150 THE CANADIAN ARMY JOURNAL VOLUME 14.1 2012

OUT OF NOWHERE:A history of the military sniper, from the sharpshooter to Afghanistan

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:

PEGLER, Martin. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2011, softcover, 302 pages, $16.95, ISBN: 978-1-84908-645-5

Reviewed by Sergeant Kurt Grant, CD

Mention the word “sniper” to an average person and the image that often springs to mind will be one of an individual with a scoped rifle about to take a shot at someone. While pulling the trigger is one aspect of sniping, little is ever mentioned about the other 90% of their job.

As a result, the myths surrounding what snipers actually do are more often replete with false information than real, accurate fact. With few books that delve deeply into the reality of the job, it is no small wonder that so much false information abounds. In part this is because snipers; by necessity, work away from the battalion. Also, as a battalion-level resource, snipers rarely ‘mix and mingle’ and a mystique quickly develops around them as stories of their exploits slowly emerge.

For Instance, we all know of the 2430 m shot taken by Corporal Rob Furlong of the PPCLI, but what else was he doing in the mountains of Afghanistan? Despite proven effectiveness on every battlefield since South Africa, the trade (and I use this word ‘trade’ quite deliberately here) and the skill of marksmanship have been met with indifference; as emphasis has been focused on “more important” aspects of soldiering. Interestingly, it has only been since the post-Vietnam era that the sniper has been recognized as a legitimate “weapons system” and thus found a permanent place within the battalion structure.

Into this field of confusion, Osprey Publishing has launched Martin Pegler’s book: Out of Nowhere: a History of the Military Sniper, From the Sharpshooter to Afghanistan. Written in an easy to read style, this book takes the reader through sniper concept development from its earliest days to the present. This is the second iteration of this text. Like the first, by delving into the human side of sniping, this latest edition works hard to dispel the many myths and negative connotations presently associated with the sniping profession. Interviews and examples aptly illustrate how snipers were generally treated; by enemies and allies alike, with misunderstanding, awe, and fear. Along the way, the reader begins to realize that sniping is far more than just pulling the trigger, and is not a profession for everyone, as illustrated by a 30% washout rate before the course even starts.

Pegler takes a broad approach by examining the historical approaches of numerous countries to the sniper profession. Beginning with evolution of the rifleman in the 1500s, he covers the development of sharpshooters in medieval Europe and the riflemen of the US Civil war, then continues the discussion up to the modern era and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Along the way, the reader learns about the development of various weapons and their use on the battlefield.

Despite his attempt to describe the evolution of sniping in a broad context, in the end, he seems drawn back to the American experience and body of evidence. This is not necessarily a bad thing for the American sniping experience is a rich and varied one; however, it does remind the reader that this book is written primarily for an American audience. In the end Pegler’s book can be described as a 5000 ft fly over on the subject. And rightly so, since the only way to effectively cover nearly 500 years of history is to remain focused on only one aspect of it; the evolution of the trade.

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BOOK REVIEWS

While the history of sniping could very easily be turned into several volumes, Pegler has managed to condense his research to a script a little over three hundred pages in length. Even so, the work is packed with plenty of interviews, photographs and anecdotal evidence to illustrate the various points of discussion. This is one of the most comprehensive yet entertaining books about sniping that I’ve read, and I highly recommend it to anyone with more than a passing interest in the subject.