Trigger Men

Shadow Team, Spider-Man, the Magnificent Bastards, American Combat Sniper

By: Hans Halberstadt

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Combat veteran and author Hans Halberstadt takes listeners deeper inside the elusive world of snipers than ever before, from recruitment and training to the brutality of the killing fields.

Shadow Team is probably the most productive sniper team in American military history, accounting for 276 confirmed kills in a six-month span with no casualties of its own. The team's leader made what was - and may still be - the longest range kill with a 7.62mm rifle. For the first time ever, team members explain what it's like to kill a man and what it takes to become one of the elite.

The tragic tale of Headhunter Two is altogether different. This four-man sniper team from a regiment known within the Corps as the Magnificent Bastards was killed in 2004 in Ramadi, Iraq. Their deaths not only caused a reevaluation of sniper tactics and techniques but also created a desire for vengeance that was exacted nearly two years later in dramatic fashion.

Based on hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews, Halberstadt gets inside the sniper mind and shows how snipers think and interact with each other, how missions are planned and executed, how the weapons work, and even what happens when a bullet finally strikes its target.

There are only a few hundred snipers from all the services put together in combat at any one time, making this true inside story a rare and important event.

©2008 Hans Halberstadt (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"For those looking for a thorough primer on the role of the military sniper in today's counterinsurgency missions, this is a solid introduction." ( Publishers Weekly)

Too much repitition

Save yourself the time. After you listen to the first two war stories and equipment descriptions it's just the same thing over and over and over again. Turn it off and move on. YOu won't miss a thing.

Brutally Repetitive

While I am very grateful for the work these Soldiers and Marines do, this book was repetitive to the point that I found myself thinking of other books I have listened to while listening to Trigger Men. Here's the book in a nutshell: Snipers are misunderstood and often poorly used. Repeat twelve times then shelve.

Are you a shooter - read this book; if not don't

This book is a good supporting read for the sniper in you life. Not for the casual reader, far too detailed and in the weeds for the non-shooter world. A few interesting stories, but many "lessons and pointer" are repeated over and over....

Yawn Factory

I've been listening to books on audible for three years. In that time I haven't written a single review, either positive or negative. Unfortunately, this book is so bad, I have to break my silence. After two hours of listening, I was still waiting for some kind of point. It says "Wow, snipers are super high speed and neato." Then it proceeds to rinse and repeat for seven plus hours. Just really bad. For a great read try Big Boy Rules. Or if you're in the mood for a classic, try E.B. Sledge.

Narration Issues

Would you try another book from Hans Halberstadt and/or Johnny Heller?

Perhaps, if a different narrator.

What was most disappointing about Hans Halberstadt’s story?

The story was okay, just not one of the better books I have listened to lately.

How could the performance have been better?

The voice would either be very quiet or to the other extreme very loud.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Trigger Men?

None