What do You think about Sniper One: The Blistering True Story Of A British Battle Group Under Siege (2008)?
This was a fantastic war memoir. Probably one of the best I've ever read. It was also unique to me because it was the first war story from the second Iraq war from a British point of view I've read. It's not as if they had it any better, but I did enjoy the change of pace with all of the cheeky British slang you wouldn't normally get in a war story. The action and pace of the story is lightning fast, and definitely keeps your attention. And it's an all around war story. The title may give the impression that it's only about sniping, but that's not the case. Sgt. Mills platoon did a little bit of everything, and experienced every possible scenario of a modern war. If this kind of thing interests you, I promise you will enjoy this book.
—Dustin Gaughran
An astonishing tale of British troops in Iraq under siege from local insurgents.The Prince of Wales Regiment are keen to get out to Iraq and get 'stuck in' and this true tale is told by the Sergeant in charge of a small sniper platoon. The action starts almost straight away and ends up with the troops with their backs to the wall defending a complex of buildings against constant mortar and sniper attack, I think this was the longest 'engagement' the British Army has had since Korea.The soldiers concerned thrive in the heat of action and as the story unfolds, you feel you are there and you can feel every bullet whip by.This is an astonishing and vivid account of battle and how professional and brave our troops were. There is no gloss to this which makes it all the better. I recommend.
—Warren R.
Oh, what to say, what to say?I'm sure by now you've figured out that I'm in one of my "military book" phases. It'll pass, don't worry, but for now this is kind of my reading focus."Sniper One" was advertised as "One of the best first-hand accounts of combat that I've ever read", "highly charged [...] page-turning read", "strong, cohesive and complete."Well, it could be. I wouldn't know. I gave up fairly soon, because I just couldn't, COULD NOT stand the stupidity. Sorry, Sgt. Mills, but you are obviously a blood-thirsty idiot and embodiment of all the bad clichés the average civilian has about soldiers - that they are in it for the killing, for the blood, because they think that war is fun.In my nicer moments, I'd like to think that I reacted as vehemently as I did to Mills' book because I had just finished reading Fick's SUPERB "One Bullet Away". But no, that's not it. Fick's book may have been one of the best accounts of a military career I've read, but it is not the only one, and none of them, NONE, were as horribly, disgustingly stupid as Mills' book. Not even close. Not even a hint of it.No, I don't object to the idea that one could enjoy being a soldier. I'm neither stupid nor naive. But they way Mills' writes it?He starts off by describing how his unit gets the orders to go to Iraq, and how everyone signs up again or makes otherwise sure that they are going, because they don't want to miss finally getting to shoot Iraqis, what with having missed the first Gulf War and never going anywhere, despite being the best "killer" in the UK forces and looking all scruffy and cool while doing it. Yes, Mills, we get it - you are a killer and you think it's really cool.It continues like that. But not only that, I think I could have lived with that - no, on top of admitting to being really not as cool as he thinks being a sniper makes him, there is stupidity in every small detail- Like, Mills doesn't know where exactly he is being deployed to, but doesn't care because "it sounds properly Iraqi". Like the fact that Mills only concern seems to be that he gets to shoot people (because that is, after all, his job). Plus, I had a really hard time with all the "lads" and "blokes" and "dicks hanging out", because using and quoting colorful language is one thing - writing a whole book in a language that is more fitting for a junior highschool boy from a bad neighbourhood trying to impress his older brothers' friends than it is for a grown-up man - no matter what his profession is.But maybe this is what it is really like out there. Maybe this is what goes on in the brains of the people fighting these wars. Maybe this level of stupidity is what it takes to be able to do this job. Maybe I really am this stupid and naive.(but even if I am, I just cound't get myself to read this book).
—Oceana2602
