On May 13, 2010, WoWasis reported: “Major General Khattiya Sawasdipol, a rogue military officer familiarly known as Seh Daeng, had been shot in the head near the main protest area at Siam Square, as a result of sniper fire, and is reported to be in critical condition.” Seh Daeng was the de facto military leader of the Red Shirts and died soon after the incident, effectively taking the wind out of the sales of the huge protest that involved bombings and burnings, and shut-down of much of Bangkok’s business district. 

From newspapers to the folks on the street, everyone was asking “How did they get him?” The nearest high-rise wasn’t exactly close. Moments before, Seh Daeng was talking to a reporter who briefly stepped away. As author Hans Halberstadt might tell you, that’s all it took. 

Halberstadt’s Trigger Men: Shadow Team, Spider-Man, the Magnificent Bastards, and the American Combat Sniper (2008, ISBN-10: 0-312-35456-8) doesn’t take place in Bangkok, but it’s a virtual bible of the sniper’s craft. The protagonists are in the armed forces of the U.S., in action in Iraq. Here, the author discusses favored weaponry, including the explosive .50cal M107 Barrett rifle, in-theatre operations, and tactics. His discussion of wind, drop, and other factors influencing the shot introduces the physics of arms, ammunition, and weather. 

The anecdotal stories told by the snipers themselves make for great reading, and are sobering. Individuals in this line of work have to make instantaneous target decisions: if they’re wrong, an innocent person dies; if they’re right, they’ve saved the lives of their buddies, and probably some civilians as well. This is deadly stuff: Canadian Carlos Hathcock made a confirmed kill at 2,286 meters, as detailed in the book. That’s over two kilometers! 

This isn’t the kind of book that’s found on the top of most people’s “to read” list, but every time a situation like that of She Daeng’s killing hits the papers, a whole lot of folks suddenly wish they knew more about snipers. And Halberstadt’s book is the one to read. Buy it now at the WoWasis eStore.