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Hunters: U.S. Snipers in the War on Terror
The war on terror-fought shot by shot, bullet by bullet, and kill by kill.
The ongoing War on Terror is unlike any conflict the United States Armed Forces have fought. There are no set battles. The enemy adheres to no warrior code or international law. Their only desire is to kill- or be killed. That's where the snipers of the U.S. Marine, Army, and Navy SEALs come in...
Here in their own words are the compelling and gripping true stories of the snipers whose sole purpose is to eliminate any and all enemy threats with a single bullet. From the deserts and rubble-strewn streets of Iraq to the endless labyrinth of the remote Afghanistan mountain country, this is life and death beyond the front lines of battle and behind the scope of a high-powered rifle.
The ongoing War on Terror is unlike any conflict the United States Armed Forces have fought. There are no set battles. The enemy adheres to no warrior code or international law. Their only desire is to kill- or be killed. That's where the snipers of the U.S. Marine, Army, and Navy SEALs come in...
Here in their own words are the compelling and gripping true stories of the snipers whose sole purpose is to eliminate any and all enemy threats with a single bullet. From the deserts and rubble-strewn streets of Iraq to the endless labyrinth of the remote Afghanistan mountain country, this is life and death beyond the front lines of battle and behind the scope of a high-powered rifle.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2010
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117 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 8, 2014
This book is kind of like a bunch of scattered snapshots crammed into one small and somewhat disorganized paperback. Yet I still gave it four stars for the broad spectrum the author covers is very nicely done. I really liked the fact that he does not pick one specific branch of the service as snipers are used in almost all branches. These guys fill many vital roles and that is also covered pretty well in this book. For a decent overview of those various roles pick this one up and read all about it. There seem to be more and more books coming out on this subject matter and I liked this one.
October 23, 2017
Good overall view of modern day snipers, training and various missions. It was nice to hear a different view of various operators who I've read about in other books. A bit cursory, and short on detail.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2022
Comprehensive look at various snipers in Iraq & Afghanistan throughout the military branches.
August 30, 2014
This was a good book. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good flow to it. I liked how the book focused on the stories of various individual stories about snipers from both the Marines and the US Army. It covers a wide area in terms of battles/operations, ranging from Afghanistan and the War in Iraq. It does not get bogged down on technical detail; instead, it focuses on the stories of the men and the tactics they used to combat the enemy.
It is hard to quantify the book, on the one hand, as it is about several individuals involved in the respective sniper programs. It also does a nice job of discussing the fears, concerns, and pride the snipers experienced in the course of their tours. It is obviously not an exhaustive book, as it does not cover every hour of every day. Instead, it covers the 'highlights' of their respective tours, the various missions that stood out to each of the soldiers. It also explained why the snipers preferred to work with men they trained with and trusted as opposed to being forced to accept men from other units to assist them.
The book discusses how two separate teams of snipers were wiped out. One was a smaller two-man team of Marines, which ensured the Marine command would require snipers to work in four to six man teams. When a four-man team was wiped out, the teams were required to have six-men. The Marine snipers had to use their flexibility and their training to be able to 'hide' a large group of men from opposing forces, but they rose to the challenge in magnificent fashion. It was interesting to read how they had to adapt their tactics to the various environments in which they worked; despite the difficulties they were able to overcome the obstacles before them.
It was also interesting to read about the differences between the Army and the Marine sniper units. As has been discussed in other books, the US Army tends to attempt to provide its soldiers with the best money can buy [well, the best that can be bought for the cheapest amount] whereas the Marine Corp tends to force its soldiers to make due with whatever is available, regardless of how old it might be. This is no doubt an oversimplification, but it is amazing what each branch is able to do with the resources accessible to them. The book discusses distances that are not mentioned in other books, so that was also interesting to read. I am not sure if it is an error or factual, but if factual some of the distances at which kills took place are amazing.
It was a good book. I think the best part of the book is that it shows the humanity of the men who train to become snipers. They are not cold, remorseless killers who do not have a conscience. They are men who have been highly trained and take pride in using their training to protect their fellow soldiers. They have my utmost respect for what they have gone through and what they do.
It is hard to quantify the book, on the one hand, as it is about several individuals involved in the respective sniper programs. It also does a nice job of discussing the fears, concerns, and pride the snipers experienced in the course of their tours. It is obviously not an exhaustive book, as it does not cover every hour of every day. Instead, it covers the 'highlights' of their respective tours, the various missions that stood out to each of the soldiers. It also explained why the snipers preferred to work with men they trained with and trusted as opposed to being forced to accept men from other units to assist them.
The book discusses how two separate teams of snipers were wiped out. One was a smaller two-man team of Marines, which ensured the Marine command would require snipers to work in four to six man teams. When a four-man team was wiped out, the teams were required to have six-men. The Marine snipers had to use their flexibility and their training to be able to 'hide' a large group of men from opposing forces, but they rose to the challenge in magnificent fashion. It was interesting to read how they had to adapt their tactics to the various environments in which they worked; despite the difficulties they were able to overcome the obstacles before them.
It was also interesting to read about the differences between the Army and the Marine sniper units. As has been discussed in other books, the US Army tends to attempt to provide its soldiers with the best money can buy [well, the best that can be bought for the cheapest amount] whereas the Marine Corp tends to force its soldiers to make due with whatever is available, regardless of how old it might be. This is no doubt an oversimplification, but it is amazing what each branch is able to do with the resources accessible to them. The book discusses distances that are not mentioned in other books, so that was also interesting to read. I am not sure if it is an error or factual, but if factual some of the distances at which kills took place are amazing.
It was a good book. I think the best part of the book is that it shows the humanity of the men who train to become snipers. They are not cold, remorseless killers who do not have a conscience. They are men who have been highly trained and take pride in using their training to protect their fellow soldiers. They have my utmost respect for what they have gone through and what they do.
January 2, 2012
I agree with some of the other reviews, that this is not an in-depth work on snipers. However, it is still a fairly well balanced introduction into the use of marksmen in Afganistan and Iraq. Gives the good with the bad. If nothing else, well worth reading for an introduction to the field. The book is actually shorter than it appears, due to the page layout. If I could, I would give it 3 1/2 stars. Without that option, I went with 4 simply because I enjoyed the book.
September 24, 2011
Sub par overview of special ops in the post 911 world. Generation Kill, for example, is a much better read. The narrative and flow was jagged, uneven. It felt like the author was doing a quick sale for the publisher.
March 1, 2011
More a collection of anecdotes than a cohesive narrative, this was not quite as good as the sniper autobiography "Shooter" (ISBN 0312939175), and not even in the same league as the 5-star true story "13 Cent Killers: The 5th Marine Snipers in Vietnam" (ISBN 0345459148).
January 3, 2011
This book was very intresting, it really opened my eyes to the war on terror and how snipers work in the war. Overall it was a good book but not a 5-star one.
October 11, 2014
tough!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews