Out of Nowhere: A History of the Military Sniper Book Review

Out of Nowhere: A History of the Military Sniper

By Martin Pegler

Hardcover in dustjacket, 333 pages, well-illustrated, notes, and index

Published by Osprey Publishing, October 2004

Language: English

ISBN-13: 978-1841768540

ISBN-10: 1-84176-854-5

Dimensions: 7.9 x 1.3 x 10.3 inches

Ever since the first human hurled the first rock mankind has placed a premium on those who could aim a projectile accurately at the longest possible range.  Any group which could damage their enemies before their enemies could damage them enjoyed a significantly higher probability of not only defeating their opposition but also living to fight another day themselves.  The sling, the spear, and the bow were eventually replaced by the firearm in the 1500s, but early firearms were inaccurate, unreliable (especially in wet weather), and slow to reload.  The standard military tactic was to overcome the limitations of the single musket by gathering dozens or even hundreds of soldiers…