American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History

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In May 2016, The Intercept claimed that Kyle's autobiography "embellished" his military record, and that he had been warned by Navy officials about the inaccuracies before publication. [18] [19] [20] Others, including co-author Scott McEwen, disputed this. [21] On May 28, The Hollywood Reporter did an analysis, concluding that the newly released internal Navy documents were inconclusive — that the document that typically is the definitive record of military service matched Kyle's claims and that the Navy had not yet publicly stated this document or the facts within it were incorrect. Kyle's DD Form 214 listed a total of two Silver Stars and six Bronze Stars, more than he claimed in his book. [22] American Sniper tells the story of Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL who completed four tours in Iraq from 1999 to 2009. The book describes Kyle's upbringing in Odessa, Texas, Navy SEAL training, and combat experiences in Iraq. [5] [6] 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. First of all, let me confess that I read the book only because I saw the movie. I am a fan of Clint Eastwood as a director. His war movies Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, which showed the same battle from American and Japanese viewpoints - and stressed the human element in both of them - I consider to be worthy additions to the genre. So I expected more of the same in this movie - however, I was sorely disappointed. The protagonist came across as a psycho, and it was not sure whether Clint was rooting for him, or showing us the futility of his battle. American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History" is a gripping and powerful autobiography that provides a profound insight into the life of an American hero. With its compelling storytelling, raw emotions, and unflinching accounts of sacrifice and bravery, this book has far surpassed my expectations, leaving a lasting impact on my perspective.

To begin with, I'm not sure who to credit for this bit of writing; I suspect that Kyle contributed little but the anecdotal accounts and his name to the effort, as two other names are listed with his on the cover. Interestingly, his wife is not given any co-author status although she provides significant input throughout the book. Tons of people have brought up the scandal of him being very... enthusiastic in his colorful and (perhaps not always 100% true) storytelling, and the fact that he got in a fistfight with Jesse Ventura (who sued him for defamation and won). From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. His fellow American warriors, whom he protected with deadly precision from rooftops and stealth positions during the Iraq War, called him “The Legend”; meanwhile, the enemy feared him so much they named him al-Shaitan (“the devil”) and placed a bounty on his head. Kyle, who was tragically killed in 2013, writes honestly about the pain of war—including the deaths of two close SEAL teammates—and in moving first-person passages throughout, his wife, Taya, speaks openly about the strains of war on their family, as well as on Chris. This is without doubt an interesting and I believe a valuable book. I note several reviewers which note that the book isn't well written. This is somewhat true in that the writer makes use often of short declarative sentences. There are no literary flourishes no genteel turns of phrase. On the other hand the writing style is direct, clear and (again) interesting. The book is often much like reading a letter from a friend. American Sniper' Co-Author Defends Chris Kyle's Military Record Over New Controversy". The Hollywood Reporter. 3 June 2016. We submitted the book for vetting with the DOD ... and certain parts of the manuscript were, at their request, redacted. [C]ertain other figures ... for example the number of Chris' confirmed kills —were agreed upon as something that could be released to the public.

As mentioned, the book shows Mr. Kyle's evolution away from a priority list of God, country and family and turning it into the more correct sequence of God, family country. At the end of 4 long, eventful deployments, Mr. Kyle clearly came to realize what's most important in life and that a man should only be asked to sacrifice so much for his nation--and that his family needed him more than the war did. You have to give Chris credit for this awakening. Not that what he did in taking 4 deployments was wrong--far from it--I believe he was doing what God intended for his life. But he did the right thing leaving the military when he did. Clearly it was time.

One of the truely cool things about this book was the added view points of his wife and family. After serving in D/S and D/S I did not know what the family was thinking and feeling. It was a refreshing and devestating feeling to now "know" from their perspective. The author comes across as an unsympathetic, often racist, gun-ho "shoot first, think later"-type - some of the best quotes: I couldn't help comparing Kyle and his experiences sniping with James Bond and Bond's experiences with sniping - very similar tactically and talking about the experience, but of course with much different internal dialogue. Bond hates sniping and, in fact, hates killing people. I know, I know, Bond is fictional, Kyle is not - but the Bond books are still fresh in my mind from my recent re-reading of the series, so that's the comparison you're going to get. I found the book interesting, more so than the movie. I’m a bit of a history buff so I found the first person description of combat in the Iraq war informative. Kyle’s memoir was more candid than most and I suspect that readers who don’t often read first person accounts of war may struggle to appreciate his point of view.You will probably come away from this book with your own impression of Chris Kyle, his life and his beliefs. And of course, his actions. However, I’d like to begin by saying that I’m not going to base this review on my opinion on the (historical) events on which it is based on, my personal moral and belief system, or anything which could be considered a political position. This is my review on this book itself, and I’ll try to make it as honest as possible. One should never discard a book because of a personal position, and things should instead be judged based on their merits alone. Having read biographies on figures like Caligula, Goebbels, Trotsky, and Stalin; it's what seems fair. Having said this, I finally feel like I can begin my review of ‘American Sniper’. An amazingly detailed account of fighting in Iraq--a humanizing, brave story that’s extremely readable.” — PATRICIA CORNWELL, New York Times Book Review I have watched videos of Kyle on YouTube and he seems like a kind man. This is not the impression that you will get from this book, as it is filled with bar fights, disrespect for all people of the countries he fought in, and chauvinist posturing. In this book, the way he tells his war stories is akin to taking an already “manly” Chicago-style ballpark frank with all the fixings and adding gasoline as the final condiment. He does everything but whip it out and try to measure for you.