About the Author

Leigh Neville is an Australian author who has written over a dozen titles on modern special operations forces, small arms, sniping and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has also consulted on military topics for several wargame companies and television documentary makers. After working as a consultant for a number of international firms, Leigh became a full-time writer in 2014. He has written books for Osprey Publishing and Pen & Sword along with magazine articles for History of War and Real Crime magazines. He has also developed wargame rules for Ambush Alley Games, Too Fat Lardies and served as technical consultant for Warfighter from DVG Games. He lives in Sydney with his wife and two dogs. He can be contacted via his website at www.leighneville.com.

Reviews

"A cut above most of the books that purport to review special ops weapons. Its limitation to the War on Terror years allows coverage of the many weapon developments that have taken place as special operations units have been constantly deployed and in action over the last decade and a half."-- "SWAT Magazine" (1/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)

"Recent military operations in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq have shown up new weapon designs being used by various armies from around the world. These are in use alongside the standard issue weapons such as the British SA80 and the newer, lightweight types popular with Special Forces. This interesting title is a look at what is currently in use around the world with assault teams, snipers and as a personal defense weapons. Some are futuristic, but the pistols are the same design. The author clearly knows his subject but the text reads like a collection of magazine features. Interesting in itself, which allows the reader to pick up anywhere. One question is why, a book on guns, strays into the realms of grenades and rockets for a short spell. Despite this, the book is good for keeping up to date on modern weapons developments."-- "GunMart"

"This color-illustrated reference for general readers, students, and others features color photos on every page; because many photos are of real special operators in training and on missions, many faces are obscured. The book gives details on the weapons used by American, British, Australian, Canadian, and European military special operations forces (SOF) active in conflicts in the Middle East and Africa. The introduction gives an overview of types of special forces operations, such as hostage rescue, counterinsurgency, counter terrorism, and unconventional warfare. The next eight chapters give details on types of weapons: combat pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, marksman rifles, combat shotguns, sniper rifle, automatic weapons, and grenades and rockets. Each chapter highlights how these weapons are used during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as other battlefields such as Mali and Somalia. Historical background in each chapter explains why and how certain weapons systems and types are used."-- "ProtoView"