Throughout World War II German snipers were obliged to carry a Scharfshutzen Buch which recorded every kill. Each success noted had to be verified by a witness & signed by a superior officer. The journal of Sutkus is one of only a few such books to have survived the war. It records more than 200 kills placing him as one of the wars most successful snipers. A large part of his journal is reproduced for the first time here. As a Hitler Youth member his skill as a marksman was quickly noted & in July 1943 aged 19 he was drafted into the Wehrmacht. A month later he was sent on a five month snipers course in Wilna after which he was posted to the Eastern Front. He was so successful that his superiors sent him to crucial positions. Despite his age he was regarded as one of Germanys best snipers & in November 1944 he was awarded the Scharfshutzenabzeichen 3 Stufe
- the highest award for a sniper. After being wounded in January 1945 Sutkus was given time to recuperate away from the Eastern Front. During this time he met a Red Cross nurse to whom he gave all his journal. When the war finished Sutkus was forced to join the Red Army. He deserted to join the Lithuanian resistance fighters. After being captured again he was tortured by the KGB & deported to Siberia to endure forced labour. It was not until the collapse of the Soviet Union that he was able return to Germany & find his journal still in the hands of the same nurse.
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Revered by some as the ultimate warrior & condemned by others as ruthless assassins
- the combat sniper is more than just a crack
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We all saw it at once. Half a dozen voices screamed Grenade! simultaneously. Then everything went into slow motion. The grenade took an age to travel through its 20 metre arc. A dark small oval-shaped package of misery the size of a peach.. . April 2004: Dan Mills & his platoon of snipers fly into southern Iraq part of an infantry battalion sent to win hearts & minds. They were soon fighting for their lives. Back home we were told they were peacekeeping. But there was no peace to keep. Because within days of arriving in theatre Mills & his men were caught up in the longest most sustained fire fight British troops had faced for over fifty years. This awe-inspiring account tells of total war in throat-burning winds & fifty-degree heat blasted by mortars & surrounded by heavily armed militias. For six months they fought alone: isolated besieged & under constant enemy fire. Their heroic stand a modern-day Rorkes Drift. ...

The Sniper Pocket Book the next in the planned series of handy must have Military Pocket Books. Sniper is a collaboration between Frank Fletcher (ex-Parachute Regt Sniper & Master Sniper Instructor) & Rupert Godesen (military artist & ex-soldier). Rupert: When I took on the job of re-writing/illustrating Soldiers Pocket Book I decided to write it for the young me who had joined the Army 22 years ago & knew nothing. I tried to make it a cross between a comprehensive guide & sitting chatting with an old sweat. We applied the same approach to sniper combining my pictures with Frank's lifetime of experience in the field". Frank: " And I think we've achieved what we set out to do it contains an explanation of how the sniper came to be details of the longest shots in history some of whom were my students & a Q&A with me & Ru about the ins & outs of my trade I'd have snapped it up when I was a lad just joining." & there's more where that came from the new team at Military Pocket Books are working from the solid base that Major John Hobbis Harris established with the original " Volunteer" to enshrine all the skills & drills he had acquired in previous forces service for the next generation we owe a debt to Major JHH for that. To look forward most of our titles will become Apps for Tablet & Phones with interactive functions so they become more than just a digital book. Our prospective portfolio of new titles will extend & enhance our reader's knowledge & skill." ...

