Voices of Snipers

Book excerpt: Based on an incredible breadth of first-hand testimony, this is a unique collection of eyewitness accounts from World War I and II. John Walter draws on meticulous research and the reminiscences of more than fifty snipers, tracing their journeys from recruitment and selection through training, combat and its aftermath to reveal a surprising commonality of experience, even across nationalities. Laying bare the triumphs and brutalities of sniping, the personalities and psychologies of those who found themselves doing it and considering the immediate implications on both the sniper and the wider theatre of war, this is a fascinating, detailed insight into frontline combat and the experience of sharpshooting in its historical context.