Sniping in the Great War (ePub)
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
File Size: 32.2 MB (.epub)
Pages: 224
Illustrations: 60
ISBN: 9781783460847
Published: 21st August 2008
National Online Publicity
As featured by Mail Online and The Sun
Military snipers are highly trained marksmen who target individual enemy soldiers. They are regarded as vital specialists in modern warfare, and their role evolved throughout the Great War. As Martin Pegler shows in this wide-ranging, authoritative study, the technique of sniping adapted rapidly to the conditions of static warfare that prevailed through much of the conflict. His account follows the development of sniping from the early battles of 1914, through the trench fighting and the attritional offensives of the middle years, to the renewed open warfare of 1918. He concentrates on the continuous British and German sniping war on the Western Front, but he also looks at how snipers operated in other theatres, at Gallipoli and Salonika and on the Eastern Front. Sniper training, fieldcraft and counter-sniping measures are described in detail. There is a full reference section giving the specification of the sniping rifles of the period and assessing their effectiveness in combat. Also featured are vivid memoirs and eyewitness accounts that offer a fascinating insight into the lethal skill of Great War snipers and their deadly trade.
This is an excellent book well worth a read by anyone interested in the Great War or sniping in general, and since it covers both sides of No Man's Land I would go as far as to say it is a more useful book than Hesketh-Prichard's.
Wargames Illustrated Facebook feed - review by Jim Graham
This work is complimented by some striking pictures, including that of Sharpshooters during the American Civil War, camouflage during the Great War, sniper sights, and poignant images of men who were snipers, as well as interesting features such as the sniping school curriculum schedule. For anyone with more than a passing interest in the Great War, this book is a crucial addition to the bookshelf, both for key facts, but also development of an important facet of the conflict.
Jon Sandison, Freelance
As featured in.
The Sun 23/3/17
As featured in.
The Daily Mail 23/3/17
About Martin Pegler
Martin Pegler was curator of firearms at the Royal Armouries for twenty years and during his career shoot almost every historic and current sniping rifle. He is the author of a dozen books about firearms, but specialises in the development sniper and technology of sniping. He lives in France with his wife.