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. ( )

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. ( )

From here: "Two good books"

Dan seems to have escaped the MOD's battle to throttle comment by serving soldiers - he actually praises Director Public Relations (Army) on the dedications page. Some of the aspects of the siege of Cimic House have been written about before - (then) Pte Johnson Beharry won his VC for actions on this tour and it has also been covered in Richard Holmes "Dusty Warriors", however this is a compelling eye-witness account from a Senior NCO who was there for almost the whole period of the significant action - covering the pull-out of the Coalition Provisional Authority, the to-and-fro battles with the Mehdi Army and their commanders in the OMS and leaving just before the handover to the Iraqi authorities. Sgt Mills doesn't like Al Amarah; he, like many Sergeants, is sceptical of his officers but extremely positive about the good ones and, like so many of his rank in wars gone past, clearly the backbone of the British Army. He cares for his men (and, with one exception, seems to really like them) and is rewarded by loyalty and bravery in the fight.

The unique point of view of the commander of the sniper platoon allows a further privelleged account of the trials and tribulations of the battle - the changes in RoE (Rules of Engagement) and how they were exploited by the Iraqis and the care necessary when fighting in a built up area. Read this book - with one caveat - it is slightly over a tenner from Amazon, you may wish to wait for the paperback. ( )