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

Fantastic book

Story is very personal and emotional. Married to a Marine hits close to home . I think it explains many emotions in war zone.

Awesome

loved it, everytime I listened to it. have purchased other books and will continue to do so.

Great book and story!

the book was awesome. this man was a true hero! it's a real shame his life ended the way it did. I'm gonna listen to it again i enjoyed so much.

Dreadfully fascinating

Would you listen to American Sniper again? Why?

I'm not usually the type to re-watch movies or re-read books so I doubt I would read it again. However, it is fascinating perspective from the boots on the ground in Afghanistan. Definitely worth reading once.

What did you like best about this story?

This book will challenge your perspectives on the war, but specifically, the occupation of a soldier. The author makes some bold statements, with thundering shock value about how much he enjoyed pulling the trigger. The question I had coming into this book was, "Can I, with good conscience really be a fan of someone who killed so many people?" Chris Kyle saw his job and primary calling as being a soldier, and he enjoyed it just like the rest of us enjoy and find satisfaction in our daily jobs. He worked very hard, and again - just like the rest of us - sought to be the best at his job. The big difference is that in his job that meant taking lives. It's a tough concept to comprehend especially since I work a desk job, but his simple reasoning has a certain innocence and logic to it.

Which scene was your favorite?

I'm a sucker for all the vivid descriptions of rigorous training that U.S. special forces must undergo. While he bypasses a lot of the training, the descriptions of how they applied their training on the battlefield more than makes up for it.

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

Some of the most moving sections of the book come from his struggles with how to prioritize his life. He was obviously not the perfect husband, the perfect father or event he perfect soldier for that matter, and he didn't seem to hold back. The portions with his wife's descriptions added a very unique perspective that you do not normally get. I have no doubt that military wives have a special place in paradise for what they undergo as their husbands are away on deployment.

Excellent story

The story was amazing and well written with a great conversational tone. The details into the weapons were a little much for my liking, but I'm no gun nut either. Weapons enthusiasts will love the details. As for the narrator, I wasn't too keen on his obviously fake southern accent that waxes and wanes in thickness and intensity. I learned to tune it out after a while, but initially it was quite annoying. Overall, though, this was an excellent audiobook.

Compelling, informative and enjoyable!

Beautiful, compelling, informative and enjoyable book & life story ... Chris Kyles' life story brings a lot of lessons for many even if their lives may not be in a military setting like mine. Starts with dreams, life models, pursuits, adventures and learnings which lead to life lessons, wisdom, transformation and relative satisfaction in life. Thanks for sharing.

This is my first Audible book experience and would not be the last.

Great Bio and tribute to the life and Legand

One of the greatest navy seal books and story ever told. So very great full for their service and great Patriotism.

Great

This book could have been twice as long with more events that took place and it would have kept my attention at high.

The book is better than the movie

Where does American Sniper rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

American Sniper is one of the best military non-fiction books I have listened to/read. The pacing is just right, layout is great and the way which the stories are told is both compelling and riveting. The dark humor in this book is needed to lighten the content, there were times when the story was heavy and moving but was quickly turned about with a well placed quip or humorous observation.

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

John did an excellent job reading this book, I dont think anyone else could have done it any better.

Any additional comments?

The material in this book was so fascinating that I listened to it twice as I felt I would still take in new stuff on a second listen.

BASASS

A great story about a great American hero. I would recommend this book to any man or woman I know.