What do you think?
Rate this book
SAS Sniper - the World of an Elite Australian Marksman
A look inside the closed world of the Australian Special Forces by an elite SAS sniper.
352 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2010
11 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 23, 2011
What a bitter disappointment. I had such high hopes for this book. Mostly, because there are so few books written by Australians about Australian soldiers in the Iraq and/or Afghanistan wars, and partly because I was fascinated to read about an Aussie Special Forces Sniper at war. This book failed me in both departments. I do not think this was Rob Maylor's fault, but instead, it was the fault of the 'journalist' co-author who is clearly not very good at doing this sort of thing. It didn't seem edited at all. There are typos galore (how could there be if this co-author was worth his salt), the writing was simplistic (as if the co-author did nothing with the material given him by Maylor except print it out) and the book was more an account of Maylor's personal life than an account of his life 'as an Elite Australian Marksman'(which is the books sub title). In fact, the 'Elite Australian Marksman' part doesn't even begin until after halfway through the book.
The other department I spoke of, the "fascination in reading about an Aussie Special Forces Sniper", well, the Sniper isn't even born Australian (which I mean no offense on...please read on to see an explanation). He is a New Zealander who grew up in NZ and as an adult moved to England where he joined the British Royal Marines. Yes, he did join the Australian SAS, but not until he was in his mid 30's.
Maylor has fought for our country and I won't take that away from him, he is a hero and I support him, but the subtitle of this book led me to believe that I would be reading the story of a man who grew up in my own country, starting out life like I did. The same environment, maybe even the same values. I wanted to see his jump from growing up in Australia to becoming an SAS sniper. Instead I got an obnoxious Kiwi kid who made trouble wherever he went, then moved to England where he proceeded as a backpacker to see Europe.
I don't think the co-author knows how to write a book for people who read military memoirs, despite the other war books he has written. He focused more on Rob Maylor's partying, long stints of training and training exercises and private life and gave very little blood, sweat and tears, or humour for that matter.
It never felt tangible. It felt like it was told on the run, like the co-author had something else to do or had no interest in the story. Actually, he even admits in his foreword that he had done a couple war books and it had drained him and he wasn't in the mood for another until he spoke to Rob Maylor in person. Whether he was impressed by Maylor's story or not, I feel the original disinterest in writing another war story shows through in a cold, distant and unemotional book
The other department I spoke of, the "fascination in reading about an Aussie Special Forces Sniper", well, the Sniper isn't even born Australian (which I mean no offense on...please read on to see an explanation). He is a New Zealander who grew up in NZ and as an adult moved to England where he joined the British Royal Marines. Yes, he did join the Australian SAS, but not until he was in his mid 30's.
Maylor has fought for our country and I won't take that away from him, he is a hero and I support him, but the subtitle of this book led me to believe that I would be reading the story of a man who grew up in my own country, starting out life like I did. The same environment, maybe even the same values. I wanted to see his jump from growing up in Australia to becoming an SAS sniper. Instead I got an obnoxious Kiwi kid who made trouble wherever he went, then moved to England where he proceeded as a backpacker to see Europe.
I don't think the co-author knows how to write a book for people who read military memoirs, despite the other war books he has written. He focused more on Rob Maylor's partying, long stints of training and training exercises and private life and gave very little blood, sweat and tears, or humour for that matter.
It never felt tangible. It felt like it was told on the run, like the co-author had something else to do or had no interest in the story. Actually, he even admits in his foreword that he had done a couple war books and it had drained him and he wasn't in the mood for another until he spoke to Rob Maylor in person. Whether he was impressed by Maylor's story or not, I feel the original disinterest in writing another war story shows through in a cold, distant and unemotional book
July 20, 2019
Aussie SAS tales? Count me IN. Rob Maylor is a Soldier. From his roots in a British family that moved first to New Zealand and then to Australia, Maylor felt destined for a Military career. From hunting and camping in the Bush it was only a small leap to soldiering. We follow him to England where he joins the Royal Marines and has a pretty eventful time in among other places Northern Ireland, Norway and British gin mills. He leaves that service, tries civvy life for while... and then decides to set his cap at the Australian SAS. He want to be the best, his country have to offer.
Joining 3Royal Australian Regiment, he goes to East Timor for a couple of episodes, building the reputation and skills he'll need to do the Dreaded SAS Selection. There's a good amount of twists and turns but he gets his wish- eventually becoming that paragon of soldiering- an SAS sniper. And then come Iraq and Afghanistan. There is ton of procedural detail, but it flies along and you feel like you are getting a rare inside look, not being assailed by too much macho. Never a dull moment- gun fights, Helo Crashes, IEDs, broken CV joints being repaired under fire- it's all in here. I learned a fair amount of new stuff- and I may have read more than 20 of such memoirs. All along, his growth as a man is a constant theme that mirrors his skills acquisition.
