Customer Reviews:
 For those who miss Carlos... May 17, 2008
This is a book that was published after Calos' passing. It is well written, a loving rememberance of a friend near to the author. If you are touched by deep patriotism or just rugged independence and dedication to one's peers there is no finer story that brings these qualities to light than that of Calos Hathcock II.
Something that must be said September 26, 2007
This is a book that tells a story that is little known beyond the ranks of the military. It should be known by all as it is one of the things that has maintained our freedom thru the years. The book is well written and to the point.
 Honor; Duty; Country ... August 5, 2007
I believe the following quote best speaks to Carlos Hathcock; the Marine; the man.
" The only guide to a man is his conscience; the only shield to his memory is the rectitude and sincerity of his actions. It is very imprudent to walk through like without this shield, because we are so often mocked by the failure of our calculation; but with this shield, however the fates may play, we march always in the ranks of honor".
I felt compelled to write the above after reading the dual 1-star posts from "a reader" who basically called Mr. Hathcock a liar, fraud and phony.
He starts out with one line of praise then basically says Mr. Hathcock was a phony and his story a con job.
Of course he offers no facts or evidence to support his claims.
Just another who disrespects and spits on those who have served; are serving and will serve.
He should be ashamed.
You sir/"a reader", will never walk among the ranks of honor.
Silent Warrior January 9, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Fills in lots of the details the Marine Sniper leaves out. Read Marine Sniper first then this and you will have to complete story. There is some repition but not enough to bore you.
Solid Writing, Exceptional Story, Enough Said July 6, 2005
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I purchased this book as I have always been interested in the stories behind war. I am not very interested in the war itself, but rather the stories of the people who fight the wars.
This book is a biography of Carlos Hathcock. Being born after the Vietnam War, the name typically would have meant nothing to me except I ran into the son of one of Hathcock's "trainees" and Hathcock's name always stuck with me.
Hathcock was just another Marine in Vietnam. He was an elite marksman with a rifle, yet this was ignored and upon arriving in Vietnam, Hathcock was assigned to a desk job in an MP battalion as a watch commander. After serving as an MP for a while, a "freak" occurrence required Hathcock to use his marksmanship skills to take out an enemy shooter who had attacked the base. The enemy solider was to be taken out at his village. From there, Hathcock's career rapidly progresses into becoming a sniper. The book covers Hathcock's legendary career as a sniper. During two tours of duty, Hathcock racked up almost 100 confirmed kills and numerous other unconfirmed kills. Hathcock became so good at what he did, the enemy offered a $20,000 bounty to the person who killed Hathcock or his partner. The enemy formulated several special groups and executed some brilliant strategies to try and take out the "white feather".
My meager words could never do justice to the author. Reading the book is like watching a poetic war drama. The eloquence the author uses in this book is mesmerizing. The scenes are described in such vivid detail, I felt like I was there, hearing bullets buzz above my head, listening to my heart pounding, watching the blood of an unfortunate soldier soak into the earth, as I see the person next to me squeeze the trigger to silence the enemy soldier's rifle. The stories in the book range from humorous, victorious, heroic, then to disheartening. To the people who are unfamiliar with Hathcock's story, the end of Hathcock's days in Vietnam is shocking, but not surprising. I was most impressed by the humanity Hathcock expressed. He never looked at it as killing an enemy solder, rather he saw his job as saving the lives of American soldiers. I also found some of the stories in the book familiar, as I recognized bits and pieces I've seen in movies over the years (probably the most well-known being the "scope" episode, which is in the movie "Saving Private Ryan". I'm guessing this is based on Hathcock's story).
This is by far one of the best books I have read that cover the life of a soldier. I would highly recommend this book to people interested in the life of a sniper or are interested in soldiers of the Vietnam War.
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