? "
But it's " Thin red line of 'eroes " when the drums begin to roll
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's " Thin red line of 'eroes, " when the drums begin to roll.
We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an` Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's " Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's " Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.
You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an` Chuck him out, the brute! "
But it's " Saviour of 'is country " when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An 'Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!"
Rudyard Kipling
May 6, 2019
This is by far not my “typical” type of read; however, I found myself at a loose end, and trawling through hubby’s bookshelf, when I stumbled across this. I actually bought it for his Birthday last year, and he’s not managed to get round to reading it yet, so I thought I’d have a go.
I’ve always found snipers to be particularly interesting – the idea that you take a human being and turn them in to nothing but a weapon. The patience that is involved, the ability to stay alert when nothing is happening, to make life or death decisions (with 100% accuracy) in a split second. I’m not entirely convinced they’re “just” soldiers.
Sgt Harrison’s book confirms this, though in typically understated military fashion. There’s no boasting or bragging – he trained, he did his job. End of. Apart from, there is no end of. There’s an end of the army, there’s a return to civvie life, and there’s arguably a brand new hell that absolutely no one can train or prepare for.
My non-fiction reads have followed a similar vein of late, namely looking at behind-the-scenes accounts of life in the NHS, where it’s clear our medical staff are poorly treated. However, the NHS does not have a monopoly on feeding their staff shit, keeping them in the dark, over working them, letting them down, asking the world of them and then spitting them out at the end.
In fact, in comparison to the army, it’s possible to argue the NHS is a most compassionate and supportive employer. Sgt Harrison deals with his experiences very well, doesn’t dwell on the negatives (of which there are many) and touches on his experiences with PTSD. To recount it properly and in glorified detail would be too harrowing for him, I should imagine, and for us to read. What we have is a slight insight of what life is like for these heroes who return, and are expected to simply “get on” with their new lives.
I can’t even imagine.
A very interesting read, regardless of your passions for military accounts.
I’ve always found snipers to be particularly interesting – the idea that you take a human being and turn them in to nothing but a weapon. The patience that is involved, the ability to stay alert when nothing is happening, to make life or death decisions (with 100% accuracy) in a split second. I’m not entirely convinced they’re “just” soldiers.
Sgt Harrison’s book confirms this, though in typically understated military fashion. There’s no boasting or bragging – he trained, he did his job. End of. Apart from, there is no end of. There’s an end of the army, there’s a return to civvie life, and there’s arguably a brand new hell that absolutely no one can train or prepare for.
My non-fiction reads have followed a similar vein of late, namely looking at behind-the-scenes accounts of life in the NHS, where it’s clear our medical staff are poorly treated. However, the NHS does not have a monopoly on feeding their staff shit, keeping them in the dark, over working them, letting them down, asking the world of them and then spitting them out at the end.
In fact, in comparison to the army, it’s possible to argue the NHS is a most compassionate and supportive employer. Sgt Harrison deals with his experiences very well, doesn’t dwell on the negatives (of which there are many) and touches on his experiences with PTSD. To recount it properly and in glorified detail would be too harrowing for him, I should imagine, and for us to read. What we have is a slight insight of what life is like for these heroes who return, and are expected to simply “get on” with their new lives.
I can’t even imagine.
A very interesting read, regardless of your passions for military accounts.
April 14, 2021
This is a tough read and makes me extremely glad that there was not one teeny tiny bit of me that fancied joining the army. I get it, the army has to man you up but the way people are treated doesn't seem right to me. And, to be fair, it doesn't sound like the author is too enamoured with the higher ups therein.
About half the book is pre-sniper. It's interesting enough - as I am reading as a fish-out-of-water - but I am sure the experiences are similar to many enlisted. Unfortunately. Once he becomes a sniper, however, the book picks up pace.
The world of a sniper is truly different from the rank and file soldier. Aspects of it sound, dare I say it, enjoyable. Being somewhat OCD myself, I can see how the technical envelops the mind and forces concentration. Of course, there is the end result which must truly be horrific and very, very personal but, if you could replace those men with dummies, it would be the ultimate war game.
Craig takes on a personal change of seismic proportions. This is perhaps the most surprising part of the book. You would think that having to de-personalise and become a killing machine would make a person cold but it seems the reverse is true. I guess that taking on the responsibility of protection of others whilst eradicating human life on a one-to-one basis takes its toll more than any one who has never experienced such can imagine.
About half the book is pre-sniper. It's interesting enough - as I am reading as a fish-out-of-water - but I am sure the experiences are similar to many enlisted. Unfortunately. Once he becomes a sniper, however, the book picks up pace.
The world of a sniper is truly different from the rank and file soldier. Aspects of it sound, dare I say it, enjoyable. Being somewhat OCD myself, I can see how the technical envelops the mind and forces concentration. Of course, there is the end result which must truly be horrific and very, very personal but, if you could replace those men with dummies, it would be the ultimate war game.
Craig takes on a personal change of seismic proportions. This is perhaps the most surprising part of the book. You would think that having to de-personalise and become a killing machine would make a person cold but it seems the reverse is true. I guess that taking on the responsibility of protection of others whilst eradicating human life on a one-to-one basis takes its toll more than any one who has never experienced such can imagine.
October 19, 2023
First of all I have nothing but respect for Harrison and wish him and his family well.
This book covers his upbringing, early service years, progression into becoming a sniper, the difficulties leaving the army and his ongoing PTSD.
I found it at times amusing!
It also again highlights how poorly our veterans are treated in this country - its a disgrace and very much put him and his family in danger.
I wouldn't say I enjoyed the book as such - the descriptions of the horrors in Bosnia were a tough listen as were his descriptions of sniping and his PTSD.
It's a really depressing book and a little unsettling.
I'm glad its out there and hopefully it will help shine the light on PTSD and how soldiers are handled at the end of their service and most importantly - after.
I hope our soldiers are given better counselling after seeing horrors and not told to simply crack on because those involved will simply process it at a later date - probably alone in their thoughts, without support.
I hope it helped Harrison getting this book out.
I'd tentatively recommend the book but its not suitable for young people and will be unsettling to some adults.
This book covers his upbringing, early service years, progression into becoming a sniper, the difficulties leaving the army and his ongoing PTSD.
I found it at times amusing!
It also again highlights how poorly our veterans are treated in this country - its a disgrace and very much put him and his family in danger.
I wouldn't say I enjoyed the book as such - the descriptions of the horrors in Bosnia were a tough listen as were his descriptions of sniping and his PTSD.
It's a really depressing book and a little unsettling.
I'm glad its out there and hopefully it will help shine the light on PTSD and how soldiers are handled at the end of their service and most importantly - after.
I hope our soldiers are given better counselling after seeing horrors and not told to simply crack on because those involved will simply process it at a later date - probably alone in their thoughts, without support.
I hope it helped Harrison getting this book out.
I'd tentatively recommend the book but its not suitable for young people and will be unsettling to some adults.
February 17, 2022
One Action Packed Read
After Craig's ladbible interview popping up on my YouTube feed, I decided to to give this book a crack. Being a military style book, it's not something I would normally gravitate to. I absolutely loved this book, Craig's description of his youth growing up was sad, something that resonated with me. I often found myself laughing aloud, such a great sense of humor, especially in the earlier parts of the book. The fearless description of what our military personnel really experance on the front line, with no subject considered taboo. The underlying tones of the story reiterate, we all need to be considerate of others, and we never really know what's happening in their lives. Great read, action packed with stories relatable to many. If you're on the fence, just give it a go, I haven't regetted my decision.
After Craig's ladbible interview popping up on my YouTube feed, I decided to to give this book a crack. Being a military style book, it's not something I would normally gravitate to. I absolutely loved this book, Craig's description of his youth growing up was sad, something that resonated with me. I often found myself laughing aloud, such a great sense of humor, especially in the earlier parts of the book. The fearless description of what our military personnel really experance on the front line, with no subject considered taboo. The underlying tones of the story reiterate, we all need to be considerate of others, and we never really know what's happening in their lives. Great read, action packed with stories relatable to many. If you're on the fence, just give it a go, I haven't regetted my decision.
October 2, 2023
Review 12. The Longest Kill by Sgt Craig Harrison
Page Count : 320
While I found the section of this book about the author's training and service as a sniper interesting, this book will not be a book I will read again.
The author's career as a sniper defending his troops or troops from other units showed just how dedicated he was and the way he took to the training determined to be the best despite the lack of support from his unit.
The fact that upon his return from his most recent deployment, Sgt Harrison's identity were released and his unedited photo published in a national newspaper which caused him and his family to receive any amount of bad treatment.
Unfortunately as I said above not a book I would receive again.
Sgt Harrison, thank you for your service.
3*
***
Page Count : 320
While I found the section of this book about the author's training and service as a sniper interesting, this book will not be a book I will read again.
The author's career as a sniper defending his troops or troops from other units showed just how dedicated he was and the way he took to the training determined to be the best despite the lack of support from his unit.
The fact that upon his return from his most recent deployment, Sgt Harrison's identity were released and his unedited photo published in a national newspaper which caused him and his family to receive any amount of bad treatment.
Unfortunately as I said above not a book I would receive again.
Sgt Harrison, thank you for your service.
3*
***
April 4, 2024
I served in the same unit (albeit in different Squadrons) to the author so on a personal level, it is good to see things from a different perspective. Especially as I know some of the people and operations he mentions.
For reasons of my own, I’ve deliberately left it some time before reading this book.
Professionally, Craig was a top-notch soldier, straight talking and tough as teak but plagued by demons and failed by the MoD. I hope getting his story out has been cathartic and gone some way towards exorcising any malevolence. I know his struggles still continue today.
From a literary standpoint and a conflict of interests, I reserve the right to comment. I’ll let others review the book, style and content.
For reasons of my own, I’ve deliberately left it some time before reading this book.
Professionally, Craig was a top-notch soldier, straight talking and tough as teak but plagued by demons and failed by the MoD. I hope getting his story out has been cathartic and gone some way towards exorcising any malevolence. I know his struggles still continue today.
From a literary standpoint and a conflict of interests, I reserve the right to comment. I’ll let others review the book, style and content.
December 8, 2019
I read this in a day. It's a no nonsense, tell it how it is memoir that gives real insight into the author's experiences. We see him grow and turn into the person he's meant to be. We also see the harsh reality of war through his eyes and how a lifetime of service can chew a person up and spit them out; how the military machine can take more than just lives. This was both an inspiring and heart rending read. I cried towards the end. This book inspires great respect for those who serve, especially those who have seen active service, but it also highlights the flaws in military organisations when it comes down to the individual. A very thought provoking read.
June 20, 2023
a hard story
A really moving story about a man who served his Queen and his country and was abandoned after his usefulness ran out. Too often one hears about things like this and the government and the military need to review and improve how they deal with the armed forces and the mental stress that killing another human being placed on the kind.
Whilst the majority of this book is about combat and it gives a good flavour of the horror that the author must have experienced, it is also a story about the impact of such actions have on a man in his non-military life.
Very moving.
A really moving story about a man who served his Queen and his country and was abandoned after his usefulness ran out. Too often one hears about things like this and the government and the military need to review and improve how they deal with the armed forces and the mental stress that killing another human being placed on the kind.
Whilst the majority of this book is about combat and it gives a good flavour of the horror that the author must have experienced, it is also a story about the impact of such actions have on a man in his non-military life.
Very moving.
May 21, 2017
Not bad to read, can't help feeling it's a little bloated in places, this spoils it for me. His achievement is brilliant and he obviously has skills, his problems are evident too as is the lack of after care off the MoD I don't dispute that. Easy to read enjoyable in parts but I can't believe all that he had written. Mostly his extra jobs outside the army, possibly over embellishing them when he doesn't need too, his sniping achievements are enough for the book.
Not 1 I'd read again I urge people to read this with an open mind.
Not 1 I'd read again I urge people to read this with an open mind.
May 14, 2018
"The Longest Kill" By Craig Harrison Biography is a great army book. It shows everything he had to deal with he pretty much tells lots of his life in the book. From when he sighed up to when he was in Afghanistan to life after. It tells the true story of the Sniper Craig Harrison. It is a great military book and you get very intreastead real quick when you are reading it. Because it is so very true and it is cool he could write a book about that. I say it is worth your time to read to invest time into a great book done right.
August 12, 2021
Being ex cav (but not household cav) I can sympathise with the authors comments about “an officers regiment” and I know exactly what he is saying. While this may be seen as another account of someone’s experiences in conflict zones it’s still a great read.
I know the places he’s referring trp in Bosnia. I was also at “the metal factory but not long after it was established.
I admire the subject matter and the way it was written. Warts and all. Like it hasn’t been sanitised or jazzed up either. If I ever see Craig I’d just like to nod my head
I know the places he’s referring trp in Bosnia. I was also at “the metal factory but not long after it was established.
I admire the subject matter and the way it was written. Warts and all. Like it hasn’t been sanitised or jazzed up either. If I ever see Craig I’d just like to nod my head
November 16, 2022
I decided to read this after watching an interview on the Internet and I'm very glad I did. A real eye opener showing what Sgt Harrison went through.
I do feel there could have been more detail in places, especially about his training, but I assume they can't give all info away.
He saw some brutal things and is quite open about what he saw and what he did and most importantly about the effect it had on him both during and after.
Thank you for your service Corporal of Horse Harrison.
A solid 4* from me.
I do feel there could have been more detail in places, especially about his training, but I assume they can't give all info away.
He saw some brutal things and is quite open about what he saw and what he did and most importantly about the effect it had on him both during and after.
Thank you for your service Corporal of Horse Harrison.
A solid 4* from me.
March 19, 2019
A well written book about a soldier who eventually goes on to become a sniper.
It's quite graphic when it describes the sniping, but it's probably necessary!
There's a couple of moments in the book where the author suggests he has a couple of do's that just don't seem right and the stuff about his mother seems ill-placed and unnecessary. In fact, his mother has written her own book to counteract his claims.
I've not read hers so I can't comment further!
It's quite graphic when it describes the sniping, but it's probably necessary!
There's a couple of moments in the book where the author suggests he has a couple of do's that just don't seem right and the stuff about his mother seems ill-placed and unnecessary. In fact, his mother has written her own book to counteract his claims.
I've not read hers so I can't comment further!
April 27, 2021
An excellent read
A very well written account of a man training to be a sniper and being sent into war zones in different parts of the world. The text is rich with description and makes you feel as if you were there. It is a sad indictment of the British Army that the author had no real treatment for the trauma he experienced during active service and the aftermath. My heart breaks.
A very well written account of a man training to be a sniper and being sent into war zones in different parts of the world. The text is rich with description and makes you feel as if you were there. It is a sad indictment of the British Army that the author had no real treatment for the trauma he experienced during active service and the aftermath. My heart breaks.
April 1, 2024
Excellent part life story, you get a real feel for the emotions that surge through you in times of stress. It made me feel as it I was there. The commeradie between soldiers is heart felt. This book has given me a better understanding of what went on in Iraq, Afghanistan etc & the bloody mindedness of those in charge who probably couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery. Not to mention the aftercare🥹
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