The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper

I write this review with 20 years of "non-trigger pulling" Intelligence work in Uncle Sam's Misguided Children (USMC). 20 of the best and worst years of my life, and I wouldn't change a thing. What a ride! Anyhow, the purpose of this review...

I had the pleasure of working with both Force Recon, and the Scout Snipers during the run-up to the Yugoslavia implosion while assigned to the 26 MEU/SOC (Marine Expeditionary Unit - Special Operations Capable) in 1993, and found them to be near genius in their skills and abilities. Having that experience gave me a little more insight into how "they are wired." Actually, they are like really good jocks, they literally ooze testosterone and swager. They also think that most rules don't apply to them, and generally get much more leeway than other jarheads.

But, I don't have a problem with that. What they do is absolutely necessary, and there aren't many Marines with the drive and abilities to do this. Some folks I think are just a little jealous and envious of the neat things that these guys get to do. But, they don't think of the hard work and dedication required. Frankly, 95 percent of the Marines wouldn't be able to hack it. But, then it isn't everyone's cup of tea.

I'd like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but for a few errors, that the Gunny and the Skipper should have had editorial control over. Several times he refers to a clip in his .50 sniper rifle. Well, every Marine is taught that only the M1 Garand had a clip, all others have a MAGAZINE. Trivial? Yes, but a Marine of Jack Coughlin's "caliber" wouldn't make that mistake. Several times he talks about "soldiers". Well, no Marine I ever worked with wanted or would tolerate being called a soldier.

Lastly, regarding how he spoke to the Army Colonel in Mogadishu, well, I have to throw the B.S. flag on that one. First of all, although they are high strung, 0311s in the Marine Corps have a strong sense of military discipline, and joint environments (more than one branch of service working together) are even more sensitive to these types of breaches. Aside from these small wrinkles, I thought it was a pretty good read.

SF - Joe

this autobiography largely focuses on the author's tour in iraq (operation: iraqi freedom), and while it does provide some brief glimpses into the mind and training of a sniper, the job they have to do, and the burden they carry, most of these positives are notably eclipsed by the endless complaining about the lack of action (re: fighting), macho head games with personnel he runs into, and redundant observations (ie. no emotional attachments with targets, no joy in killing even though it has to be done). all these factors significantly slow the pace of the book down until the next fire fight. in addition, the level of writing is a bit amateurish even with the assistance of a credited author. i would've preferred more detail regarding training, preparation, and skill settings rather than the glossed-over descriptions provided.

the book isn't a total loss. the fire fights that are described are often times somewhat exciting, and it's interesting to get another perspective of the war in iraq as many of the operations often times coincide with other written materials by former marines on the war and have some overlap.

note that i have the utmost respect for men and women serving in the armed forces and the sacrifices made. i do not doubt the validity of coughlin's stories, his toughness, or his skill. unfortunately, this autobiography falls short of my expectations based on the jacket description and the positive reviews from other readers online.

This is a relatively straightforward book, and frankly I'm surprised by the reactions that it's garnered here on the store. The author is an unusual character, as snipers themselves tend to usually be odd characters in general. They're loners, and most regular soldiers can't shake the idea that a sniper is only a uniform away from a murderer. They also tend to be rather like subdrivers and fighter pilots: they have personalities that allow them to confront situations as if they can do almost anything. The author himself, towards the end of this book, says that anyone who doesn't think he can walk on water has no business being a sniper in the USMC. Since I agree with the author, I'm afraid I think criticisms of him as an egotist are wide of the mark: it's his nature.

The book presents itself as an autobiography, but in reality it's a memoir of the first author's service in Iraq. The second author was an officer who served with him, often commanded him, and apparently helped with the writing. The third author is a ghostwriter who has dealt with military subjects in the past. Though there are three names on the front of the book credited as writers, the whole thing is told in the first person, from the point of view of Coughlin.

The book mostly recounts the author's attempts to get into the fighting during the invasion of Iraq, when he was assigned as the gunnery sergeant of the Headquarters and Supply Company (which he refers to once as the "HotDog and Soda Company"). The author bridles at this assignment, believing that he'd best serve his country and unit by working as a sniper. He portrays his struggle to get into combat as basically an extended argument with a superior officer whom he refers to as "Officer Bob" and who he insists was an absolute jerk and incompetent during the whole of the war. There's some truth to the observation of one of the negative reviewers: Coughlin seems to do few if any of his duties in the H&S company, instead devoting most of his time to being a sniper, which of course is someone else's job. The author covers this by insisting that the battalion commanding officer insisted that he (Coughlin) be on the front lines doing his sniping, and by recounting the damage he did when he was there.

The book is strangely deficient in a few ways. For one thing, the author spends almost no time discussing the technical aspects of what he does: the guns they used, the ammunition, scopes, and such. He does tell about things like range cards and spotters, but at no point is there any real discussion of what a sniper is supposed to do. Instead, the author gives you a brief intro dealing with his experiences in Mogadishum, then the narrative switches to the States in the years before 9/11. Most of tbe book involves the fighting in Iraq. The main point the author makes is that on the modern battlefields that the USMC fights on, snipers can get much closer to the front, and while they shouldn't be stupid in exposing themselves, they can spend much less time on concealment and get down to the business of killing enemy officers and soldiers much more quickly than they had been able to in previous wars. Though the author doesn't say this out loud, much of this phenomenon is due to the fact that his wars were fought against 3rd World "armies" consisting of a bunch of half-trained guys with AK-47s and RPGs. Marksmanship doesn't seem to be a priority with them, it's volume of fire that counts. As a result, a few well-placed shots do a world of good.

