Rating:  Summary: Outstanding. Review: Utilizing materials omitted from his original book on Carlos Hathcock, "Marine Sniper", Charles Henderson fills in some very interesting gaps in this earlier book. Additional information was also obtained from interviews conducted in Vietnam in 1994, particularly with general Gen. Tran Van Tra, Commander in Chief of the Viet Cong. "Silent Warrior" may start a bit slow, perhaps owing to the maudlin and unnecessary fiction of Hathcock reviewing his life upon his death bed, but the action and the suspense picks up fast. Particularly chilling was the account of the sadistic torture methods employed by the notorious Frenchman, Philip Metz, and the Apache. The elimination of both by Hathcock were clear examples of the necessity of taking life to prevent further killing. The telling of his taking out of the Frenchman shortly before he could utilize his particular skills again was very well written. Hathcock's sniping was so effective and had so demoralized the enemy that they placed a bounty oh his head equal to three years pay. Additionally, under Colonel Ba, a ten-man team of snipers was brought into the area with the exclusive purpose of killing Hathcock and his Captain, Jim Land. The elimination of the leader and best sniper of this team in a tense cat and mouse game of stalking and tracking was extremely well done, both in the act and in the retelling. The shot that brings his counter part to his demise would be unbelievable were it not so well documented. "Marine Sniper" and "Silent Warrior" are well written books about the life of Carlos Hathcock, the finest sniper to take to the field. His life and exploits are the stuff of heroes, of men larger than mortals. Among Marines he is one of the best known and most beloved of their members. Fitting of Hathcock although written for another are the words, "The elements so mixed in him that all of nature would stand and say, this was a man".
|