This deals with some adult themes that will unsettle the younger junior reader, but for those above 12, this should be a good challenging but not overwhelming read. For the Military Enthusiast/Gamer/Reader this is a real find. There are not enough good meaty books about the Aussies, although their military is really doing some big things and proving their soldiers can keep up with the Americans and the Brits- so this helps fill that void. I started out thinking is going to be too macho in tone, but as you go on- the author's humanity and growing responsibility come to the fore, making for a great read. A single military rogue turns into a thinking fighting family man as the pages turn, and you take away enormous respect for this bloke and his legacy, both at home and in the field. With all the detail, there are many scenario and diorama ideas that will jump off the page. A cracking read.
NOTE: I read this book as 'Sniper Elite', with a B/W photo section. This edition has Colour pics, which may be more useful to those gaming/modelling Afghanistan/Iraq.
Joining 3Royal Australian Regiment, he goes to East Timor for a couple of episodes, building the reputation and skills he'll need to do the Dreaded SAS Selection. There's a good amount of twists and turns but he gets his wish- eventually becoming that paragon of soldiering- an SAS sniper. And then come Iraq and Afghanistan. There is ton of procedural detail, but it flies along and you feel like you are getting a rare inside look, not being assailed by too much macho. Never a dull moment- gun fights, Helo Crashes, IEDs, broken CV joints being repaired under fire- it's all in here. I learned a fair amount of new stuff- and I may have read more than 20 of such memoirs. All along, his growth as a man is a constant theme that mirrors his skills acquisition.
This deals with some adult themes that will unsettle the younger junior reader, but for those above 12, this should be a good challenging but not overwhelming read. For the Military Enthusiast/Gamer/Reader this is a real find. There are not enough good meaty books about the Aussies, although their military is really doing some big things and proving their soldiers can keep up with the Americans and the Brits- so this helps fill that void. I started out thinking is going to be too macho in tone, but as you go on- the author's humanity and growing responsibility come to the fore, making for a great read. A single military rogue turns into a thinking fighting family man as the pages turn, and you take away enormous respect for this bloke and his legacy, both at home and in the field. With all the detail, there are many scenario and diorama ideas that will jump off the page. A cracking read.
NOTE: I read this book as 'Sniper Elite', with a B/W photo section. This edition has Colour pics, which may be more useful to those gaming/modelling Afghanistan/Iraq.
May 10, 2023
SAS Sniper by Rob Maylor is a biographic account of this Kiwi, joining first the Royal and then the Australian Army.
Not a bad book. Just ... not great either.
The front cover promises explosive front action and the blurb on the back sounds pretty awesome, but - sadly - those two are the best pieces of writing that you will find in this paperback.
The book itself is written in a pretty dry tone, describing the training he had to go through, some regiment assignments, but you don't get to the explosive action until about last 20 pages or so.
Part of that is not Rob's fault. The Royal British forces did not see a lot of war around the 2000s and then subsequently Australian forces also weren't as involved in the Middle East as the Americans did. As much as the book tries to talk it up, patrolling local Northern Irish neighbourhoods with civil unrest is just not as interesting.
The other part is regrettably just not as interesting writing. And perhaps focussing on wrong things.
Apart from describing the army as being highly-trained and well-equipped drunkards, it reads like a report - describing actions, not THE action.
I can't not compare this book with the Australian Sniper, which had a lot better writing and felt much more humane and natural. The SAS Sniper goes too much into details of how they shot which people, how many asshole officers there were in his training, how much he disagreed with certain things and how many times did the soldiers get drunk and caused trouble. ("He was a terrific guy. He got drunk often and would beat up people and bouncers in pubs." Yeah... your mate is not a terrific guy. Your mate is an asshole and should be in jail.)
The parts I liked, were when Rob talked about the art of sniping, stalking and scouting. How they planned patrols and actions, and used terrain to their benefit. Some of that insight was very interesting. It was a pity that it was drowned in this dry mess.
In summary - not bad for military enthusiasts. Just not great.
Not a bad book. Just ... not great either.
The front cover promises explosive front action and the blurb on the back sounds pretty awesome, but - sadly - those two are the best pieces of writing that you will find in this paperback.
The book itself is written in a pretty dry tone, describing the training he had to go through, some regiment assignments, but you don't get to the explosive action until about last 20 pages or so.
Part of that is not Rob's fault. The Royal British forces did not see a lot of war around the 2000s and then subsequently Australian forces also weren't as involved in the Middle East as the Americans did. As much as the book tries to talk it up, patrolling local Northern Irish neighbourhoods with civil unrest is just not as interesting.
The other part is regrettably just not as interesting writing. And perhaps focussing on wrong things.
Apart from describing the army as being highly-trained and well-equipped drunkards, it reads like a report - describing actions, not THE action.