I generally enjoyed this book. I did feel it was a bit lacking in technical details. The author, interestingly, has been portrayed as an egotist by others on the store, and while I agree that he does spend a good deal of time telling you how effective he was on the battlefield, he also tells you how impressed he was with those around him on the battlefield. While he dislikes the one officer, he has a great deal of praise for three others (the battalion commander, the commander of the attached tank company, and the guy who's a coauthor of the book). He also recounts an incident where he upbraided a correspondent, only to discover the guy is a former Viet Nam-era Marine, and humbly recounts that he felt silly in the aftermath. Frankly, the guy doesn't come off as overblown to me, just rather frank in his opinions. I would recommend this book.

A sniper's battle is an interesting one, and that is the only reason to read this book. It is full of self praise for the author, and reads basically as a drunken rant of the sniper reliving and retelling his war stories from a slanted "I saved the world" view. After reading the book, one would believe that the author singlehandedly won the invasion for the war in Iraq and created the new sniper doctrine for the Marine Corps. I can ensure you that this is not true. But if you find yourself really bored, and this is the only book available to read, there are definitely worse books to read, but otherwise I would not pick it up if I was you. There are way too many other good books out there to read.

1. A reminder to all, these are book reviews and not necessarily a review of the author.
2. With the above being said, this was an ok book. A worthwhile read for folks who like military books, but for the average layman, they'll probably find this... actually boring. The author spends too much time on the details of the mission, which I understand is of utmost interest to some folks, but at the end of the day, a book, a good book needs to have an engaging story, which this book doesn't have. It's more technically oriented, which is understandable because the author's own personality is more geared to the technical and not personal (as he readily admits in the book).
3. An example of a more engaging book on the recent middle east wars are "House to House" and "Lone Survivor".

I enjoyed Gunnery Sgt. Jack Coughlin's account of being a marine sniper. The publication is a very easy read and military lingo and thought is explained well. Most of all I like hearing about Lt. Col McCoy who seems like a brave commanding officer who deeply cares about his marines. The book is extremely informative about the inner workings and tactics of marine snipers in today's Marine Corps. In many ways the book is a fast paced read because the demand for the snipers to move quickly on the battlefield.

I wish the author would have delved more into his family situation, but he decided not to tell that part of the story. I hate when women say "we need to talk," those words are a real drag. I guess one drawback would be there is no real dramatic ending or climax but I imagine that helps display some of the mundane of conflict and the accuracy of the account. Officer Bob sounds like a tool, and even if that aspect is embilished a little bit, it helpfully points to some of the frustrations of combat. The author should have added a little more concerning his entire career as a U.S. Marine. The book is overall an easy and interesting read however. And while this is not one of the best accounts from the conflict in Iraq it is a valuable account and worthy of reading. God Bless the U.S. Marines and keep up the good and heroic work in Iraq.

Donald A. Davis is a writer of military histories, military thrillers, and is a co-author of the New York times best seller Shooter.Donald A. Davis is a former chairperson of the board of directors for the national storytelling Association. As a featured teller at the smithsonian institution.
He has written many books but his best book was Shooter it was published in 2005.Shooter is about a top ranked Marine sniper with the most confirmed kill in the corps. Gunnery Sergeant Jack Coughlin the best sniper in the Corps, tells his story of what it was like to be in Operation Enduring Freedom and how he saved marines lives from the Iraqi military.

The book starts in the California where Jack lives and train as a Marine Sniper. Since September 11th 2001 didn’t happen all they do is train in different scenarios. Especially in urban areas with lots of buildings a perfect hiding place for a sniper. Jack wants to make snipers affective and make a sniper assault team. Which means they move from one place to another to be effective in battle. When they did a battle scenario and snipers could move they became very effective and Jack said “[g]ive us wheels and we would only be more deadly”(Davis 51). This will be used when they need help on the frontlines.

The book Shooter is told through the eyes of Jack Coughlin, when he was deployed to Iraq all they did was train. But this time he was training inexperienced snipers that were going to be in the first assault of the war. Saddam Hussein was threatening to use gas and the soldier were
trained to put on special suits. Especially when the announcer came on and said “Missile launch, Missile launch, Missile launch”(Davis 54). This was very serious when they said that because everybody scrambled and put on their suits on. Jack became a better person and better sniper when he fired his first shot of the war. He knew that it was bad to take a life but to kill someone that would murder innocent people, he knew it was a good thing to take that life. Later that day Jack was describing how an Iraqi was hiding in twigs invisible to the human eye but not to a high powered scope. Then he said “ I locked the crosshairs on him, I took a breathe,partially exhaled, and gently squeezed the trigger sending the bullet down range smacking him in the chest”( Davis 87). In other words when he took out this machine gunner and he saved 10 lives by eliminating one threat. He saved good men from an insurgent and that made him feel better.

Through Jack’s eyes he tells the readers about Iraq and who is involved. He just doesn’t describe his kills he also describes the political side of the war. Jack was saying how he was happy that other countries were in the fight that we're going to help them win the war. He said “I was glad the Brits were with us and I didn't care that the french and some of the others were not around, because all they would was take up space, suck fuel, and slow us down”(Davis 74). Jack
knows who the big players are and the ones that will just slow them down. The reason why this war was a big deal was because of one man, Saddam Hussein. He was a dangerous man that would set off gas to kill people Jack says “ This war was unfinished business, and we considered Saddam Hussein to be our Hitler(Davis 73). In other words the world thought of Saddam Hussein of the devil and he would kill innocent people to make his point.

When Jack describes Iraq he talks about his surroundings and how the people act, he said “The city was in a turmoil, a ragged end to a smooth war”(Davis 258). He was witnessing people getting attacked and murdered and and robbers being committed and no one was stopping them. Jack was on patrol walking around the city when he was describing the people’s actions saying “Within moments, the streets fall into chaos”(Davis 258). By Jack using the word chaos you can imagine how awful the city must have been.

When you finish the book Shooter you learn what its like to be in a country where killing takes place everyday. This isn't told through a reporter’s eyes where they make up things. This is told through a Marine sniper, who saw things that people don’t see in their life time. Shooter achieves its goal because it shows you what really happened in Iraq and why we were fighting in this war and how one man changed the battlefield.

The book is an interesting read; if you're looking for more documentation about the Iraq War. It is another one of many coming out of this conflict. But if you're specifically looking for information about todays shooters, a.k.a. snipers, this isn't going to be very gratifying. I have no doubt that Gunny Coughlin is a great sniper, or that being a Marine deployed today takes a toll of families. However, the book falls short of delivering to the reader what a sniper's job is about, or what his role has been in other wars. Why is his job so important in this war? How he is deployed? I came away from this book knowing no more than I did when I picked it up and began reading; technology has improved accuracy at long range. So what? About half way through the book, one wonders if the fact that it's written by a sniper is more coincidental, than informative. It is, however, a good, one man historical account of the thrust into Iraq.

After reading the book and THEN checking out the reviews I was surprised to see the wide range of takes. It seems most folks either loved it or hated it. The book doesn't have a lot of surprises but, all in all, it is a good read.

The biggest shortcoming of the book is really editorial, not the stories themselves. As others noted, some topics were introduced, but not covered in sufficient detail, and there was a little too much lurching in the transitions between personal/biographical, familial, technical, historical, and philosophical topics. However, those transitions were not nearly as bad as the lurches in Trigger Men. The problem with books like these is they can get too Clancey-esqe in both depth and breadth very quickly if one sets out to make a comprehensive, authoritative work. Sure, we'd all like to have a little more technical descriptions of the equipment used. But I don't want to read a 500 page tome, either. It also seemed to me the personal side of the story in the closing of the book was rushed and ended too abruptly. But you can't have it all, and only a very, very good editor (John Weisman is one of my favorites) can bring a golden balance of all those separate levels of information into a harmonious, fast-moving story.

This is an excellent account of the early days of the Iraq war and the fascinating role a professional sniper played in it. Reading it not only made me proud of the dedicated men who go to war on our behalf, but also showed me that the noble warrior ethic is alive and well today. These Marines are heirs to the proud warrior traditions of the Round Table, the Japanese Samurai and the Spartans -- men who live by the Spartan dictum: "Come home with your shield or on it." "Shooter" has given me new insights into the war in Iraq, the dedication of our people fighting it, and the sheer professionalism of someone who, for 20 years, had one of the most unusual jobs on earth.

This is the 1st recreational book I've purchased in years and typically I have a very weak attention span, but Jack drew me in like no other. This book is meant to draw in excitement and action, not necessarily the type of interpersonal drama that some others said they were hoping for. Basically what it's about is Jack's missions, sniper tactics and his progression of his military carreer. He sets the scenes for your perfectly, without too many tiresome details. (I don't need to know how rubbery the grip on the handle of the gun is.) This is clearly a guy's book, you won't find anything too excessive about love or feelings. As for the politics of it it's hardly a case of patting G.W.B. on the back, and being an autobio you can't really expect him to sugarcoat his feelings.

If you want to read about action and tactics you'll love this, if you want to read about relationships and interpersonal dramas, go elseware.

-J

(P.S. If I had to compare Jack to another author, I'd say this resembles a Tom Clancy book with more action and less talk of details like - 'the rounds measured 7.65mm x 22', such intricacies grow tiresome.)

I understand Jack Coughlin is a military man, and maybe he did not have that much help with the writing of the novel, and this shows. The book reads too easily and although it does have its insights into the mind of a professional killer, and the minor struggles of living with killing people from afar, it's too straightforward. The guilt he did show during one incident involving killing civilians in incoming cars was described ineffectively. The writing ultimately fails to give the reader any true feelings on how it is to actually be in Iraq. The discomforts, the adrenaline, seem to all be inadequately described and fudged over. And Jack Coughlin's ego is at times through the roof, with tidbits of info thrown in to suggest he could have always gotten more kills if it wasn't for so and so. SHOOTER basically reads like this: I ran over to the top of the next building, set my rifle down, and shot one guy in the chest, and another in the head from 400 and 800 yards. Btw, the commanding officer is an idiot and I am the best soldier EVER! And Repeat... throughout the entire book. I may sound cynical, but this was because I paid almost 30 bucks for a book that I thought would be a great read and lend greater insight into the Iraq war, which it did not. If you want a great book about the same general storyline, (the initial spearhead into Iraq after 9/11) read GENERATION KILL, by Evan Wright, which I read prior to SHOOTER. Wright, a Rollingstones writer, describes similar scenarios, but with greater zest, professionalism and actually gets the experiences of war through to the reader.

The author starts his tale by grabbing the reader's attention and then, never lets go. Considering the basis of this autobiography is for popular consumption, the author doesn't go much into detailed or technical points of his profession, but glosses them over while providing enough depth to maintain the atmosphere of authenticity in his story.