This is a technical outline of the history of the sniper rifle from its introduction in warfare during the Napoleonic wars through the US Civil War to its current apogee as the most frequently used combat rifle in Iraq & Afghanistan. This book details the development of ammunition different weapons types including single shot magazine loading & semi-automatic as well as the introduction & use of optical sights. Martin Pegler a leading expert on the history of sniping & former Senior Curator of Firearms at the Royal Armouries Leeds also details the current advances in technology such as laser range
- finding sights & night vision devices. Using first-hand accounts the book brings the dangerous world of the sniper to life revealing their training & concealment techniques as well as their mastering of their weapon of choice.
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For those of us who appreciate the finer things in life The Le Snobs" are your guides to the work of skilled artisans culinary connoisseurs & inspired designers from around the world. Evocative & richly appointed with little-known facts this book is about savouring the worlds most sophisticated tobacco products to the full. It celebrates the fine distinctions between brand place tradition & taste that elevate cigar appreciation to an art in itself. " Le Snob: Cigars" reaches across the Caribbean from the powerful tobaccos of Central America through Cubas rich aromas to the Dominican Republics finesse to show you the finest cigars available today & why it is worth being a snob about the cigars you choose to smoke. With the cachet knowledge every expert must possess plus authentic insights into the lives & skills of cigar producers " Le Snob: Cigars" offers impeccable advice on all aspects of this traditional from pronunciation to professional tasting techniques. The book also features an authoritative directory of rare & prestige cigars to help you explore the very finest international styles in greater depth." ...

After a brief & ill-advised dalliance with the Suffragette movement Lady Rose Summers debut season in London society turns out to be a complete disaster. Roses father suspects that her fiance Sir Geoffrey Blandon is a first class scoundrel & calls in Captain Harry Cathcart to investigate. But when a malicious guest is found dead in suspicious circumstances Rose becomes far more interested in discovering the truth than in landing a more appropriate suitor. As Harry & Rose begin to unravel this web of lies & rumours a clever murderer sets out to make Roses disastrous first season her last. ...

' Fellowes doesn't try to hide his love of the funny sealed above-stairs world of dukes duchesses marquesses nursery maids herbaceous borders & breakfast kedgeree all of which makes SNOBS such a a good fresh read' Daily Telegraph Edith Lavery is a woman on the make. The attractive only child of a middle-class accountant she leaves behind her dull job in a Chelsea estate agents & manages to bag one of the most eligible bachelors of the day
- Charles Broughton heir to the Marquess of Uckfield. But is life amongst the upper echelons of 'good' society all that it seems? Edith soon discovers there's much more to the aristocracy than dancing in Anabel's shooting small birds & understanding which fork to use at dinner. & then there is Charles's mother the indomitable Lady Uckfield or ' Googie' to her friends who is none too pleased with her son's choice of breeding partner. With twists & turns aplenty this is a comical tale worthy of a contemporary Jane Austen.
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Guaranteed to be one of the funniest football books of the year Snod This For A Laugh is a publication with a difference. Former footballer Ian Snodin offers a unique insight about life on & off the pitch during an 18-year playing career which saw the first influx of SKY money & the FA Premier League. Revelations are laid bare in this series of pub chat discussions on a range of topics
- as well as the sport he made his name in. Some of British sports most high-profile names feature including Shearer Gascoigne Beardsley Bremner Southall Ruddock. We delve into the footballing memories of a man who signed for Everton ahead of then double winners Liverpool; who captained his home-town club while still a teenager; whose mentor was Leeds United legend Billy Bremner; who was robbed of a potential place in Englands 1990 World Cup side due to a succession of serious injuries. Ian also recalls his foray into football management back at his beloved Doncaster
- a club on their knees newly relegated from the Football League when he agreed to take over only weeks before the start of the 1998/99 season. From scrabbling round for kit & struggling to field 11 men early in his managerial stint he guided Rovers to cup success & league stability. Still heavily involved in the media Ian remains a popular figure particularly on Merseyside & in his native Yorkshire & is also a successful after-dinner speaker.

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The Know the Game series is firmly established as the leading introduction to a huge range of sports. For years they have been the first step into a new sport for many people children & adults alike. The series has now been relaunched in a new format & a modern design
- making the best even better. The aim has been to make the books more accessible & they are now packed with colour photos & illustrations top tips & interesting facts. Each book contains everything you need to know about the sport including equipment rules techniques & training tips. Theres even information on how to find a club & meet new people to play the sport with. & having been written & endorsed by the sports professional body you can be sure that you are getting the best information available.
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