American Sniper

The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History

By: Chris Kyle, Scott McEwan, Jim DeFelice

Narrated by: John Pruden

Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

He is the deadliest American sniper ever, called "the devil" by the enemies he hunted and "the legend" by his Navy SEAL brothers.

From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. The Pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of Kyles kills (the previous American record was 109), but it has declined to verify the astonishing total number for this book. Iraqi insurgents feared Kyle so much they named him al-Shaitan ("the devil") and placed a bounty on his head. Kyle earned legendary status among his fellow SEALs, Marines, and U.S. Army soldiers, whom he protected with deadly accuracy from rooftops and stealth positions. Gripping and unforgettable, Kyle’s masterful account of his extraordinary battlefield experiences ranks as one of the great war memoirs of all time.

A native Texan who learned to shoot on childhood hunting trips with his father, Kyle was a champion saddle-bronc rider prior to joining the Navy. After 9/11, he was thrust onto the front lines of the War on Terror, and soon found his calling as a world-class sniper who performed best under fire. He recorded a personal-record 2,100-yard kill shot outside Baghdad; in Fallujah, Kyle braved heavy fire to rescue a group of Marines trapped on a street; in Ramadi, he stared down insurgents with his pistol in close combat. Kyle talks honestly about the pain of war - of twice being shot and experiencing the tragic deaths of two close friends.

American Sniper also honors Kyle's fellow warriors, who raised hell on and off the battlefield. And in moving first-person accounts throughout, Kyle's wife, Taya, speaks openly about the strains of war on their marriage and children, as well as on Chris.

Adrenaline-charged and deeply personal, American Sniper is a thrilling eyewitness account of war that only one man could tell.

©2012 Chris Kyle (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers

What an excellent book. Great job by the narrator.

If you could sum up American Sniper in three words, what would they be?

Insightful. Motivating. Faithful.

What other book might you compare American Sniper to and why?

This was my first book that I have read in a very long time. So I couldn't compare.

Which character – as performed by John Pruden – was your favorite?

Chris Kyle.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It was a very emotional read.

Any additional comments?

If you are curious about the mindset of a service-man/woman read this. It will help you understand the trials they go through on the battlefield and why it is difficult to acclimate to a civilian life. You'll also learn that you don't know shit about war, and how it effects a man/woman.

Totally different from the movie

I just finished listening to American Sniper. What a great audio book. I saw the movie prior to reading the book and that didn't ruin anything for me. The book and movie are drastically different. The book gives a more authentic picture of who Chris was.

My only complaint was the narrator (John Pruden). His fake Texas accent is mediocre and his voice inflections tend to make Chris sound daft at times. I think I would have liked this book better if I read it instead. That is my only complaint though. The story outshines the narrators bad accent.

Prolific and tear-jerking at times great read

One of the best books I've had the pleasure of listening to in a long long time

Interesting facts/info, moving story

Really enjoyed the reader, the accent really brought out that Texan appeal - good country guy becomes warrior but holds to certain values, like his marriage and perspective. Glad the author shared his story. Now I want to watch the movie.

awesome book

great book have listened to it several times once you start it it consumes your time you can listen for hours and it seems like you are living the story through his eyes this is truly a great book and the the first hand accounts make this book as close to the real thing as it gets with out being there

amazing book.

I found this book harder to start and stop because he bounced around a bit between what he was doing and his wife talking. you can always tell where she started but not always where she stopped.

AMAZING MAN!

This is an amazing story from an amazing man. A true American Hero! He didn't ask to be great , greatness was thrust upon him.!!

God Bless Chris and all our service members.

Inside look at the courage and sacrifice of our military heroes of the war in Iraq.
God Bless them all.

Great story

A great first-hand story. Reader made you feel like he was Kyle which made it better. The book is much better than the movie.

Very real.

A gripping story. I used to live in the Green Zone. it took me back.