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The lone gunman--except now, you're rooting for him!   June 26, 2004

"Point of Impact" was the first Stephen Hunter novel I read. It got me hooked on his writing, though few other novels lived up to it ("Dirty White Boys" was pretty good, if I recall correctly). This novel is a thriller of the highest caliber (no pun intended). It's about a proud Southern gunman pushed to the limits...the one spot where you DON'T want him to be! This is a terrific, suspenseful book, and if you are a fan of thrillers and haven't read it yet, then you absolutely must.


Phenomenal   May 23, 2004
  5 out of 5 found this review helpful

There simply are not enough superlatives to describe Point of Impact. This was a phenomenal book, clearly among my personal top-five list. In Point of Impact, Hunter presents Bob Lee Swagger (AKA "Bob the Nailer" due to his reputation as a Marine sniper during the Vietnam War) in a fast-paced conspiracy thriller. Hunter hooks you in the first few pages of the book as Swagger is hunting on his property in Arkansas. As the story unfolds, Swagger demonstrates the physical and mental toughness, decisiveness, patience, perseverance, and survival instincts that made him the best at what he does. Throughout the book, one comes to know and further appreciate the intricacies, both positive and negative, of being "Bob the Nailer." Action sequences and character development are interwoven and provide a complementary blend throughout the book. From start to finish, this book is impossible to put down.


The real thing   May 12, 2004
  2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Stephen Hunter's "Point of impact" is the first in the Bob Lee Swagger series. Bob Lee is, no doubt, an excellent character. Hunter made him completely believable, and that's the most important thing about a good character. A Vietnam veteran, Swagger now lives in peace at his reclused home in rural Arkansas. Bob Lee is an experting in snipe shooting, general weapons and living in isolation. Suddenly, a shadowy military organization lures him into advising them how to catch another sniper, who may try to kill the president at a speech. Bob Lee is framed, and, wounded, has to run to save his life; only one man can help him: an FBI agent, on leave, himself an ex-sniper, living with the ghosts of his past mistakes.

The story is not new, it has been used for a long time. However, Hunter's easy writing, believable characters, fast-paced pursuits, and, most of all, the tense moments of sniper action make this a great book. What's best, Stephen Hunter has (so far) written six books featuring the Swagger family. From what I've read on other reviews, each one of them is great. Hunter has accomplished what all thriller authors want, but few are able to do: an action thriller filled with enjoyable characters, with a touch of psycholgical warfare thrown in the middle.

I'll surely read other books by Stephen Hunter.
Grade 9.0/10


Unparallelled Writing Skill   May 7, 2004
Anyone who has read Stephen Hunter's novels know they are in for a good read, and this book is no exception. Having barely escaped an Assassination plot supposedly aimed at the President of the United States, Bob Lee Swagger (the hero of the story), is now the target of a Nation Wide manhunt. His only allies is are lady he just met and a frowned upon FBI agent.

This book was a phenomenal read. The gun facts are very accurate and detailed. Many books I have read make the Hero out to be an invincible person with no flaws, which is not the case with this book. "Bob the Nailer" has his own flaws to deal with, which makes the book an even better read.


One of the craftiest books I have ever read, great suspense!   April 25, 2004
  2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Ditto ...
Exceptional story line. This page turning book as created a brand new Stephen Hunter fan. I plan on reading his other books as well. Upon finishing the book, my inital and numb response was (to paraphase), "totally freaking awesome."