An American Sniper

I don’t read a lot of books, but when I do sometimes I read something that is really good and needs to be shared.  This was one of those books.  I won’t share too much about the book; it’s worth reading and hearing it for the first time.

 

I just finished reading the book, An American Sniper, the story of Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle.  I’d wanted to read this book for a while now but just never got around to it.  I actually read another of his books this year, American Gun.  In American Gun, Kyle tells the history of America through 10 of its most prolific firearms.  In American Sniper he discusses his life’s story.  The book mostly deals with his early life as a rancher in Texas and his decision to join the Navy and eventually the SEALs.  The bulk of the book tells the story of his time in Iraq and ends with his decision to leave the Navy and his life after.

3 years ago I watched a TV show that paired celebrities with retired military and had them perform different missions each weak in a competition.  Chris Kyle was paired with Dean Kane.  This was the first time I heard about Chris Kyle.  It was also the first time I heard of his book.  He is officially listed as the America’s most deadly sniper by the Department of Defense.  He has over 160 confirmed kills and from the sound of it in the book there were plenty more that could be added to that list.  He wrote about one shot he took that was over 2100 yards.  An insurgent was aiming a rocket launcher at an ARMY convoy.  Kyle had two options, take the shot or not.  He took the shot and hit the insurgent and more than likely saved the men in the convoy.  He admits in the book that the shot was pure luck at that distance.  

 

The book didn’t just focus on the war, he also spoke about the struggles of being a SEAL and a husband and father.  There were inserts into some chapters where his wife would tell her side of the story.  It showed at times how both of them were at times on two completely different pages in their marriage.  The book was just very honest and I couldn’t put it down.  That is saying a lot for me, because reading is not my favorite thing to do. 

In 2015 a movie will be coming out by the same title that is based on the book.  I am really excited to see it.  The preview that I have seen shows a scene from the book that is depicted exactly how I envisioned it in my head.  Kyle writes the book in terms that anyone can understand.  Some of the military terms and many of the acronyms he explains along the way and usually again later in the book.  It showed the good and the bad of war and he definitely does not try to glorify it or sugar coat anything.  I would recommend this to anyone.