Throughout this book, I was always struck by the grit and the realism of the situations presented by the author. The rewards, and costs of being a Marine sniper in a combat situation are palpable, and left an impression with me. As a sniper, they are always aware of the humanity of their targets, who are usually unaware of the fact that they are being targetted from afar, so they have no warning their lives are about to end. It's quite telling when the author admits to being visited by ghosts at night, and I hope that frequency decreases with time.

One of the most important issues the author raises in his autobiography, is the needed change in doctrine for USMC snipers in the modern urban environment. The old tactics are too slow for a rapidly changing urban environment, and snipers can be an effective suppression tool as described in depth by the author.

Overall, I highly recommend this book, mainly for the pure entertainment value of the story presented, but also, as a highly informative source on the fluid nature of warfare in the present conflict in Iraq.

Overall a good and well written book. It surprised me how flowing the narrative was in this book, seeing as it was a biography,and autobiography at that. Shooter has none of the long drawn out side paths to the story, nor setting up one part of the characters life, then another. There is a bit of set-up in the form of the first chapter, and some side paths to the story, non longer then a page and most a single paragraph. The bulk of the story focuses on Gunnery Sgt. Coughlin's envelopment in the training and invasion of Iraq.

There is the occasional cliche' and the book is as gung-ho as would be excepted from a Marine, but the smoothness of the storytelling and the Coughlin's clarity in retelling events far surprised those rather minor complaints.

A quality book all around.

I was a conscientious objector during the Korean war, and before that I went to military school. Now I practice the martial arts as well as write books in psychology. Jack has written a good book revealing what it is like to take your profession seriously. He kills for a living. As long as the world is the way it is and there is armed violence and countries and groups fighting each other, then there is the need for warriors. Jack Coughlin has courage, not just to be in battle, but also to reveal himself. He kills for his country, which means for the rest of us. I have never killed anybody so I don't know the actual experience. But I do know that if you commit to do something, really do it to the best of your ability. Jack kills professionally for a good cause. He reveals to us the attitudes that go with pulling the trigger these days. This makes him honest. What his critics maybe don't get, is that if you are going to kill people and do your job well, then maybe you have to have the ego that is revealed to us in this book. He's strong. He's not passive regarding superiors. He makes known his displeasure at incompetent officers. Why? Because he and his men are online in battle where they can easily get wiped out according to the goofs of others. He is intelligent. An intelligent soldier always has a hard time with stupid officers put in command of him. I know this much from military school.

Jack Coughlin has to live with the thought of having killed a lot of people, and doing it for the rest of us. He has to try and live a normal life. Yes, it is terrible that soldiers have to die in battle, the enemy or ours. I am against violent wars and for alternatives to solving conflicts. But I do not desert the guys who kill for the rest of us. This is an exciting read just because Jack Coughlin shows us what the guy who pulls the trigger is like. This is something I chose not to do with my life, but I respect him for revealing what it is like to be a professional killer, and all he has to deal with. He reveals a lot more of the inner workings of a committed and skilled soldier than any of the characters in Band of Brothers, in which the guys there don't seem to have much in the way of personalities. The more you reveal about yourself the more you involve us in what your life is like. Yes, it raises all the ethical questions. Who is responsible ultimately for creating armies of soldiers whose job it is to kill because of politicians' decisions? Show me the inner workings of a politician now, the guys who make the decisions that make Jack Coughlin and other warriors kill. Take it to the Big Boys. Let's get real with all members of society. Let's get real!

An engaging and interesting autobiography of Marine sniper Jack Coughlin. A good balance of intensity and humor pulled me through the story of the first days of the Iraq War. An enjoyable read. The audio book version is read by Dick Hill a master narrator. Worth the read.

Jack Coughlin and company did a great job at writing the reader into the story, so that you are watching over Jack's shoulder in combat during the rush into Baghdad. Additionally, Coughlin's idea of a mobile sniper unit is unique to this book and satisfying to see the process unfold.

Other reviewers say this book is not worthy of highest praise because it lacks eloquence and Pulitzer-caliber prose. To that, I would say that any title covering military matters should be nothing more than simple, concise, and accurately gritty. "Shooter" has all of these qualities. Anything more or less would either dilute or glorify the nature of war--both of which are unwarranted and undervalue the sacrifices made by those that fight for us.

What would have taken this book from "very good" to an "epic" would be to cover more than the war in Iraq. Coughlin gave several hints of his past skirmishes, and it would have been immensely interesting to see his Marine sniper career solidify over time.

The no less than three credited authors of this book should have looked for a fourth because the three of them together couldn't make this book interesting, much less engrossing. In fact, they likely should have written a fictional account. Although the occasional chapter appears to be building toward a climax, the climax never comes because, as a non-fiction autobiography, the climax never actually happened. What we get instead are snippets of narrative loosely held together by their common subject - Gunnery Sergeant Jack Coughlin, USMC-Ret.

Worse, in several instances, the book comes off as one of the fractured fairy tales common to enlisted soldiers everywhere. For instance, early on, Jack relates how he "won a full athletic scholarship to a major university". However, he never tells us what university, although in other places in the book he relates the actual names of schools attended by his wife and a fellow Marine. In another instance, he speaks of being complimented by a foreign observer who "wore the badges of a special operations unit that I knew well". And what unit would that be and why doesn't he tell us? He also talks of Marines being the "first regular American combat unit to enter Afghanistan" (following 9-11) but in the same paragraph correctly states that both U.S. Army Special Forces and elements of the 10th Mountain Division were in Afghanistan before the Marines arrived (ostensibly but inaccurately "from five aircraft carriers parked in the Arabian Sea.")

