Long Rifle: A Sniper's Story in Iraq and Afghanistan [Paperback]

Joe LeBleu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 2008

Native New Yorker Joe LeBleu, retired from the military, reenlisted after 9/11 and saw action of the leader of a sniper team in both Iraq and Afghanistan. This is his story.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Long Rifle is gripping and moving, but most of all, inspiring. As 9/11 altered the terrain of so many lives, it shaped that of Joe LeBleu:

 

He could only watch as Innocent people died and fires raged in the ruins of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. As a former U.S. Army Ranger, Joe LeBleu knew what he had to do, return to active duty! By the time he received another honorable discharge in 2005 as a Sergeant, paratrooper, and sniper team leader, he had become known as “Long Rifle” for shooting an Iraqi insurgent at 1,100 meters in Fallujah. That single shot remains the farthest in Iraq by any American or British sniper.

 

As 9/11 altered the terrain of so many lives, it shaped that of LeBleu. He takes us with him from that haunting day in New York, to the sweltering heat and ambush-rife conditions of desert and urban combat in Iraq. From here we enter a different world: the mountains of Afghanistan. His accounts of sniper missions against the Taliban and Al Qaeda are riveting. Finally, he trusts his gut and returns to civilian life, settling near Las Vegas and going on to serve as a Firearms Instructor while assisting Pat Garret in training Mark Wahlberg for his role as a Force Recon Marine scout/sniper in the Major motion picture, Shooter.

 

Raw, gritty, passionate, and provocative, Long Rifle is both the first memoir by a U.S. Army sniper from the 9/11 generation and a stirring testament to the core values of American soldiers: integrity, honor, and courage. LeBleu’s journey to war and back also testifies to the enduring power of love: He carried his dream to return to Natalie, his wife for six long years...

From the Back Cover

A legendary American marksman tells his story

 

He could only watch as fires raged in the ruins of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. But on that day, standing in lower Manhattan, former U.S. Army Ranger Joe LeBleu knew what he had to do—return to active duty. By the time he received another honorable discharge in 2005—as a sergeant, paratrooper, and sniper team leader—he had become known as “Long Rifle” for shooting an Iraqi insurgent at 1,100 meters in Fallujah. That single shot remains the farthest by any American or British sniper in Iraq.

 As 9/11 altered the terrain of so many lives, it shaped that of Joe LeBleu. Joe takes us with him from that haunting day in New York to the sweltering heat and ambush-rife conditions of desert and urban combat in Iraq. From here we enter a different world: the mountains of Afghanistan. Joe’s accounts of sniper missions against the Taliban and Al Qaeda are riveting. Finally, he trusts his gut and returns to civilian life, settling near Las Vegas and going on to serve as a firearms instructor and a technical advisor for a major motion picture.

Raw, gritty, passionate, and provocative, Long Rifle is both the first memoir by a U.S. Army sniper from the 9/11 generation and a stirring testament to the core values of American soldiers: integrity, honor, and courage. The author’s journey to war and back also testifies to the enduring power of love: For six long years, Joe carried with him his dream to return to Natalie, his wife.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press (November 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599214407
• ISBN-13: 978-1599214405
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #710,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Is It!, April 18, 2009

By 

Gary Stahl "GRJazzman" (Berkeley Heights, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Long Rifle: A Sniper's Story in Iraq and Afghanistan (Paperback)

I read Long Rifle twice, because I wanted to write a well read review of this book. All I can tell you is this book is it! This is combat on the squad and platoon level, where battles are won or lost. People in America see Pentagon briefings and the nightly news about smart bombs and push button wars; well, Joe was one of those push buttons! Combat is both brutal and dynamic. It is the grunt in the field who wins a war, not a Pentagon briefing. I too was in lower Manhattan on 9-11 and experienced the same emotion Joe did. I volunteered to go back on active duty that day and was accepted. This is more than a book about Joe as the sniper, it is about Joe the Patriot and Joe the Soldier. Joe's journey in life is one that I greatly respect. His days in a Ranger Regiment prepared him well for his tour in Iraq and Afghanistan. The battles and firefights in Fallujah kept me riveted while reading about Joe's experiences fighting through them. The IED attacks took me back to Iraq and my experiences with them. Being a soldier in a firefight is tough, it even tougher when your head is rattled. Being a sniper in a fire fight after an IED attack, is even tougher. You have to recover quickly and get your wits back. In Olympic biathlons, the shooters have to cross country ski and then shoot targets; Joe was able to recover after being ambushed and doing 500 yard dashes to a good firing position, and still bring deadly fire on the enemy. This is why sniper school is so grueling. Firing a weapon in combat is never akin to a rifle range. Joe hit targets with deadly accuracy. Joe also followed orders when they were dead wrong. When in an over watch position and confirming an insurgent IED was emplacing a road side bomb to kill Americans, his Headquarters refused to allow him to fire. He held his fire, even though he knew this to be dead wrong. Joe and well as many of us in Iraq, knew then the war was declared "mission complete", it had just begun. The then Sec Def, Donald Rumsfeld told the American people that we only faced "the remnants of a dying regime"; Joe was in Iraq fighting a full blown insurgency. I don't blame him in the least for feeling frustrated and critical of the decisions being made thousands of miles away. Soldiers have to fight through bad decisions and they understand them to be bad decisions,very quickly. Joe's mission in Afghanistan as a sniper truly drives home the conditions of fighting in mountains, rather in a flat desert. The Physics of firing a bullet are part of the stock and trade of a sniper and Joe understands how to put a shot on his target in any combat condition. Glad I was never in his sights! I recommend this book to every Soldier through General. It is truly a book from a Soldier's perspective.

LTC Gary R. Stahlhut, US Army Retired

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Long Rifle: A Sniper's Story in Iraq and Afghanistan, December 19, 2009

By 

John E. Dziza "Jolly Green" (Chicopee, MA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Long Rifle: A Sniper's Story in Iraq and Afghanistan (Paperback)

Some parts of this book are very exciting but I cannot finish it because the author's political rants turn me off completely. I did NOT buy this book to read a Bush basher's whinings. It would've been much better had the author stayed on topic.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Author is a Liar, March 5, 2010

By 

Joseph Paolilli "Joey P" (constantly changing locations) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Long Rifle: A Sniper's Story in Iraq and Afghanistan (Paperback)

Joe was kicked out of the rangers, never finished Ranger School and was an all around poor soldier. Anyone who believes his stories is poorly mistaken. I feel bad for anyone this man has got to falsely believe his nonsense.