I can't not compare this book with the Australian Sniper, which had a lot better writing and felt much more humane and natural. The SAS Sniper goes too much into details of how they shot which people, how many asshole officers there were in his training, how much he disagreed with certain things and how many times did the soldiers get drunk and caused trouble. ("He was a terrific guy. He got drunk often and would beat up people and bouncers in pubs." Yeah... your mate is not a terrific guy. Your mate is an asshole and should be in jail.)
The parts I liked, were when Rob talked about the art of sniping, stalking and scouting. How they planned patrols and actions, and used terrain to their benefit. Some of that insight was very interesting. It was a pity that it was drowned in this dry mess.
In summary - not bad for military enthusiasts. Just not great.
December 30, 2021
This was pretty good. It's the view of a Kiwi soldier's career as he tries to fit in and make a home in the world. His search starts with travelling the world as a civilian then joining the British Marines and later the Australian SAS.
There's good accounts of life in the forces and experiences told candidly as if fighting wars was a perfectly natural pursuit.
A good read for military enthusiasts.
There's good accounts of life in the forces and experiences told candidly as if fighting wars was a perfectly natural pursuit.
A good read for military enthusiasts.
October 24, 2019
Tonnes of action written in text unworthy of being fingerpainted
February 5, 2021
Was an ok read. Amazing what someone can go through with the right mind set.
February 6, 2021
I liked this book, I read a couple of the reviews and much was said about the quality of the writing. I don't think it was that bad, that you would avoid reading it.
September 28, 2014
The scene that is the climax of the book, produces Australia's latest Victoria Cross recipient a comrade in arms. Running between the vehicles under continuos heavy fire himself, Rob describes an equally courageous four hours where he keeps providing fixes on the enemy and calls in Coalition firepower to overcome overwhelming odds of being ambushed by many times the numbers of combatants. So who gets the V.C.? The guy who everyone on the battle field can see expose his massive frame from cover and run at the closest and most withering source of fire, to take it out with a continuous spray of bullets as he towered over the enemy.
There is no sense of sour grapes here but it does raise the question as to what the criteria is, for awarding the V.C. When a closely fought battle by a band of 'brothers' is debriefed, who didn't put his life on the line? Who supported the courageous sprint with timely and accurate fire that distracted the enemy for those interminably long seconds?
Great descriptions of keeping a cool head in the midst of danger and mayhem.
There is no sense of sour grapes here but it does raise the question as to what the criteria is, for awarding the V.C. When a closely fought battle by a band of 'brothers' is debriefed, who didn't put his life on the line? Who supported the courageous sprint with timely and accurate fire that distracted the enemy for those interminably long seconds?
Great descriptions of keeping a cool head in the midst of danger and mayhem.
May 24, 2012
New Zealander Rob Maylor had an exceptionally interesting military career, serving in the British Royal Marines, the Australian Army, and the Australian SAS for a total of about 19 years. This book captures the many places he's served in, some exotic to American readers such as East Timor and Northern Ireland, and a number of hard actions, including one in Afghanistan in which another soldier in the Australian Army received a VC. While exciting - fans of military action will enjoy this - the book is flawed by really poor proofreading. The occasional footnote to explain Rob's slang would have helped too!
January 13, 2013
Not as entertaining as Sniper One or Team Six Warrior. Half the book is about him getting drunk. Seriously. After the first 150 or so pgs he finally enters the military. I did like that he included his family in the book, most don't.
I find that him jumping from one place to another very distracting. He included most of his military buddies as initials, gets a little confusing of who died when and if he was a decent lad or not.
The book seems more of a biography of his life, and less of a sniper novel. Maybe the Australia army just doesn't get enough action as the other militants do.
I like to loose my self in a novel, here I kept counting down the pgs. Is it done yet?
I find that him jumping from one place to another very distracting. He included most of his military buddies as initials, gets a little confusing of who died when and if he was a decent lad or not.
The book seems more of a biography of his life, and less of a sniper novel. Maybe the Australia army just doesn't get enough action as the other militants do.
I like to loose my self in a novel, here I kept counting down the pgs. Is it done yet?
October 11, 2015
I got bored with the irrelevant childhood and early boozing Maylor. I felt he could have minimal used that and focuses more on his current military career. Also I felt there was was unresolved amniosity about not receiving a a MC where he could not understand why Mark Donaldson did during the battle of Khaz Oruzgan, even though did did not witness the event.
In my mind all our front line soldiers should receive awards for their daily heroism, most do not think will I get a medal for this, they do the job they were trained to do
In my mind all our front line soldiers should receive awards for their daily heroism, most do not think will I get a medal for this, they do the job they were trained to do
January 6, 2015
It's a great overall book but some of the stuff is too matter-of-fact. He summarises the fifteenth month training regime within a page or two so lacks detail. Whilst other stuff he does put in detail is written very well it seemed like there was some important pieces he ignored or glossed over
June 30, 2012
This book was okay. It wasn't exactly what I thought it would be like, more actually about his life than his operations, but I guess it was still pretty good.
November 7, 2012
A great story but badly written.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews