Nicholas Irving

{{short description|American author and former soldier (born 1986)}}

{{Infobox military person

| name = Nicholas Irving

| image = Flickr - The U.S. Army - World's premier snipers converge on Fort Benning.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Irving during the "Defensive shoot" event during the ninth annual U.S. Army International Sniper Competition

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|11|28}}

| birth_place = Augsburg, West Germany
(present-day Germany)

| allegiance = United States

| branch = United States Army

| serviceyears = 2004–10

| rank = Sergeant

| unit = 75th Ranger Regiment

25px 3rd Ranger Battalion

| battles = Iraq War
War in Afghanistan

| awards =

| website =

}}

Nicholas Irving (born November 28, 1986) is an American author and former soldier. He was a special operations sniper in the 3rd Ranger Battalion for the U.S. Army.{{cite news|url=http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/The-Reaper-paid-a-price-for-his-battlefield-6095303.php|title='The Reaper' paid a price for his battlefield kills|work=San Antonio Express-News|publisher=Hearst Corporation|access-date=April 27, 2016|date=February 22, 2015|first=Sig|last=Christenson}}

Early life

Nicholas Irving was born on November 28, 1986, in Augsburg, Germany. His parents were both enlisted soldiers.{{cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2015/01/18/how-an-army-rangers-sniper-became-the-reaper/|title=How an Army Rangers sniper became 'The Reaper'|access-date=April 27, 2016|date=January 18, 2015|first=Kyle|last=Smith|work=New York Post|publisher=News Corp}}{{cite news |last=Connelly |first=Sherryl |date=January 24, 2015 |title=NY Daily News: 'The Reaper' is gripping autobiography of sniper who killed record 33 Taliban in Afghanistan deployment |work=Daily News |location=New York |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/reaper-gripping-tale-deadly-u-s-sniper-article-1.2090936 |access-date=April 27, 2016}}

Career

=Military=

Irving originally intended to join the Navy SEALs, but he failed a colorblindness test. He instead joined the United States Army Rangers and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was issued a SR-25 rifle, which he nicknamed Dirty Diana. With that rifle he has 33 confirmed kills.{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/reaper-sniper-nick-irving-killed-5000234|title=The Reaper: US sniper Nick Irving killed 33 enemies in under four months with gun called 'Dirty Diana'|date=January 18, 2015|access-date=April 27, 2016|first=Christopher|last=Bucktin|website=Daily Mirror}}

=Entertainment=

After the Army, Irving pursued an entertainment career.{{cite web |url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt5546352/ |title=American Grit |website=IMDb |access-date=May 4, 2025}}

In 2016, Irving was one of four military leaders to serve as coaches on the reality show American Grit with John Cena.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/john-cena-american-grit-fox-military-show-2016-1201643828/|title=John Cena to Host Military-Inspired Competition Show on Fox|access-date=April 27, 2016|first=Whitney|date=November 18, 2015|last=Friedlander|work=Variety|publisher=Penske Media Corporation}}{{cite web|url=http://www.fox.com/american-grit/article/american-grit-starring-wwe-superstar-john-cena-to-air-in-2016|title=AMERICAN GRIT STARRING JOHN CENA TO AIR IN 2016|work=Fox.com|publisher=Fox|access-date=April 27, 2016|date=November 18, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://kaboom-magazine.com/2015/11/19/john-cena-to-host-american-grit-tv-show/|title=JOHN CENA TO HOST "AMERICAN GRIT" TV SHOW|access-date=April 27, 2016|date=November 19, 2015|first=Tyson|work=Kaboom Magazine|last=Paul}}

Starting in August 2017, Irving began appearing as a recurring guest on the popular firearm YouTube channel, Demolition Ranch.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qEV1plAvtE |title=The Fanciest Race Gun in the World!!! ft. Nick Irving |website=YouTube |access-date=May 4, 2025}} He has also made appearances on other YouTube channels such as LunkersTV, Insider, and VladTV.

