The sniper has rightly been called the big-game hunter of the battlefield. For most soldiers combat is an impersonal affair of "us" against "them", but for the sniper it is a deadly one-to-one confrontation. He operates alone - or with a single companion - employing all the skills of a hunter to track his chosen target. He may have to remain in place for hours, sometimes even days, without making any movement that could betray his position, before he is able to fire the single shot that brings down his prey. Snipers have gained a reputation out of all proportion to the numbers involved - and have become a new battlefield elite. This book tells the story of snipers and sniping, following its historical and military development. It also analyses the special skills required of a sniper and considers his effectiveness in combat, and looks at the impact of modern technology on sniping. Among the major points of interest will be sniping 1900-1945, functions and attributes of the sniper, the US approach, the British and Commonwealth tradition, different national approaches, and the role of the sniper in the modern battlefield.