November 15, 2011
Memoir of America's most prolific sniper, with an emphasis on the grisly, unpredictable nature of contemporary warfare. With more than 250 confirmed kills in Iraq and several citations for bravery, including two Silver Stars, Kyle may well be the "most lethal" soldier in American military history. Fortunately, this memoir (written with co-authors Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice) takes a more unassuming and approachable tone in narrating his improbable journey from a modest Texas childhood to becoming a sniper with SEAL Team 3 and serving four deployments in Iraq: "my so-called ‘legend' [has] a lot to do with luck." As with other recent books about the SEALs, they are depicted as a breed apart: hyper-competitive, with the most intense training, hazing and bonding rituals (the latter involving much drinking and fighting). Kyle is unapologetic about his own conservative persona, and perhaps not the ideal spokesman for military public relations. The highlights of the narrative are the grim yet often funny accounts of Kyle's violent battles all over Iraq, most of which are described crisply. The author describes his participation in numerous urban battles, such as the protracted struggles for Ramadi and Fallujah, and asserts that elite operators like himself contributed to Iraq's evolving stability--"it took violence of action to create a situation where there could be peace." Kyle provides a few surprising moments, as when he writes eloquently about his fellow veterans, including SEALs killed or wounded in battle. "There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless or jobless," he writes. Kyle's wife offers her counterpoint narrative in italicized passages, driving home the surreal life of difficulty bestowed on professional warriors' loved ones. This aggressively written account of frontline combat, with plenty of action and technical nitty-gritty, should appeal to conservative readers and military buffs.

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"Chris Kyle tells his story with the same courage and grit he displayed in life and on the battlefield. American Sniper is a compelling read." — CLINT EASTWOOD

"An amazingly detailed account of fighting in Iraq—a humanizing, brave story that's extremely readable." — PATRICIA CORNWELL, New York Times Book Review

"In the elite community of warriors, one man has risen above our ranks and distinguished himself as unique. Chris Kyle is that man. A master sniper, Chris has done and seen things that will be talked about for generations to come." — MARCUS LUTTRELL, author of Lone Survivor

"Chris Kyle was incredible, the most celebrated war hero of our time, a true American hero in every sense of the word." — D Magazine

"The raw and unforgettable narrative of the making of our country's record-holding sniper, Chris Kyle's memoir is a powerful book, both in terms of combat action and human drama. Chief Kyle is a true American warrior down to the bone, the Carlos Hathcock of a new generation." — CHARLES W. SASSER, Green Beret (US Army Ret.) and author of One Shot, One Kill

"Reads like a first-person thriller narrated by a sniper. The bare-bones facts are stunning. .... A first-rate military memoir." — BOOKLIST

"American Sniper is the inside story of what it's like to be in war. A brave warrior and patriot, Chris Kyle writes frankly about the missions, personal challenges, and hard choices that are part of daily life of an elite SEAL Sniper. It's a classic!" — RICHARD MARCINKO (USN, Ret.), First Commanding Officer of SEAL Team Six and #1 bestselling author of Rogue Warrior