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

Geat listen

Great story about a great American. Can't wait to go and see the movie and see how it matches up

Great story! True hero!

Very great story. It was so eye opening to go on this journey with Chris. I do wish Taya's parts had been narrated by a women's voice.

Thank you to our military

Good book, great story of a life. To be honest I wanted to hear more, but it is not possible to detail a life such as this more than they did. I will definitely refer others. Although I did like the voice of the narrator, I did not like his fake Texas accent. I think it would have sounded better if a real Texas would have narrated.

Right Stuff

Would you listen to American Sniper again? Why?

This book captured my interest from the opening line.....not only was the story engaging, the narration kept it interesting. Definitely listen to this again.

What did you like best about this story?

Chris will forever be know as a hero

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

Chris Kyle

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

Two sittings

Any additional comments?

Recommend this to everyone.....

Great warrior and better man.

Loved the book and will listen to it many more time. Makes me understand what I have because of all that have fought for this country. USA.

Good story but....

I love hearing the various stories of Kyle's deployments. However the book might be a bit overly patriotic. I rated it a 4 because I feel like I know more about the war in Iraq from this book than anything else I've seen or heard. Although maybe this source is a bit one sided.

We

This is a great book and will bring u to tears through a tremendous story of blood sweat and tears

The life story of the best sniper of the US army

What did you love best about American Sniper?

The book gave me an insider's view into war as it happened, the "need" for Chris Kyle to be a part of every war and in the action even though it meant that his life would be on the line, and the lonely nature of a sniper's job where even the smallest curious action by a by-passer can mean life or death for fellow soldiers

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

The events of war are similar to that of the movie: "The Hurt Locker"

Which scene was your favorite?

The time when Chris is on a call with his fiance/wife and an explosion causes them to stop speaking because the phone line gets cut while there's incoming fire. I understood the reality of how quickly a soldier's family's life can change.

I'd rather read a book than see a movie any day.

I like to listen to books while I run. I also have a really hard time watching movies, especially if they are violent or gory. I really enjoyed being able to listen to this story without the visual images that come in a movie.

Excellent and gives perspective.

This is an excellent book and gives perspective to what Chris and our other war fighters experienced. Thank you Chris, and your comrades, for your service and sacrifice.
It deeply saddens me that Chris went through all that, only to be killed by a coward in Texas.

The performance was excellent also. I loved the Texas accent.