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

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All in all, a great book and one I'm very happy to have read. It was fun, informative, and fed my hunger for psychoanalysis. :) :) :) LOL

I was a sniper trained for the SWAT team and was deployed as such on numerous occasions so this book had a little more meaning for me. The way this is written, I felt like I was in Chris's head or walking beside him as he explained things and showed us what he and his platoon and all of them went through. The writing quality is - I think everyone can agree - not Pulitzer material. He is writing in a "Hey, buddy, let me tell you what happened last time I was in Iraq!" way. This doesn't bother me, I don't care about that. He's not a writer by trade, and I don't expect him to be. This doesn't affect my rating at all. It amazes me that someone can have so many experiences that should show their own hypocrisy yet they still fail to realize it. If the U.S. was invaded by a foreign army that claimed we were just inherently evil and deserved to die wouldn't this author think we'd have the right to defend ourselves? I know I would defend our country, and I know if I was Iraqi and some foreign invader came in to steal my property and freedom then I'd defend myself as well.Another thing about Kyle was that even though he did not want to come off as bragging he couldn't help but repeatedly mention the fact that he has the highest number of confirmed kills of any sniper. That contradicted himself over and over and got to the point where when it was mentioned I cringed from it. What about his slogan, "violence does solve problems". And to close out, Chris attempts to save face "I think America does a lot to support people". Yeah, sure, buddy. 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. Before reading this book I had heard of Chris Kyle. I have not seen the movie and honestly I didn't know much about the controversy surrounding this man. I watched the movie yesterday. While it's brilliantly shot and exceptionally well-directed, it left me cold. I just could not sympathise with gun-crazy, sociopathic protagonist.

Ever since he was at school, Chris Kyle had dreamed of being a cowboy. That life thrilled him immensely and the boy proved to be quite a skillful horse rider. He even started going to college that was famous for preparing perfect farm managers. After an unfortunate a fall from a horse, Kyle understood that it wasn’t what he wanted to do. The young man decided to join the Navy even though he knew that it wouldn’t be easy. The first time he tried the answer was a definite no. Later on, when Kyle was almost ready to say goodbye to his dream, he got a call that changed his life. The man was going to go through the training and become a SEAL. 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). Chris Kyle’s wife, Taya Kyle is the co-narrator of American Sniper. Taya meets Kyle while Kyle is still training to become a SEAL, and they get married shortly before Kyle deploys to Iraq… came down to the conflict we’d always had—where were our priorities: God, family, country (my version), or God, country, family (Chris’s)?” 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.

So, what is ‘American Sniper’ about? It is the autobiography of U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the person with the most recorded career sniper kills in the United States’ history. As a general summary, in this book he details his past, how he came to join the Navy SEALS, and his career with them from 1999 to 2009. He writes honestly about his experiences, recounting them to the best of his memory whilst not revealing currently classified information. The pains of war are detailed honestly in the book, including the deaths of two close SEAL teammates, and in first person passages from his wife about the strains of war on their family and Chris himself. It is, above all, an honest book holding a lot of the thoughts of the author himself, and as such makes for a great memoir for a figure such as Chris Kyle. The courage, dedication, and sense of duty displayed by the author are truly inspiring and provide readers with a deep appreciation for the sacrifices made by our military personnel. The book takes readers on an intense journey through the rigors of military training, the harrowing experiences of combat, and the toll it takes on both the physical and mental well-being of a soldier. American Sniper study guide contains a biography of Chris Kyle, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

I was hoping for some semblance of reflection on what it's like to be in a situation with the power to take life, the thoughts that would go through someone's head, a meditation on the situation in Iraq that allowed people -- yes, the "insurgents" "savages" and "muji" are indeed people -- to take actions like they do.

After moving to the US I always wondered what drives Americans to stand when the national anthem is played before each game. What unseen force tells them to fly their flag, high on a mast, for the world to see it, for the wind to dance with it. What drives them to enroll in the military, leaving all they love and their family and make the ultimate sacrifice.