G-Man by Stephen Hunter
Finally, my ol’ buddy, Bob Lee “the Nailer” Swagger is back in the 10th novel in this series from Stephen Hunter, a Pulitzer Prize winning author and journalist. In this the latest episode in the Bob Lee Swagger saga, Bob Lee is uncovering his family’s secret tommy gun war with 1930s gangsters like John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson.
In G-Man, Swagger is a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant and the most heralded sniper in Marine Corp history. Interestingly, his fictional character is loosely based on USMC Scout Sniper Carlos Hathcock.
Hathcock’s record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was honored by having a rifle named after him: a variant of the M21 dubbed the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather, for the nickname “White Feather” given to Hathcock by the North Vietnamese Army. Wikipedia.
Bob Lee is the main character in the movie, Shooter, starring Mark Wahlberg. The stories of Bob Lee have also become a an excellent TV series by the same name starring Ryan Phillippe, which I’m happy to say is returning in July for a 2nd season on USA Network.