Another testosterone-laced memoir of an elite unit kicking butt in
Iraq, this one with a cheerful, politically incorrect British
twist.Having missed out on Operation Iraqi Freedom a year earlier,
the author's 15-man sniper platoon in the Princess of Wales Royal
Regiment was thrilled to learn in April 2004 that it was finally
shipping overseas on a "peacekeeping" mission. Soldiers whose
enlistment was expiring eagerly signed up again. Arriving in Iraq,
Mills and his men cringed at the heat, loathed the poor sanitation,
pitied the poverty, despised Iraqi police, Iraqi soldiers and all
civilian superiors, but loved the American forces' vast arsenal and
luxurious amenities. Their assignment took them to a large city -
lacking, the author repeats, sewage and trash collection - where
they quickly walked into an ambush and found themselves enmeshed in
a vicious insurgency. Mostly, they defended their base in the city
center and fought as infantry, but circumstances often required
their specialty, so readers looking for technical details about
sniping will not be disappointed. Mills, an 18-year veteran of
tours in Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Bosnia, never conceals his
and his men's love of fighting. While American career soldiers have
been known to admit this in their memoirs, they usually feel
obliged to justify it by proclaiming their love of country and
reminding readers of the sacrifices our troops make to protect us
from hordes of suicidal maniacs. Mills has no interest in defending
America's invasion of Iraq, and he adopts the traditional British
soldier's view of the enemy as wacky foreigners, genuinely
dangerous but terrible shots.A military memoir refreshingly devoid
of the usual patriotic overlay. (Kirkus Reviews)
Sniper One is the gritty, awe-inspiring true story that takes you
right into the heart of the Iraq war from Sunday Times No.1
bestseller Sgt. Dan Mills. 'One of the best first-hand accounts of
combat that I've ever read' Andy McNab We all saw it at once. Half
a dozen voices screamed 'Grenade!' simultaneously. Then everything
went into slow motion. The grenade took an age to travel through
its 20 metre arc. A dark, small oval-shaped package of misery the
size of a peach . . . April 2004: Dan Mills and his platoon of
snipers fly into southern Iraq, part of an infantry battalion sent
to win hearts and minds. They were soon fighting for their lives.
Back home we were told they were peacekeeping. But there was no
peace to keep. Because within days of arriving in theatre, Mills
and his men were caught up in the longest, most sustained fire
fight British troops had faced for over fifty years. This
awe-inspiring account tells of total war in throat-burning winds
and fifty-degree heat, blasted by mortars and surrounded by heavily
armed militias - you won't be able to put this down. 'If I could
give it more stars I would' 5***** reader review 'A truly stunning
story. I have read this 4 times and it's still as captivating now
as the first time' 5***** Reader rReview
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
