This illustrated volume tells the story of the rifles used by snipers of all major powers during World War I. While Germany and Austria-Hungary were equipped with sniper rifles in 1914, the Allies faced them without such equipment. Military marksmanship had existed since the 18th century, but only the German and Austrian armies had trained snipers with scoped rifles. At the beginning of the war, the Allied forces had no means of resistance. Only the Canadians introduced a specific sniper rifle into the trenches, albeit in limited numbers. The production of suitable rifles and scopes for the British advanced rapidly, but the training of snipers was challenging. The French and Italians eventually introduced satisfactory rifles and training systems. The Americans, who entered the war in 1917, faced shortages but managed to rely on their pre-existing efforts to find suitable sniper weapons. Russia paid the greatest price, as it had no snipers and suffered accordingly. Includes color illustrations, carefully selected archival materials, and photographs of the rifles and accessories used by snipers in the trenches. Pages: 80, Dimensions: 18.4x18.4cm