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

Chris Kyle · Scott McEwen · Jim DeFelice

Jan 2012 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

The #1 New York Times bestselling memoir of U.S. Navy Seal Chris Kyle, and the source for Clint Eastwood’s blockbuster, Academy-Award nominated movie. 

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

"Jaw-dropping...Undeniably riveting." —RICHARD ROEPER, Chicago Sun-Times

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. 

Gripping and unforgettable, Kyle’s masterful account of his extraordinary battlefield experiences ranks as one of the great war memoirs of all time.

Ratings and reviews

This book really opened my eyes to a lot of things I have personally gone through since my last deployment, and retiring from the Military . I can promise you this is no propaganda, political or other wise. A lot of the combat he writes about going through in this book either my friends or myself were apart of and crazily enough , never knew he was also a part of those battles. this book gives so much more than the movie could ever possibly give on the accounts of what fighting in Iraq was like.

Not only are the stories that Chris tells amazing and sometimes heart wrenching, but the parts where his wife speaks will hit you in your core. At times the book is ominous because we know Chris's fate in the end. You come to care for Taya like she is your mother by the end of the book. Such a great read. I am truly not worthy to even state the amount of thanks I have for Chris and his wife, Taya. The sacrifices they made for "our" country (should be "theirs", they deserve it more) are eternal. Thank you.

I enjoyed this book. It definitely shows it takes a certain type of individual to preform these herioc duties for our country and military. I feel sorry for this man because he lived a violent life not only in the military but fighting in bars. I think it was just leftover aggression from all the conflicts he faced. It is a shame because once he moved past that lifestyle and starting putting his dedication towards helping people he died in a violent manner. Rip Chris Kyle

About the author

SEAL Team 3 Chief Chris Kyle (1974–2013) was awarded two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with Valor, and numerous other citations. Following four combat tours in Iraq, he became chief instructor for training Naval Special Warfare sniper teams. He is the author of American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms. A native Texan, Kyle is survived by his wife, Taya, and their two children.

Scott McEwen is a trial lawyer in San Diego.

Jim DeFelice is the co-author, with former U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, of the multi-million-copy bestseller American Sniper, the source for Clint Eastwood’s film starring Bradley Cooper. His other books include Omar Bradley: General at War; Rangers at Dieppe; and West Like Lightning: The Brief, Legendary Ride of the Pony Express. He lives in upstate New York.