I served as an infantry platoon leader, reconnaissance platoon leader, and rifle company commander in Vietnam and observed the direct results of snipers. I am the author of 30 non-fiction books on the military (six specifically about the Vietnam War), sports, and health that have sold more than 1.1 million copies in 15 countries and 12 languages.
I wrote...
Inside the Crosshairs: Snipers in Vietnam
By
Michael Lee Lanning
What is my book about?
At the start of the war in Vietnam, the United States had no snipers; by the end of the war, Marine and army precision marksmen had killed more than 10,000 NVA and VC soldiers--the equivalent of an entire division--at the cost of under 20,000 bullets, proving that long-range shooters still had a place in the battlefield. Now noted military historian Michael Lee Lanning shows how U.S. snipers in Vietnam--combining modern technology in weapons, ammunition, and telescopes--used the experience and traditions of centuries of expert shooters to perfect their craft.
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The Books I Picked & Why
The Long-Range War: Sniping In Vietnam
By
Peter R. Senich
Why this book?
Contains the history, along with exceptional pictures and illustrations, of Army and Marine snipers in Vietnam. Along with history it details the fielding of rifles, scopes, and suppression devices. More technical than “war story” it provides an excellent base document on which to build an education on long range shooting by American soldiers and Marines in the Vietnam War.
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Dead Center: A Marine Sniper's Two-Year Odyssey in the Vietnam War
By
Ed Kugler
Why this book?
This is the first person narrative of Kulger’s two years as a scout sniper with the 4th Marine Regiment. Relates what it is like to look through the scope, pull the trigger, and watch your target die. Kulger’s experiences mirror that of most Marine snipers in the war. This is the reality of being a scout sniper, not the fiction that is often written about the elite Marine shooters.
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13 Cent Killers: The 5th Marine Snipers in Vietnam
By
John J. Culbertson
Why this book?
Titled after the cost of a single sniper round, this book details the performance and accomplishment of scout snipers in the 5th Marine Regiment. Culberson and his fellow Marine snipers exhibited patience, stealth, marksmanship, and pure courage to make their sniper platoon the most decorated in the Corps. Uncommon valor was a common virtue among these one-shot killers.
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American Sniper: Chuck Mawhinney
By
Richard Lyle
Why this book?
There are many books, some greatly fictionalized, claiming just who was the most effective USMC sniper in Vietnam. Although extremely brief, this book confirms just who was the top Marine sniper in the Vietnam War. Mawhinney had 103 kills. Unlike other snipers who have embellished their accomplishments, Mawhinney has remained modest and off the grid. He alone sits at the top of the list of "Marine snipers with the most kills."
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Point of Impact
By
Stephen Hunter
Why this book?
This first in a series of 12 novels about Vietnam Marine sniper veteran Bob Lee Swagger. The book focuses on time after his return home and is set up as the patsy in an assassination plot. To survive and bring revenge and justice, Swagger has to rely on all the skills and knowledge he learned as a sniper in Vietnam. Hunter is a combat veteran of the war and knows about what he writes. He is one of the finest novelists of his generation.
