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

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

Amazing

I love it! This book truly shows the struggles all service members go through. Not only the stresses of war, but it also captures a clear picture of what the other side of the relationship has to go through. I loved it

The book was much better than the movie.

I had listened to this audio book long before the movie. I decided to go back and hear it again to see how close the movie was. I still enjoy the audio book version more than the big screen.

Excellent

I would have to say this book is EXCELLENT. Thank you Mr. Chris Kyle for serving our country and keeping us in the USA free.

Bull's eye!

What did you like best about this story?

The honesty from the writer was sobering. The input from his wife made this real. It made me realize the immense debt society has towards guys like Mr Kyle that are willing to risk everything for the rest of us, whether you are an American or not.

What about John Pruden’s performance did you like?

Good reading. At no point did I get the idea that he was not part of the story.

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

Yes, but I could not. Trivial things like work and life kept me busy!

Any additional comments?

Chris Kyle wrote a great story. I enjoyed every minute of it and was sad when it was done. He achieved a lot and one forgets that it is because he was in a fight more than everybody else, he was good at what he did, he was well prepared, he had excellent guys around him, he had a goal and a reason why he did all this, and finally he was probably very lucky as well. The stuff he survived was incredible. I sometimes got the idea that he was born to fight.

But these guys do pay a price that the rest of society does not. These guys pay with their lives, friends, and families to allow the rest of society to stand in the presence of a free nation and critisize evrything of their choosing even the very men that protects that freedom. They deserve respect and support in battle and when back at home. I am not an American, but I do think that the American soldier today deserves more from some their own people and the free world in general.

Bad narrator for the story

The story is excellent but the narrator is not right for it. They needed someone with a more hardened voice and better voice inflection.

pWpTaD

Part of me is thankful he was on our side. Another part of me is surprised at the complete disconnect from civilian reality. I guess as he basically said, unless you lived it, you won't ever truly understand it.

An amazing story. Unfortunate ending of his life.

May he rest in Jesus' loving arms. Thank you!

A true hero in every sense of the word. For those of us who have never had to endure war and all it's evil, thank you for showing us a glimpse of what we are truly dealing with in these third world countries. Most of Americans want to stick our heads in the sand and not believe they are our enemy. Thank you for having the courage to do what most of us can't.

Awesome

The narrator just seemed to fit him well. Amazing book and amazing man. You should read this book it's worth it.

Grateful for people like Chris.

Chris is the real deal. I'm grateful for his Sacrifice and his family's sacrifice. He will not be forgotten. I'm thankful to learn more about who makes our Country great.

Honorable Kid

I like that he kept it real the struggles with his marriage the dumb fights the loyalty.
I actually laughed out loud when he was recanting the part about the beach balls.
Narrator was fun & easy to listen to.
Really good book.