Red Army Sniper: A Memoir on the Eastern Front in World War II

Red Army Sniper: A Memoir on the Eastern Front in World War II (Greenhill Sniper Library)

'I did not regard myself as a slacker. Even in childhood I taught myself to carry out tasks entrusted conscientiously and carefully. In war, it is no secret that the casual don't survive'.

Yevgeni Nikolaev was one of Russiaâ€™s leading snipers of World War II and his memoir provides and unparalleled account of front-line action in crucial theaters of war. Nikolaev is credited with a remarkable 324 kills and his wartime service included time in the siege of Leningrad in 1941/1942.

His memoir is not a neutral, apolitical account. Far from it. Nikolaev asserts, for example, that Finland attacked Russia. As a member of the NKVD, it is not surprising that his memoir full of historical misinterpretation and justification of the agencyâ€™s actions.

Equally, Nikoalev is dismissive of his Nazi opponents. On several occasions, he discusses his Nazi counterparts as bandits and scum, and implores the reader to â€œtake a look, fellows, at the beast of a bastard Iâ€™ve laid lowâ€.

In vivid, arresting recollections he paints his actions in a saintly heroic light. He describes the comfort of the German foxholes, wired with telephone connections, relative to the Russians who fasted without food or water awaiting the moment for a perfect shot. He claims the Russian soldier was a moral warrior, killing only with head or heart shots.

In addition to describing details of his kills, Nikolaev explains how his life was saved when an explosive rifle bullet struck a watch that he kept in his jacket pocket. His life was saved by a surgeon who extracted all the watch parts.
Country USA
Brand Greenhill Books
Manufacturer Greenhill Books
Binding Hardcover
ReleaseDate 2017-12-14
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781784382360

Country	USA
Brand	Greenhill Books
Manufacturer	Greenhill Books
Binding	Hardcover
ReleaseDate	2017-12-14
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781784382360

Red Army Sniper: A Memoir on the Eastern Front in World War II (Greenhill Sniper Library)

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