Sniper

American Single-Shot Warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan

By: Gina Cavallaro, Matt Larsen

Narrated by: Jo Anna Perrin, Johnny Heller

Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

From Afghanistan's Hindu Kush peaks and sunbaked Helmand Valley to Baghdad, Mosul and Ramadi in Iraq, American snipers have braved heart-pounding situations to hit their human targets dead-on. Few military feats stir the imagination like the image of a pair of riflemen waiting quietly in a building, a bomb crater, or a mountain pass for a Taliban or Al Qaeda fighter to walk into their crosshairs. Sniper presents real-life tales from the military's frontline snipers---their hits and their misses, the anguish of loss, and the anxiety of the first kill. Authors Gina Cavallaro and Matt Larsen provide riveting accounts of American soldiers and marines on the battlefield, and take a rare look at how Rangers and Special Forces snipers train and operate, and how the war on terror has changed the role of military snipers.

©2010 Gina Cavallaro with Matt Larsen (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"The best-of-the-best snipers in action today discuss gunfights, long distance shots, stalking, and more. This is real, it is stirring, and yes, even horrifying." ( Shelf Life)

Great Material, Needs a better Narrator

Where does Sniper rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Great stories, but a slight twist from what Im used to in that it talked more about feelings and emotions. Im more interested in the actual events, tactics, and the experiences; but this book seemed to branch into the "how does that make you feel?" touchy side of being a sniper. Different.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sniper?

The main takeaway from the book was that it attempted to pull the emotional effects their stories, again, just different

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Absolutely despised the way this book was read. I could go on and on, but the narrator needs to really improve on her performance. For example: 1. The volume changes as you speak into the microphone and then away from the microphone. It is as if the narrator was reading a book in her lap, and looked down at it to read, and then speak back and forth to the microphone. So the volume just went up and down, up and down. Horrible!!!

2. Her voice and inflections on the story didn't match the content. For example, at the end of the sentence her voice went up when she said "...he said." But it sounds like she was about to start the sentence with those words "He said..." Confusing!

3. Please don't ever try to attempt a New England accent; that is a poor attempt. Really, all the accents attempted were just plain horrible

4. Just skip the attempts at a regional accent and just read it plainly next time. It's the content we are after, not making it into some kind of a theatrical play. I would have rather heard the Monty Python's old British ladies reading this book!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Content was fair to good; the main narrator ruined it though

Poor naration and organization

I was disappointed with this title. It's a collection of anecdotes (many of which were interesting), but without any apparent organization. What really stood out, however, was the naration. It was dreadful. I presume that the publisher employed professional voice actors, but they repeatedly butchered every accent they attempted.

Disappointing

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Not really. Given the amount of material available, it was less than satisfactory

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Most: based on fact
Least: boringly described and performed

What aspect of Jo Anna Perrin and Johnny Heller ’s performance would you have changed?

They did not excite

Could you see Sniper being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No

Narrators

Don’t use a female to narrate combat scenario. Worse when a woman tries to imitate a male voice. Horrible!!

Not Your Usual Sniper Book

If you are looking for a heart pounding, macho book about war and snipers you will not find this book satisfying, and I would suggest among the many others out there, Seal Team Six. This is a smaller take on the subject, and having a woman reporter, a bit more emotional. This embedded reporter discusses the topic in a series of interviews with Snipers in situ in Iraq and Afghanistan and many of the stories seem like a stream of consciousness. I enjoyed the book. As to the narration, I didn't have the same problem as the previous reviewer. It was fine for me, but in terms of audiobooks and narrators, one man's ceiling is another man's floor. The appreciation or lack of it, is in the ear of the listener, so totally subjective.

Horrible narration

Awful narration, couldn’t stand it. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Possibly the worst narrarators on the site!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The narrarator should be fired. The book may have been more acceptable if narrorated by someone with reading skills, a good voice, and tallent.
Jo Anna Perrin makes a mockery of the characters by trying to force a manly sounding voice. Sounds like a mother playing monster with her children. It's bad and unprofessional. Ruined the book.

What could Gina Cavallaro and Matt Larsen have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

nothing

Would you be willing to try another one of Jo Anna Perrin and Johnny Heller ’s performances?

Never

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger at the poor quality of the narrarator.

Couldn't even finish!

Would you try another book from Gina Cavallaro and Matt Larsen and/or Jo Anna Perrin and Johnny Heller ?

The book had some good information, but wasn't really a story. The narration was horrible!!I struggled through half of the book and then had to give up. Couldn't even finish.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

As I said there were some interesting facts and accounts of sniper activity, but it was jumbled up and delivered horribly

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Absolutely

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Pain