What is most bothersome is that he never delves into the science of being a sniper. Rather, he pats his own back for originating the idea of sniping from a HUMVEE in the open vice from a well-prepared hide site. Considering that his weapon significantly out-ranged the enemy, I'm not sure this could be called an evolution in sniper tactics.

Although a quick and very light read, "Shooter" can't compare to Charles Henderson's "Marine Sniper" (regarding sniper legend Carlos Hathcock) or even "One Shot, One Kill" (a history of U.S. snipers) by Charles Sasser and Craig Roberts. I personally wished I had waited for the no doubt soon-to-be-released and less expensive paperback edition.

First I read "Jarhead" then I read "Shooter." If there is anyone I would want to have my back, it's Shooter's Jack Coughlin. If there is anyone I wouldn't want within 20 kliks, it's Jarhead's Anthony Swofford. Shooter is to the point, graphic, well structured and riveting. The tale of the sniper hasn't been as well told since Henderson's story of Carlos Hathcock.

I found one curious statement which surely was a typo. Referring to a position eight stories above the target, Coughlin says "Shooting from such an angle makes a bullet hit BELOW the point of aim . . ." Even an amateur shooter knows that shooting at an angle EITHER uphill or downhill makes the bullet hit ABOVE the target. It's all in the vectors.

Buy it, read it, ignore that one little typo.

A quick paced book with interesting, historical information about the current war in Iraq as well as the Marines. What I liked about the book is how the men describe their journey after 9/11 going to Kuwait and eventually Iraq. One critisizm is that the author comes acrossed as arrogant and full of himself at times detailing his skill and his performance. Davis also frequently describes how he berates and cusses out various superior officers in the book in a Marcinko-esque fashion, but all of this does not detract from his accomplishments.

I like the details given by the author(s) about where they had been and events that they had seen, in particular the chapter about Somolia. Along the same lines as Warrior Soul and Black Hawk down but not quite to that level and depth.

The author/sniper seems to enjoy shooting Iraqis a little too much. Of course, shooting enemies is one of his duties, and he has a right to feel good about doing it well. But the book overflows with cocky statements like "I considered the ill-trained, poorly led soldiers of Iraq to be hamburger in my scope, practically begging me to kill them, and I was more than ready to grant that wish." Still, if you can tolerate the author's apparent machisimo and arrogance, and his constant whining every time his superiors order him to do any job that does not involve shooting, you will get a little piece of action-packed history from the perspective of a person who lived it.

Understanding that Coughlin is not a writer OR proofreader, I'm very pleased that I borrowed rather than purchased this book. Some of the facts in dispute would be: Not knowing that shooting downhill without compensating causes the target to be struck higher not lower. Any "sniper" would know this. A sniper with a weapon short of an artillery piece does not engage a tank as described. At very short range, with the class of rifle used, one does not see the impact of the bullet, the recoil won't allow this. Of course in this instance we may be reading about his overreached confidence in knowing where the bullet should have struck. He claims to have "seen" the bullet strike 1/4"? away from his aiming point. How then does someone receive his bullets twice and live to tell about it? And what of his, of a sudden, interest in keeping this bullet magnet alive? And what of his "unsure of a positive target so let's shoot it anyway" attitude? How about the condescension showed to most if not all officers but his acceptance and coddling and admiration for the FNG officer? His ego is appalling. 1/2 star or less. If the man acted the way it was presented in the book, he is a disgrace to the uniform. If the book was written poorly by the ghostwriter solely, he should have fired the ghostwriter rather than accepting this drivel.

I just finished this book about 5 minutes ago and I must say that I was gripped. Being in the Army since 2007, I was able to connect with him on a lot of his struggles and completely understand exactly what he was trying to say. I also have experience with people of his type and as a result got a lot of humor out of the book that most would have missed.
If you gave this book one star, you have never had live rounds fired at you and have definitely never been immersed in the military culture for months on end. I think bad reviews are simply the result of people not understanding what is being communicated or understanding why it's being explained the way it is.

Reading all the praise below, I had to double check to make sure I was reviewing the correct book. As an avid reader of military non-fiction, I found this to be among the worst I have read. Coughlin takes great pains to declare that he took no joy in his job, yet the book is peppered with with cliche'd macho phrases and terms, like "smoke-check" (used over and OVER again) and "invincible gunslinger persona". I actually laughed out loud a few times at the ridiculous ways that Coughlin refers to himself. The relentless back-talking to superior officers is also a pretty hackneyed feature of this work. And then there is the story, which is really just a loosely assembled account of some events that happened during the initial push to Baghdad. The author's poor command of prose couldn't even make that interesting in and of itself. By the end of the book I suspected that the author was really trying to convince himself, not the reader, that he wasn't getting off on every kill he logged. If you like reading arrogant, self-praising accounts that make use of every military cliche' ever penned, look no further. If you appreciate writing quality, humility, interesting content, and a believable author, seek elsewhere.

This autobiography was a gripping novel that reminds you that there has to be all types in the Military. Coming from a Military rich family, I enjoyed the book even though my Great Uncle, Who was part of the 506th and despsised the Atlantic theatre marines, taught me to think Army before the corps. However I needed to do a project for my AP US history course and this book hit the spot when it came to the Iraq conflict. In response to other comments about how Sgt. Coughlin was a cold blooded killer, I would like to say that somebody has to do the Job and I think that the Gunny didn't enjoy it, but he was good at what he did and he saved alot of Marines during his tour of duty. The Book takes you to the Roof tops of Africa to the Back of a Humvee and into the idea of the 21st century Mobile Sniper Team idea. It is certainly an easy read but keeps you interested and never dissapoints.