He also served as an on-set advisor for Doug Liman's 2017 sniper film The Wall.{{cite web |last=Zavala |first=George |title=Legendary Army Sniper Nicholas Irving Talks About Working on 'The Wall' |url=https://www.military.com/undertheradar/2017/07/legendary-army-sniper-nicholas-irving-talks-working-wall |website=Military.com |date=July 2017 |access-date=May 4, 2025}}

=Author=

In 2015, he wrote and published with Gary Brozek The Reaper: Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Special Ops Snipers, a New York Times bestseller about his military career during the War on Terror.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2015/02/15/hardcover-nonfiction/|title=Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - February 15, 2015 - The New York Times|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-04-04|language=en|issn=0362-4331}}{{cite book|last1=Irving|first1=Nicholas|first2=Gary|last2=Brozek|year=2015|title=The Reaper: Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Special Ops Snipers|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=New York City|isbn=978-1250045447}}{{cite web|url=http://publishersweekly.com/978-1-250-04544-7|title=The Reaper: Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Special Ops Snipers|work=Publishers Weekly |date=|access-date=April 27, 2016}} On February 2, 2015, The Weinstein Company acquired the television rights to make a miniseries out of the autobiography.{{cite web|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/406023-the-weinstein-company-plans-five-part-sniper-miniseries-the-reaper|last=Lesnick|title=The Weinstein Company Plans Five-Part Sniper Miniseries The Reaper|work=Coming Soon|access-date=April 27, 2016|date=February 2, 2015|first=Silas}} On March 5, 2015, NBC picked up the miniseries from Weinstein.{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2015/03/sniper-miniseries-the-reaper-nbc-pickup-weinstein-co-1201386994/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=March 5, 2015|title=NBC Picks Up Sniper Miniseries 'The Reaper' From Weinstein Co.|first=Nellie|access-date=April 27, 2016|last=Andreeva|publisher=Penske Media Corporation}}

In late 2017 Irving revealed in a podcast that the miniseries has been scrapped, but a movie based on the book was in preproduction.SOFREP Radio podcast, episode 296, his statement at 36:50-37:30

Personal life

Irving married Jessica Irving in 2007.

Bibliography

;Nonfiction

Basic & Intermediate Combat Survival (2011){{Cite web|url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6037180.Nicholas_Irving|title=Nicholas Irving|last=|first=|date=|website=Goodreads|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=4 April 2019}} {{ISBN|1461032954}}
Team Reaper: 3rd Ranger Battalion's Deadliest Sniper Team (2012){{cite book|title=Team Reaper: 33 Kills...4 months|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|year=2012|isbn=978-1470022839|location=Seattle, Washington}} {{ISBN|9781470022839}}
Precision Rifle B.I.B.L.E: (Ballistics In Battlefield Learned Environments) (2012){{Cite web |last=Noble |first=Barnes & |title=Precision Rifle B.I.B.L.E: (Ballistics In Battlefield Learned Environments){{!}}Paperback |url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/precision-rifle-bible-nicholas-g-irving/1113630201 |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Barnes & Noble |language=en}}{{ISBN|9781479256297}}
The Reaper: Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Special Ops Snipers (2015, with Gary Brozek) {{ISBN|9781250080608}}
Way of the Reaper: My Greatest Untold Missions and the Art of Being a Sniper (2016, with Gary Brozek){{Cite web|url=https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250088352|title=The Way of the Reaper|last=Irving|first=Nicholas|date=|website=Macmillan Publishers|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=4 April 2019}} {{ISBN|9781250088352}}
Never Fear Anything: My Untold Story As A Sniper In Our Nations Longest War (2018, with Robert Terkla){{Cite web |title=Never Fear Anything: My Untold Story As A Sniper In Our Nations Longest War - Terkla, Robert; Irving, Nicholas: 9780999769706 - AbeBooks |url=https://www.abebooks.com/9780999769706/Never-Fear-Anything-Untold-Story-0999769707/plp |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=www.abebooks.com |language=en}} {{ISBN|9780999769706}}

;Fiction

Reaper: Ghost Target (2018, with A.J. Tata){{Cite web|url=https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250127341|title=Reaper: Ghost Target|last=Irving|first=Nicholas|date=|website=Macmillan Publishers|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=4 April 2019}} {{ISBN|9781250127341}}
Reaper: Threat Zero (2019, with A.J. Tata){{Cite web|url=https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250127365|title=Reaper: Threat Zero|last=Irving|first=Nicholas|date=|website=Macmillan Publishers|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=4 April 2019}} {{ISBN|9781250127365}}
Reaper: Drone Strike (2020, with A.J. Tata){{Cite web|url=https://us.macmillan.com/reaperdronestrike/nicholasirving/9781250240743|title=Reaper: Drone Strike {{!}} Nicholas Irving {{!}} Macmillan|website=US Macmillan|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-03}} {{ISBN|9781250240743}}
Walker Drive (2021){{Cite book |last=Irving |first=Nicholas |title=Walker Drive |date=30 October 2021 |publisher=Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp Print Us}} {{ISBN|9781736787229}}