The Reaper: Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Speci… (2024)

What an Amazing Adventure as you enter the mind of one of the Deadliest Ranger Snipers!!

What an interesting, fast paced read this turned out to be. We follow Nicholas Irving from his youth as an unruled wild child, and watch him grow into a disciplined Army Ranger Sniper. I loved his flashbacks to how mom and dad were so influential in helping him develop and mature.

There was never a dull moment as I enjoyed hearing about his struggles as a newly enlisted peon in the US Army.

The book advances quickly to Irving becoming a sniper and immediately being deployed to fight the war on terror against the taliban. I especially loved hearing about some of the missions they engaged in.

Snipers are a competative bunch and it takes a special breed to be able to accomplish what they do. I loved the insight into how Irving was able to handle balancing his sniper self vs his civilian/ husband self. It was easy to understand how difficult it could be to manage living two different lives. One, as a deadly sniper, and the other, a loving husband.

This is action packed and honestly gruesome at times. I loved the interaction between and competitive nature of the snipers. There are often flashbacks of things that happened earlier in Irving's career that influence his actions on missions, which was nice, but at times became somewhat confusing. Overall, the verbiage is very simple and easy to follow, even for a nonmilitary reader like myself. I could easily recommend this book to someone looking for an action packed, non fiction book.

Very interesting first person story of the life of an Army Ranger Sniper and is time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nicholas Irving will give you a view of his young life and his desire to join the Military. He will not reveal any major earth shattering secrets, but he will give you a good look at the mindset of a young man who grows up to become one of the deadliest snipers the U.S. Military has trained.

What I found so interesting was the honesty of Irving. He shares some of his deep fears, things that most warriors probably would never share with others. Thus he shares them and you see how human he truly is. I appreciated his honesty about a fear of heights, a fear of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. But what is so true is that a man can put his fears behind him and do things that show courage in the overcoming of those fears.

I learned some good things from Irving's book, I learned how they could go from sound asleep to out on a mission within just a few moments. I learned how you can never fully know what you are walking into. I learned that just because you are a sniper doesn't mean that you sit far back from the action and take shots from a safe distance. No, sometimes you are right on top of the action and in the thick of things.

His deployment coincided with a build up of Taliban efforts in the Kandahar province. Thus each time they left the base they were almost assured of walking into a firefight. But most of their action was the aspect of trying to capture their target alive, this would provide further intel for further actions.

The story is well written and I would attribute that to Gary Brozek. But the action is all about what Nicholas Irving and his unit and the action they faced. The story is done in a humble manner. Irving isn't the only sniper in the unit and he gives good credit to the other men that he served with. I found the book educational and inspiring.

Enjoy!

This book will make some people very uncomfortable. And rightly so - it contains graphic depictions of people being killed and wounded, and several other very unpleasant and difficult situations.

It also is a description of someone who is charged with killing people, and who takes a certain amount of pride in how well he does that job.

I've read a fairly good amount of military books, war biographies and memoirs. Some of them are very very good, like the works of Robert Leckie and Eugene Sledge. Many are average, and a great deal are truly awful. The better ones tend to be, not unsurprisingly, written by professional writers who are describing their own experiences in combat, such as Leckie. (BTW, I was given this book by the publisher, in exchange for a possible review of it).

It's hard to get a sense of a person in an autobiography written with a ghostwriter, as author Nicholas Irving did with his co-author Gary Brozek. So much of a story like his comes down to who he actually is, how he tells his own story, how much of a feel for the real man we get in reading his book. That's much harder to do when what we are reading is filtered through the writing style of a ghostwriter.

The name of this book put me off. The Reaper. It felt self-aggrandizing, and made me think that I was picking up another look-at-me-and-how-great-I-am-for-killing-people kind of book, a feeling I got when I read the late Chris Kyle's service memoir. The first few chapters didn't do a lot to change that impression. It very well may be that the title was a product of the publisher - it's hard to deny that it's catchy and grabs the eye.

But I'm glad I held on and finished the book. I don't know whether it was me and my preconceived notions about the work finally being overtaken by the story itself, or if the writing got better as I went along - but as I was nearing the end, I realized that I at least felt I had some idea of the character of Irving, and why he was telling us this story. I stopped over-analyzing and judging, and just read.

Chapter six, "The Chechen Comes Calling", and the chapters immediately after that one, were very engaging, and again, this is when I felt I was beginning to recognize and understand Irving a small amount. It also became clear to me as I neared the end that all of Irving's combat experiences took place before he was 24 years old, a very young age to have to come to grips with being a quite successful professional killer.

It's the military's job to kill people and break things. It's very difficult for people who have not been in that situation to hear or read about the satisfaction and even joy that some feel when they do their job well. Despite my own military background, I sometimes share that discomfort. This is a tale well told, and for good and bad, Irving opened up very private experiences for other to read and learn from. I respect and salute his service, and his honesty.