This book was certainly a fast paced narrative. Basically, it's a walk through the author's experience in the second Gulf War as a Marine Sniper. I don't particularly think it paints him in glory, and actually found some of his insubordination and whining when things weren't going his way borderline appauling. In places it's as if he's tried to humanize himself by talking about his reaction to certain events and his home life, though the latter gets at best a thin treatment. The writing itself is somewhat forced at times and the language occassionally getting stilted. In general, it was an OK read at best, and even then only if you've got an interest in snipers. I'm not an avid reader of the genre, but I have to figure there are better books of this sort out there.

Jack takes us along on special sniper operations few have ventured, let alone write about. An entertaining read from a guy with a dirty job; one professional who saved a lot of American lives in the heat of battle. Without mentally-tough men like him who can think outside the box and convince leaders that their ideas have merit, our military forces would be ineffective. I could relate to the feelings he revealed about his relationship with the wife he had to leave at home.

This book is supposed to be an autobiography, but, despite over a decade's service in the Marine Corp, the vast majority of this book deals with the author's experiences while serving in the Iraq War for about a month. The writing is passable, but it real seems as though the author was really hacking it out so he could get it published as soon as possible. I was hoping for something more incisive. Still, definitely worth a read if you want a better understanding of the nature of combat in the Iraq War.

Despite the braggadicio title,this is actually the autobiography of a humble Marine.Actually the title should say "with over 200 unconfirmed lives saved",but unfortunately this wouldn't sell books.That's the snipers job,to save lives and this marine did it well.I particularly enjoyed the story of how the sniper team was shooting the engine blocks of Iraqi civilians so that they wouldn't drive their cars into a "killing zone".Not to mention how many U.S. boys were saved by the Marine snipers who discovered hidden ambuscades of the Iraqi soldiers and guerillas.There is alot of tension in this book as the Marine makes his instantaneous decision to terminate a life or not.You can literally feel his brain evaluating the threat.He does not take this decision lightly.
This book is the story of a middle class youth who survives the quality control of the Marine sniper schools and rises to the top of his profession through years of war and trials.In the middle of his tour in Iraq he is confronted by a divorce with no support from his homefront family,but still he goes about his job as if nothing was amiss.You have to admire that type of dedication.I really appreciate people like this Marine.This book gives you a healthy respect for our public servants such as the military,police fireman,paramedics,etc. the list is just too long.Underpaid and at times underrespected they go about their jobs on our behalf.

This is an Outstanding book! I am a former Marine and bought the book after seeing a friend who was reading it. After reading a few pages, I couldn't put it down. It's an easy read, filled with stories of the Marine Corps and Jack's assignments.

A must read for Marines and anyone interested in combat.

Joe

New Orleans, LA.

Jack takes us along on special sniper operations few have ventured, let alone write about. An entertaining read from a guy with a dirty job; one professional who saved a lot of American lives in the heat of battle. Without mentally-tough men like him who can think outside the box and convince leaders that their ideas have merit, our military forces would be ineffective. I could relate to the feelings he revealed about his relationship with the wife he had to leave at home.

This book is supposed to be an autobiography, but, despite over a decade's service in the Marine Corp, the vast majority of this book deals with the author's experiences while serving in the Iraq War for about a month. The writing is passable, but it real seems as though the author was really hacking it out so he could get it published as soon as possible. I was hoping for something more incisive. Still, definitely worth a read if you want a better understanding of the nature of combat in the Iraq War.

Despite the braggadicio title,this is actually the autobiography of a humble Marine.Actually the title should say "with over 200 unconfirmed lives saved",but unfortunately this wouldn't sell books.That's the snipers job,to save lives and this marine did it well.I particularly enjoyed the story of how the sniper team was shooting the engine blocks of Iraqi civilians so that they wouldn't drive their cars into a "killing zone".Not to mention how many U.S. boys were saved by the Marine snipers who discovered hidden ambuscades of the Iraqi soldiers and guerillas.There is alot of tension in this book as the Marine makes his instantaneous decision to terminate a life or not.You can literally feel his brain evaluating the threat.He does not take this decision lightly.
This book is the story of a middle class youth who survives the quality control of the Marine sniper schools and rises to the top of his profession through years of war and trials.In the middle of his tour in Iraq he is confronted by a divorce with no support from his homefront family,but still he goes about his job as if nothing was amiss.You have to admire that type of dedication.I really appreciate people like this Marine.This book gives you a healthy respect for our public servants such as the military,police fireman,paramedics,etc. the list is just too long.Underpaid and at times underrespected they go about their jobs on our behalf.

As a decorated Viet Nam veteran I truly enjoyed reading Gunnery Sergeant Jack Coughlin's account of his and Captain Casey S Kuhlman's sniper related adventures in Iraq. However, I have to wonder why these valiant Marines write about a mobile fast strike sniper force and fail to give any credit for even a germ of the idea to Colonel John `Forty-Second' Boyd? See "Boyd, The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War" by Robert Coram, Chapter Twenty Eight "Semper Fi". At least Coughlin and Kuhlman were allowed to and able to implement these tactics, no matter what the source.

War is hell, reading a good book about it is easier.

"Dustoff Tower"
93rd Evac `68-`70
Long Bien Vietnam

Sgt. Coughlin was the top Marine sniper, and he carried the sniper's role to a new level--a mobile, up-front weapon--in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The story is wonderfully well told. I haven't had a more satisfying combat read since Ed Rasimus's "When Thunder Rolled". A great book about an outstanding warrior (no matter who's responsible for the prose: the gunnery sergeant, his lieutenant, or their ghost writer). Get it and read it! -- Dan Ford

Having read both books about Gunnery Sgt. Hathcock I was impressed not only with his technical abilities but also his modesty,humility,leadership and devotion to the Corps.

