American Sniper: Memorial Edition

by Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, Jim DeFelice

Overview

The #1 New York Times bestselling memoir of U.S. Navy Seal Chris Kyle, and the source for Clint Eastwood’s blockbuster movie which was nominated for six academy awards, including best picture.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062290793
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/15/2013
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	129,631
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.70(d)
Lexile:	830L (what's this?)

About the Author

SEAL Team 3 chief Chris Kyle served four combat tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom and elsewhere. For his bravery in battle, he was awarded two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with Valor, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation, and numerous other citations. Following his combat deployments, he became chief instructor for training Naval Special Warfare Sniper and Counter-Sniper teams, and he authored the Naval Special Warfare Sniper Doctrine, the first Navy SEAL sniper manual.

Kyle is the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History. He became president of Craft International (www.craftintl.com), a world-class leader in training and security, and cofounded the FITCO Cares Foundation. He lived with his family in Texas, where he devoted much of his spare time to supporting veterans.

As this book was being completed, Chris Kyle and his trusted friend Chad Littlefield died while trying to help a troubled veteran. Chief Kyle lived by a personal motto that "it is our duty to serve those who serve us," and he and Littlefield died honoring this creed.

Scott McEwen is a trial lawyer in San Diego, California. An Eagle Scout, he grew up hunting with long-range rifles in Oregon.

Jim DeFelice is the co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller American Sniper. DeFelice is the author of Omar Bradley: General at War, the first in-depth critical biography of America’s last five-star general. He also writes a number of acclaimed military thrillers, including the Rogue Warrior series from Richard Marcinko, founder of SEAL Team 6, and the novels in the Dreamland series with Dale Brown.

Table of Contents

Author's Note ix

Map of Iraq xi

Prologue: Evil in the Crosshairs 1

1 Bustin' Broncs and Other Ways of Having Fun 7

2 Jackhammered 22

3 Takedowns 58

4 Five Minutes to Live 74

5 Sniper 92

6 Dealing Death 117

7 Down in the Shit 159

8 Family Conflicts 201

9 The Punishers 223

10 The Devil of Ramadi 256

11 Man Down 280

12 Hard Times 303

13 Mortality 332

14 Home and Out 358

Acknowledgments 380

Chris Kyle, in Memoriam 383

Introduction Taya Kyle Jim DeFelice 385

Wayne and Deby Kyle, Chris's mom and dad 388

Taya Kyle 392

Jeff Kyle, Chris's brother 398

Andrew Alexander, friend 403

Bo Pharr, friend 405

"W," writing on behalf of "the Teams" 407

Bryan Rury, lifelong friend 409

Marcus Luttrell, fellow SEAL, friend 411

Ashley Purvis Smith, family friend 413

Al Hemmle, principal, Midlothian High School 416

Glenn Beck, talk-show host 418

Jeff Burge, Dallas Police Department, friend 420

Dr. Karen Hanten, pediatrician, friend 421

Kelly Job, wife of Chris's SEAL teammate Ryan Job 423

"Dauber," fellow SEAL, friend 425

Kim and Kent Studebaker, Chris's parents-in-law 427

Anonymous, active-duty SEAL, friend 429

Kim Essary, neighbor, friend 431

Larry Toon, chairman of Elizabeth Toon Charities 434

Leanne Littlefield, friend 436

Marc Myers, businessman, ranch owner, friend 439

Mathew Bullinger, fellow Little League coach, friend 441

Omar Avila, wounded warrior, friend 443

Randy Cupp, businessman, friend 446

Rich Emberlin, Dallas Police Department, friend 450

Sarah and Ellyse Dyer, friends 453

Scott Brown, Musician, Marine, friend 455

Sergeant Vince Lee, Dallas Police Department, friend 458

Jim DeFelice, coauthor of American Sniper 460

Editorial Reviews

“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

From the Publisher

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

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

D Magazine

"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!"

(USN) - Richard Marcinko

"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

"In the community of elite 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

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

In the community of elite 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

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

No Source

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

An amazingly detailed account of fighting in Iraq--a humanizing, brave story that’s extremely readable.

PATRICIA CORNWELL