Great book! An honest personal account of Sergeant Nicolas "Irv" Irving Army Ranger. He was a special ops sniper in the 3rd Ranger Battalion. I like how this book is straight to the point and doesn't spend a large portion on childhood/training. He covers those stories seamlessly as flashbacks. He is candid about his fears such as fear of heights or fear of letting his comrades down. There are stories that show cultural difference during his deployment in Afghanistan, some rather shocking (Man-love Thursdays). There is also a good military dog story.

I was a First Read Winner of this book, and I was deeply touched by the book. I had no idea what it would be like for our young men and women to be off at war other than what I have seen on the news or read in the paper, but with this book the author gave a glimpse of what a sniper faced during his deployment. With all the danger and death that Irving faced every day it is easy to forget that all this happened before he even turned 24. I know this book will stay with me for a long time and I wonder if we really do enough for all of our service men and women when they come back from war?

This was quite the harrowing account of one sniper's most dangerous deployment in the Middle East.

I was on the edge of my seat most of the time reading this, often full of patriotic rallying, and at times with understandable disillusionment, frustration, and grief, as the political complications intensify.

Not merely a simple recalling of facts and numbers, but a detailed story with heart stopping combat action. All the more impressive and impactful knowing it's true.

Outstanding book. Nick does a great job of humanizing his profession in the sense that they aren't a bunch of savages out to collect a body count. He's introspective about his path, and it shows in his work, both in this book and as a sniper in the Ranger's sniper section. His writing comes off as very personal (which, I KNOW it has to be), and his story strikes a close chord with me. In '97, I was sitting in a Navy recruiter's office with the same dream spawned from the same movie - Navy SEALS - as Nick...and, just like he was, I am color blind and told I would never, could never, achieve my dream...I walked out with my head held low. I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that someone broke through that and succeeded at the highest level. As much as I wanted to be a SEAL in those early-to-mid nineties days of my youth, the onrush of stories coming out regarding the Army's elite Ranger Regiment should make any adult do a double-take and any young person wanting to serve our country take a long, hard look at the Ranger Regiment. Nick's story takes a backseat to none of them! Fantastic and highly recommended!

Another real life war time experience. These books remind me that war is evil. It also reminds me that there are men and women that put themselves in harms way to defend the powerless. The amount of discipline theses men have is astounding to me.

I am giving this book 4 stars, even though I could not relate to this book for the first 6 chapters so I don't really have much to say about it before that point. The one thing that changed it all around was this quote "Lots of people think of war as being between armies and governments or between this platoon & that unit, but really it does sometimes come down to one guy with a gun and another guy with a gun." I like how Irving goes on to explain "I'd been the deliverer of death, the Reaper who came and collected lives. Being the target of someone else's reaping wasn't something I'd ever even considered before that day." I like how he doesn't over glorify his role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but makes you feel like there are no good or bad guys, only guys on both sides who have a job to do. I think the ending of the book is a perfect description of how PTSD works and gives you a better idea of what happens to a soldier newly back from the war. However, I will say I was a little bit disappointed by this book as well, mostly because I read it to better understand the psychology of a soldier and I didn't feel like I really got that. I already have issues with the subject matter but felt that I should give the book a chance. I'm glad that I was given the opportunity by netgalley to review it. I would suggest though if you aren't into politics or trying to understand the war in the Middle East that you be aware of the fact that it does deal with that the entire way through. It's not a book for the faint of heart.

Very enjoyable. Straight from the gut “this is what happened,” in soldier’s language. Army Ranger Nicholas Irving served as a sniper in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The book focuses on the Afghan tour where he collected more kills protecting fellow Rangers in a shorter period than anyone, earning from them the nickname “Reaper.” He gives you a clear picture of just what it was like, without preaching or agendizing. The effort, pain, anxiety, stench, joy, heartbreak, adrenaline, exhaustion, and camaraderie. Short, like a gunfight, but you don’t need any more when you finish.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I seldom read autobiographies, but this book caught my eye on Netgalley and I was intrigued by the description. Nick Irving is much younger throughout this retelling than I would think from someone with his record which I found interesting. I enjoyed the way he portrayed his relationships with his spotter/partner as well as with the other members of the unit. I didn't really know what to expect from this book, but I have a military background and a very healthy respect for what our men and women sacrifice fighting abroad.

I don't know how ghost writing works and if you lose anything in translation, but I did feel that I was right in the action while reading parts of his story. A good read for my foray into non-fiction.

A raw book that doesn't hold back. You follow Nick Irving through his time with the Rangers in this retelling. He tells how he was raised and became a Ranger, a sniper, through some of his time in Iraq yet the major part of this book covers operations during his deployment in Afghanistan. He doesn't hold back through any of the book. The details are real and the emotions are raw. You get some sense of what he went through, but what makes this real is when he tells about the aftermath of emotions and how they affected him. No civilian can ever truly understand how warfare affects the soldier who has gone through battle, but we can appreciate the sacrifice and commitment. It makes me want to be a better American to prove that his service means something.

