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

A real eye opener

This story is incredible and spares no deal. It really shows you different sides and effects and war not only on your mind and your body but also on your family. It's just truly a great story that kept me up at night as it painted vivd images in my mind of every event.

f*ckin loved it, much better than the movie.

If you are questioning yourself about buying it,do not hesitate. Much better than I expected

Incredible look inside a soldier's life.

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

Yes, especially to those who think soldiers are brutal baby killers. This book gave me a new look into the life of a solider during war. Chris Kyle gives a detailed look into his experiences not just overseas, but what he goes through when he comes back stateside and needs to "all of sudden" transition back into a civilian lifestyle. This is definitely a book every American should read/listen to especially to those that don't have a family history of military service.

Which scene was your favorite?

This type of book is hard to really have a favorite scene or passage for me as it flows so well that it all seems like one big scene. While there are chapters, Chris does a great job explaining his experiences and telling it in a way that seems so natural.

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

It was tough when Chris would give his wife's perspective. This really brought home the tug-of-war that is really tough for families where one of the partners is serving overseas and leaves the other back home to take care of everything by themselves. When Chris shared the times where his wife was ready to give up due to Chris' extreme dedication to the SEALs over his dedication to his family is when you really start to understand there's more to being a soldier than just war. I cannot imagine how hard it must be knowing you've been trained to do a job (and know that you do it well) but also know that you have a family back home who relies on you and would rather have you home...but supports you for your service. That constant tug-of-war is something you never hear about in news reports. This book gives that side of war and military service and is some of the most intense parts of this book to read/listen to.

Any additional comments?

When I realized that this is book that mentioned the alleged altercation with Jesse Ventura, I started to have a different take on the author. Why would someone admit to assaulting such a highly recognizable figure like this? There actually is no mention to Jesse Ventura by name in the book but Chris Kyle has come out in public interviews after the release of the book and stated that it was Jesse Ventura he was making reference to. This just seems crazy.This has come down to a "your word against mine" situation and Jesse Ventura denies it ever happened. While I know Jesse Ventura has spoken out against the various wars recently, I cannot imagine a former Navy SEAL would say such things as Chris Kyle has claimed. There seems to be a current lawsuit regarding this between Jesse Ventura and Chris Kyle so it will be interesting to see who is telling the truth once a verdict comes down.

Good Story and Great Performance

Any additional comments?

A page turner that was hard to put down.

This is among one of the best books that I have read that allows insight into the lives of those who find themselves serving in multiple difficult combat experiences and the effects it has on them and their families.

I am thankful that some, like Kyle, are able to document their experiences so forthright that we are allowed to understand the characteristics of these warrior - protectors who are willing to offer their lives in service to our country.

captivating story start to finish!

This was my first audio book and i must say it was great from beginning to end. I loved the story and the way it was portrayed. listening to this the way its written and narrated you actually feel like your right there with him on his life journeys. an excellent book and a must read/listen for all people of ages and backgrounds.

Just Amazing

This book was so intense and detailed about Chris's life in war, that you would think you're reading a fictional book. It's unreal what this guy went through in war and back home.

Beware of Profanity

Very much a book from a war fighter's prospective, including the "F" word in about every sentence. If you can get past that, it does give a good education on being the killer of bad people and the cost to themselves, their marriage and family. I learned a lot about being a snipper. I would recommend this if you've ever had any interest about Chris Kyle and his story.

Loved!

I loved the book! Its sad Chris Kyle died here in the USA after all that he went trough. He seemed like such a humble man about everything.

Just hard to imagine what so many do despite us.

Great true story dine as well as modern cinematic's can recreate. War may be tossed around between the government powers until there's little to understand what objectives are needed to end them or even what happens if we quit in go home because it's easier than planning or executing the plan than it is to explain that people do die, regardless of having a great, plausible, or lack there of plan. The only difference is the people who're there dying signed up to do it willingly if it is in an effort to defend us, and or die trying to win what they know they're there to do.

I don't think we've had a plan since we've arrested sad-ham and killed Osama.
A great incite into the lives it the courageous men who fight like warriors for people who chose not too only to call them , cowards, murderers, or Nazis for doing what their elected officials commanded of them yet do nothing to vote out what they claim they hate.

A true American hero.

A love story about God, brothers in arms, The USA, and family. In that order. At least in his view of things.