Monday, August 13, 2012

American Sniper

American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History
 By Chris Kyle, with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice
W. Morrow, 2012. 381 pgs. Biography

War is unimaginable to all who have never experienced it, but Chris Kyle has written an incredible memoir that gives civilian readers a chance to glimpse what goes on in the mind of one of our country's greatest warriors in "American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History."

Kyle spent 10 years in the Navy as a Seal and a sniper, and served four combat tours abroad. His record for confirmed kills, officially documented as 150, leaves previous records in the dust. As impressive as Kyle's shooting is, what really makes his story extraordinary is the personal account of life in the U.S. military. His wife also provides portions of the narrative telling of the struggles faced by the families of our deployed troops.

Kyle's writing is unabashedly honest, a little colorful (keep in mind he was in the Navy), and surprisingly humble. True patriotism is apparent and Kyle's love for his country, God, family, and the men with whom he served cannot help but inspire.

CZ

1 comment:

Breanne said...

This is the autobiography of Chris Kyle, who holds the record for the most career sniper kills in US military history. Kyle served four tours as a Navy SEAL from 1999 to 2009, and talks about his experiences facing Iraqi insurgents and working with his fellow team members. He also shares struggles that he faced personally with his family during this time.

I read this book because I knew that Kyle would have a very different world view than me. I wasn't sure if I would be able to find common ground with him, but it's hard not to admire the amount of work he did and what it took to be as successful as he was. In other ways, this book helped me appreciate that there are ways that I won't ever really understand his perspective, because I will never be faced with the extreme violence and danger he was met with on a regular basis. But listening to his story gave me a glimpse at least. Kyle was a good storyteller, and I'd recommend this to anyone who doesn't mind some language and would like to learn more about Kyle and the kind of work he did.