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

Wow Great Gook!

This book is a great look at what really happened. This is also a deep examination of yhe human experience in conflict. Well worth reading!

Great book and great audible

It is one of the best books I’ve ever read and listened to as a child

Great book, great insight in life of a soldier

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes! I'm a veteran myself been to Afghanistan and a lot of my friends and family don't understand the mindset of a soldier, the excitement of combat - adjustments after returning home from the zone. This book does give good insight of how a soldier might feel/think.

What about John Pruden’s performance did you like?

I liked it.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There was many situations which was recognizable wich made me laugh out loud or just simply think yes!

Any additional comments?

Read it, listen to it. Either if you are family, friend or just generally interested in the army you will love it.

Eye Opening

I forget sometimes that the narrator isn't Chris! He really brings the experiences to life. I'm much more knowledgeable about the sacrifices & experiences of our troops & their families.

A true love of country...

One of the best accounts of the life and service of one of our many serving and protecting our country. Great story. Much appreciated service. Thank you.

Decent and sometimes very descriptive of war

I know this became popular again after his murder but he was truly a patriot and we were lucky to have him when we did. The unfortunate is all countries need his skills. His description of war was very intense and tragic that we have to send our young to that. It was a good forthright account from his perspective. I am sorry he is gone.

What a great story!!

Wow! I just finished this. This is a very powerful story that really captures the motivation and true heart of all of our military members. Hats off to the folks involved in making this book a reality!

The performance in this audiobook was fantastic! I enjoyed every second of it!!

Unexpected read, but terrific listen.

Have you listened to any of John Pruden’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

John Pruden did a great job with the narration. When I listened to this story, I felt it was the author narrating rather than a narrator. Really good. I would listen to another of his reads based on this performance.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is not my normal genre for books, but something in the book description caught my interest and I decided to listen. I instantly got engrossed in the story, finishing it very quickly. Chris Kyle said he wanted to write his story before someone else could, and he did it very well. The story had some tough listening points, but gave a seemingly honest and forthright story of the military, the brotherhood of soldiers, the chain of command, and the mental issues like PTSD that affect soldiers returning home. The story also took some time to jump back and forth to describe Chris' family life and visits home while on leave, and the difficulty he had at those times getting his head out of combat mode. I learned so much and it is a story I have recommended to many others. I would call this story one of my "must reads".

Any additional comments?

Shortly after I finished reading the book, I heard that the author Chris Kyle was shot to death here at home, by a soldier that Chris was counseling who suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. I was so sad that a good man who seemed to successfully re-integrate into family life after war was killed so suddenly.

What an American Hero

I loved this story even tho it was difficult to listen to knowing the outcome of his shot life.

great but could be better

loved the story. it's sad to know that this stuff really happen and now Chris Kyle is gone in real life. but I think when they start doing the Taya parts they should probably had a female actress takeover of that part or he could have made his voice as feminine as he could to be able to tell them apart.