I can sum up Coughlin's technical abilities as possibly being equal to Hathcock's but there the comparison ends. To me, what clearly came across in this book,is Coughlin's attitude of being a "legend in his own mind". He seems more concerned with looking bad in front of his fellow Marines while at the same time, beating the drum for the mystique(his in particular)of the scout/sniper.

He takes many cheap shots at "Officer Bob" and takes exception to his being awarded a commendation medal and a bump up promotion.Obviously, higher ranking officers must have thought differently than Coughlin regarding "Bob's" abilities including Coughlin's own CO(McCoy)who could haved disapproved both awards.

Seriously? Let's pat ourselves on the back a little more, shall we? I really wish I'd read the reviews on this book before blowing the money on it. As a sniper in the U.S. Army, I've read almost every book on snipers, and this rates as the WORST on my shelf. It was a complete waste of money. I have never wanted to tell an "author" (if you could possibly call him that) how badly I hated their book until I read this drivel. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, in fact, it should be taken off the shelves. For all of us professional snipers in the sniper community, there's always one or two of these guys who want to glamorize their little insignificant roles they may (or may not) have played in the big picture. Coughlin gives us REAL snipers a bad name with this book.

While reading this book you feel like your looking through the scope of Gunny Coughlins sniper rifle. He brings you into the highs and lows of todays battlefield. Gunny Coughlins experience as a Marine sniper is his own not Gunny Hackworths or any other

sniper. I'm sure Gunny Coughlin has the utmost respect for his craft and all other snipers who came before him and all to come in the future. To give a bad review because of advancements in weapon technology is to show disrespect to the craft and to the marine sniper and Gunny Coughlin. Semper Fi.

Shooter is an excellent book, filled with plenty of real world action, but that is not the strength of it. Shooter puts you into the mind of the sniper, as you attempt to understand the conflict of emotion a sniper endures. When reading through the book, you often have to stop, and remind yourself, that this book is written by real people describing actual events, not some fiction tale typed up by someone who hasn't "been there". If you want to truly understand the combat environment, and not read a list of chronological events, or the distorted views of sideline observers, read Shooter.

Let's face it -- there are great authors and there are great warriors, but great author-warriors are few and far between. "Shooter" proves this point, even when the warrior has an author helping him to write the book. "Shooter" is about Gunnery Sergeant Jack Coughlin, a USMC sniper. That he is one of the best there is no doubt. Although his career spans further, we see Coughlin in Somalia and Iraq, not really stopping anywhere else in between (which is too bad). Nevertheless, Coughlin comes across as the outstanding Marine that he is, and the reader will agree with the assessment of one of Coughlin's superior officers who states, "I'm just glad [Couglin's] on our side."

"Shooter", however, gets mixed up on what it wants to be: an insightful, introspective look into the mind of a man who is, after all, a professional killer (among other things) or a look at the life of a Marine specialist on the front lines. In the end, Shooter fails to deliver enough of either, and that is disappointing. With regard to the "insight" part of the book, Coughlin dutifully tell us that he holds no illusions about what his job is and what that means, how he never feels good taking human life, and how sometimes his targets show up in his dreams. On the other hand, he spends an incredible amount of time in the book complaining about how he is being left behind from the action in Iraq, which is essentially him complaining about not having enough opportunities to go out and kill people. Coughlin doesn't go into enough detail about how his job affects him personally for the reader to really care about how the job might affect him personally. For example, Coughlin experiences marital troubles that are all too common in military families. But this area is treated in such a cursory manner that the reader is left to wonder what happened, e.g., was it the strain of being apart, did Coughlin's wife realize she was waking up next to a professional killer every morning, or what? The point is that we don't know and we don't really care because Coughlin never gives the reader enough to care about.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't necessarily care about the lack of the touchy-feely stuff, as long as the book has some good, rip-roaring war stories to tell. And there are some good moments in "Shooter". Most of all, the reader will be amazed at how good this guy is at his job when he is allowed to do it and especially when he is allowed to do it in a manner that maximizes his talents. The unfortunate part of being a great sniper, however, is that there is very little drama involved in shooting people who are, for the most part, either too far away to shoot back at you or simply not aware that you are even there. Coughlin makes up for this by giving a good look at life on the front lines and some really cool insight into the technical part of being a sniper. I think this could have been maximized even more if the book had been entitled "Shooters", and it had been about the entire group of snipers Coughlin deployed with, instead of just being about him. In that way, some of the other characters could have been developed a little more and the action could have kept going a little more (read Robert Mason's "Chickenhawk" and you'll see what I mean). As it is, we learn much more about Coughlin's crusade to have snipers used in a much more active fashion on the battle field than we do about the people around him, and his crusade just isn't that interesting, plain and simple.

Don't get me wrong -- this is a solid book, and I am thankful for Coughlin's service and for the fact that he is on our side. And I'm sure Coughlin has some wicked stories; I just wish he had shared a few more of them with us.

"Shooter" is a must read for anyone interested in people. Once started, this is a book that cannot be put down. It takes you behind the job of sniper and introduces you to the person that must do that job. I am not a war person and do not like violence but once into the book, it is a page turner that kept me totally involved in Jack's outlook and ideology of protecting the troops and making our world safer. The author keeps the action moving at the same time as he personalizes a sniper and the mind set of his job. He makes Jack a real person and makes you want him to be successful at this job. It is not a job for just anyone .... it takes a special type of person. The history of Somalia and Mogadishu brought the reader forward into the Iraq situation and the necessity for changing old patterns. This is a current history lesson with actions that we can all identify with. This is a book for anyone that enjoys action, personalities and behind the scenes background and it keeps your attention throughout. The banter between the soldiers makes them real and you are constantly rooting for them to be successful in each mission. I strongly recommend this to anyone. A great book!!!

