Sniper One: The Blistering True Story of a British Battle Group Under Siege

Very different from my usual reading, this is a first-person account of the British Army’s Princess of Wales’s Regiment during their deployment to Iraq in 2004, with a particular focus on the sniper platoon. The book largely covers the period from arrival in April to departure in August, detailing the unexpectedly intense action they encountered.

The book is really well written for keeping drawing you in from chapter to chapter. Interwoven with accounts of engagements are exchanges between soldiers, reflections on how they coped, their relationships with command, thoughts of home, and a closing look at what many of them went on to do afterwards. It’s a granular, boots-on-the-ground account that offers a clear window into a very show more specific experience.

I’ve seen other reviews describe the narrator as arrogant, racist, sexist — arguably a lot of “-ists” — and I don’t dispute that those elements are present. There are sweeping stereotypes, crude humour, and language that is often uncomfortable, particularly in how women are discussed. Some of this may reflect the period being described, but that doesn’t make it any easier to read now.

One moment that particularly stayed with me was Dan’s description of contact with home, and his decision not to tell his partner what was really happening because he couldn’t find words that wouldn’t terrify them. There are also quieter acknowledgements of one of the Army’s enduring challenges: the people most willing and able to operate on the front line often come from social contexts where prejudices are more entrenched, because that’s how they were raised.

As a sniper, Dan is explicit that you cannot think about the life of the person you’re targeting - they have to remain just that, a target. While I personally found many of the jokes cruel and the language offensive, I also recognise that these soldiers were fighting for their lives and for the protection of a democratic system that allows people like me to criticise them freely. They were doing a job many people would not want to do - or recruitment would not be such a challenge - yet one that remains necessary when the opposing side is not willing to resolve conflict through dialogue.

In that context, I’m wary of judging an unfiltered account without also acknowledging the broader responsibility society has to shift cultural norms long before people reach situations like this. There’s also the question of the book’s purpose: is it to document experience, or to inspire future recruits? If it’s the latter, Mills is clear that you need to be a certain kind of person to cope, and those considering that path deserve to know - warts and all - what it can involve.

Overall, I found the level of detail fascinating, if frequently unsettling, and I’m left curious to read other first-hand accounts to better understand how experiences differ across roles, regiments, and conflicts, and if culture has changed at all in the subsequent decades. show less

Meh. 1.5 stars. I’d welcomed the chance to get a UK sniper’s perspective on the fighting in Iraq in ‘04, but while the author’s bravery is appreciated, his arrogance, jingoism, racism, sexism, and obvious disdain for most Iraqis are not. There’s also some stupid technical errors, like the reference to the F-16 as “launched from carriers in the Gulf” and other technical errors that are either bad editing or just sloppiness / negligence by the author. Basically, what you have here is the proverbial “ugly American” but swap Brit for American. The audible performance is fine and this review isn’t a reflection of that performance.

Thoroughly enjoyed this first-hand account of the British siege of Al Amarah and what they went through to hold that position. Lots of good sniper lore here, even more interesting stuff about how men cope under those kind of prolonged battle conditions. Not the usual sneak-and-peek and shoot, but a story about men under siege.

Unflinching look of a British Sniper and his time in Iraq. The book tells it like it was, warts an all. The good times, the bad times, the feelings that take over one during combat. Book reads like a novel and flows excellently, it was hard to put this one down. Top notch look at modern warfare through a foreign serviceman's eyes.

Sgt. Dan Mills harrowing account of daily life for the 1st Battalion of the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment stationed in Iraq, is one page-turning scenario after another. As a small but formidable sniper platoon sent to win over the Iraqi people, they found themselves deployed into the center of what seemed to be limitless attacks by well-organized militias with only murder on their minds. I liked that the no-nonsense story delivered on a level that put you behind the scope, and didn't ram patriotism down your throat. They were there to do a thankless job, and Mills method of delivery is easily understood and appreciated.

Unflinching look of a British Sniper and his time in Iraq. The book tells it like it was, warts an all. The good times, the bad times, the feelings that take over one during combat. Book reads like a novel and flows excellently, it was hard to put this one down. Top notch look at modern warfare through a foreign serviceman's eyes.

What a great read... compelling true story of British army life in Iraq whilst under siege.
Well written, and I couldn't put it down.