Nick Irving set records during his 2009 deployment to eastern Afghanistan, accumulating 33 kills in the span of just over three months. That deployment is chronicled in the book THE REAPER, which is co-written with Gary Brozek.

Overall, the book is mostly balanced between the events of the deployment, as well as key events that took place leading up to the deployment, such as his childhood and events from previous deployments. The reader gets an overall feel for what molded Irving as a soldier and a Ranger. The prose is also fairly well-written, doing a good job of putting the reader in the shoes of Irving and his fellow Rangers during the deployment. Irving avoids self-aggrandizement, openly admitting mistakes made downrange and showing that he is only a human, which is key with this genre.

A couple of critical points: the final chapters, to me, were the ones that most needed strengthening. It is the literary equivalent of hitting the brakes at 100 MPH, and then hitting a concrete wall a couple of seconds later. I believe THE REAPER would have been better served further exploring both the factors that led to Irving getting out of the military, as well as his transition into civilian life (which I can attest from my own experiences is a challenge for many veterans).

I also found it curious that the book, laden with gory realities of war and lewd details of certain Afghan proclivities, shied from using profanity. Personally, as a writer, I can't agree with that type of self-censorship. I would rather add to the whole experience and leave it 100% uncensored. This isn't so much to blame for the loss of a rating star as the previously made point, but I do find it bearing mention.

Overall, I found THE REAPER to be a pretty solid book, and is a decent entry to one's library of GWOT SOF non-fiction works.

I broke some of my personal rules reading this book.One I don't read anything about a conflict I have been in or know people who have been in and two I don't read history/autobiographies about any subject that is less than 30 years old. Politics and history are too fresh in that time frame so it doesn't allow for perspective.

So that being said a friend highly recommended this book so I thought Id give it a shot. I waffled between three and four stars because I enjoyed the story, it is very real and told frankly without gloss or veneer. It was told honestly and the bravery and actions of all in this book speak for themselves. They are a credit to the Unites States and the US Army.

I ended up giving it 3 stars because I've read quite a bit of war autobiographies and this one just doesn't stand out, its a good retelling of SSG Irving's story told by a good soldier and that is all it is. It adds little to no new insights and doesn't transcend its genre.

Its still a book worth reading about a man worth reading about.

I saw the author of this book on a documentary, that I cannot remember the name of. It was an interesting book, but not very well written. I have read many military memoirs that were written better. This seemed like a list of things that happened. Now, that is a list of exciting and interesting things, but I have urge to read any of his military action fiction. Which is honestly a relief, my reading list has gotten quite long.

Nice Irving gives a real life look at what it is like as a Sniper in the world in terrorism. He’s got the good, the bad, and the $hi**y. You’ll understand if you read it. A real life look at what life is like hunting the menaces that ruin people’s way of life b they aren’t the same. Crazy 80ft holes, helo rides, emotional and real. Pick it up, you won’t be disappointed!

This is a great first hand experience of what the internal and external fog or war looks like. It is brutal at times but also gives the human element to some things that are deemed otherwise. If you want a glimpse of what these days of war have looked like from the inside this is a great read from a well traveled man.

This was a really great story about the life of an Army Ranger sniper. You really got the sense of the author's mindset, emotions, insights, etc. It gave me a much better appreciation for those who serve and deploy multiple times.

I thought it was a great book. Not only do I love the US military but to read the thoughts and events that people go through is amazing to me. This book is action packed but with reasonable downtime to see what Nicholas Irving and Permberton do in their spare time when preparing for there next OP.

A very honest look at being an army sniper. The good and the ugly side.

Suspenseful book that gave a nice insight on what goes on in the heads of everyone that is deployed. It was a nice change reading this instead of watching a movie.

By no means was I an Army Ranger/Master sniper. But some of the recounted events definitely took me on a trip down memory lane.

Amazing book

Really good! Crazy stories of war!

This was definitely illuminating and worth reading. As a European, who never really pays attention to global news, this was a very new way of looking at the conflict for me.

It was boring. No, I would not. To someone who hates themselves.

I didn't like the entire book because it was super slow-paced and just I didn't find it interesting.

I don't know I didn't get past page fifty it was so boring. it teaches people how to fall asleep fast. no insomnia

The Reaper is an autobiography that is written by Nicholas Irving and it goes over his personal experiences as a sniper in the Army. He covers his time in Afghanistan and Iraq and how he felt. The story is very detailed and I got a good understanding of what was happening. The book has pretty short chapters and they go by quick. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an adventurous story because it's very action packed and thorough.

In a World Full of Crazy

Well written!
I thank you for your service Nick.
Thinking outside the box, always dedicated as you follow his story. This soldier gave so much.
In this crazy time of the NFL taking a knee in protest during our Anthem, Nick shows us true American patriots.
Thank you Soldier for sharing your history!
I remain in the land of the free, the home of the Brave because of our military.
Because of Soldiers.

Absolutely fantastic!

A realistic account of a snipers war actions in Iraq. Pretty interesting.