Book Review: A Sniper's Conflict

A Sniper’s Conflict

I read a peculiar story, a strange encounter for her, by blog buddy Gil, which spurred me on to finish this book review. It seems a competition for the longest (farthest away) sniper kill, with records listed on Wiki, make this information public.

I've been avoiding reading this book. Sometimes, when life throws you a curve, you simply must avoid death and gore. It was time to review this book.

What an autobiography, A Sniper’s Conflict! He pulls no punches, as far as I can tell. He calls himself Monty B, this author. It's a pretty gruesome saga, with gory details about death, sniper kills, and dying. There are some photos, as well. Some faces, of soldiers still living with faces blurred to protect them. Many were lost, as we know.

Royal Marine snipers with L115A1 rifles
Francis Flinch at en.wikipedia

It was an timely read, in that there is much fooferaw around American sniper Chris Kyle ((April 8, 1974 – February 2, 2013), whose autobiography resulted in the US movie, American Sniper. Kyle and a buddy, Chad Littlefield, were murdered on a shooting range. Sad tale. There are those calling the movie War Porn. I would go with this. The media someone called the 'lifeblood of terrorism.' This is what fuels young men to go overseas, armed and dangerous. This is what motives the young women, looking for excitement.

This book, A Sniper’s Conflict is very precise in teaching the reader how to focus, hold a breathe, relax and prepare to shoot an insurgent. Monty B was a sniper instructor for 14 years of his 26-year career, and taught many others the discipline of sniping. He served in operational tours in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. I found it gruesome. It is truly an manual for being a sniper.

There is a glossary of terms, for we know how fond the military is of acronyms!
His writing is excellent, with colourful language, as one would expect.

He also manages, for me, to explain PTSD.

"It is only when you are back in the sanctuary and security of your patrol base... Then when you finally get chance to put your head down, your mind and body let you know what the F you have just put them through as you lie there in would-be silence with the battle noise still ringing in your ears. Surrounded by complete darkness, you finally try to close your eyes and rest but there is one more final battle: a battle against the still very active and conscious mind and aching body that only you as an individual can fight. All you need and want to do is simply shut your eyes and rest and make it all go away."

He writes eloquently of the landscape and the arrival of dawn.

Light was slowly penetrating through the dark clouds that blanketed the heavens, breaking through and beaming down onto the earth below. As I observed this effect it reminded me of the images associated with a classic old big-budget biblical Hollywood epic...Gradually the darkness was replaced by bright colour: a mixture of light purple and red that tainted the low-lying dark clouds and skyline on the far horizon."

From a UK news article: The father of two, who has written a book about his experiences called A Sniper’s Conflict  under the pseudonym "Monty B", adds: “I can’t emphasise enough that sniping is not about shooting every day. It’s about hours and hours of observation.” 

This from a YouTube video synopsis

Certainly, this overseas conflict is hitting us here in the Ottawa Valley.

Two Ottawa Valley locals, each on different sides in the Middle East
They estimate that perhaps 100 young people have gone to fight in the ISIS battle, including our MPP Randy Hiller's son, Dillon Hillier, who fought with the Kurds.
Then there is John McGuire, who was fighting with ISIL.