What a book.... The amount of motivation, devotion and sacrafice Gunny Coughlin and 99% of all service members give is amazing. I have nothing but the ut-most respect for what Gunny Coughlin has done for this country. No need to analyze anything but the fact he was willing to give his LIFE for his fellow marines and Country along with all the other brave souls willing to do the same. How can anybody complain about this country when such brave men and women are out there trying to protect us 24/7 and sacrificing everything we take for granted. SEMPER FI.

There are too many good alternatives to bother with this selection. I have nothing against the author, I'm sure he's a patriot and a good sniper, but he's certainly no storyteller. I read quite a bit of military history, and I've found several current titles that are real winners. Not this one.

The author (Jack Coughlin) is a chest-thumping braggart, who comes off like that kid in 8th grade who told everyone how great he was (and everyone wished he would just shut up). Coughlin tells us over and over what a macho tough guy he is, and how good he is, and how insubordinate he was to his superiors, and how indispensible he was, blah, blah. It might appeal to some 13 year olds, but not a mature reader.

The only reason I finished the book is because the details of action were interesting (not to be confused with "well-written), and it was a quick read. I do recommend "Not a Good Day to Die," by Sean Naylor and "One Bullet Away," by Nathaniel Fick. Both are well-written and interesting. "One Bullet Away" is particularly good. It figures, he's a Dartmouth grad.

Shooter is a action packed book about a top-ranked marine sniper, Gunnery Sgt. Jack Coughlin in Operation Iraqi Freedom 2002. Going through sandstorms and unexpected firefights in Iraq Coughlin one by one took down major targets. The invincible sniper takes you through the emotions of war because of family, friends, and the death of your favorite marines. Coughlin done a good job in Operation Iraqi Freedom and telling a story of his own war. I think anybody who is intrested in adventure, war, and violence or just the Iraqi war, should read this book!

Shooter is truely the best war story ever told.

First of Jack Coughlin was never a sniper. While he may have been a fine marine that's up for debate if he has to lie about what he did to sell books.
The book is full on inconsistency's and tactical errors that would most likely get you killed. Other reviewers have given plenty of fine books to read instead of this. Save your money, and if you already own this book you might as well use it to steady that wiggly leg of your coffee table it would be much better suited for that.

Good true to life story but a little sanitized which is OK since it isn't always necessary to be overly graphic. By the way I support our troops and the Iraqi Freedom mission. All the best Mr. Jack in your decision to retire. Thank you for your service to this great country.

I have been reading a series of autobiographical accounts of modern day warriors and had high hopes for this title. As others have pointed out, Coughlin's ego can be suffocating at times. This could be forgiven if it were the books only flaw. Alas it is not. The writing is amateurish at best and the author's overuse of adjective and hyperbole is very distracting. The language is disjointed and unnatural as if it were written with the heavy use of a thesaurus. Again this could be forgiven as we're reading this book for a soldier's account, not that of an English grad student.

This book offers a stark contrast in comparison with Nathaniel Fick's "One Bullet Away." Whereas Fick seems to be an intelligent, thoughtful and humble warrior whose primary concern is the welfare of his men, Coughlin conveys himself as a shallow intellect with more concern for personal glory and satisfaction than anything else. He is a team player when he hand picks the team and considers them worthy of his own company.

You cannot know a person from reading their writing but Coughlin's character development is very superficial. His attempts to convey a "human side" are unbelievable and seem grossly contrived. This is a great contrast to the character development in "One Bullet." There is no connection between author and reader in "Shooter." Coughlin does not develop the role players either. In "One Bullet" you really feel the brotherhood developed among the officer, his NCOs and the enlisted men. Additionally, Coughlin's demeaning descriptions of his support staff (non-trigger pullers) is tedious and only reinforces doubts about his team ethic.

To make matters worse the action isn't as well developed as in other titles. The author's self-congratulatory tone and emphasis on personal exploits, with plenty of after-action chest thumping, obscures the view of battle. He spends little time on the finer elements of sniper tradecraft, training and shooting. This can be found elsewhere.

Overall this book was a great disappointment. If only a fraction of Coughlin's self-acclaimed exploits are true, then he is a remarkable sniper. He should let his accomplishments speak for themselves and not try to beat us over the head with them.

As a professional clinical psychologist for 49 years I offer this comment: I have not yet read Mr. Coughlin's book, but I studied closely his 1 hr C-Span interview (6-5-05). I was impressed by a number of things: most importantly, Mr. Coughlin's professionalism and his superb dedication to the seriousness of his "job." (He has not touched a weapon for 2 years and has never before, or since his sniper work had an interest in the "recreational" nature of guns.) At least in his professional role he has been the Supreme Realist: Dispassionate, objective, intelligent, self-critical as appropriate, yet still with a pronounced touch of humanity for humans he must "eliminate." As a front-line psychotherapist I consider Reality as a preeminent factor in helping people deal with their personal-emotional and external worlds. In his professional role Mr. Coughlin would be my finest exemplar. On the face of it, again, in his professional role, Mr. C. was "a man for all seasons." I hope hr reads this commentary. And I would urge others to read his book not just for its excitement but most importantly for its modeling of how to adapt to the Realities of a very, very difficult world. Dr. HJG