American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in US Military History―A Navy SEAL's Memoir of War and Family

American Sniper, The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History was written by the late Navy Seal Chris Kyle. Because of my military background I found the book extremely interesting but I also believe it would be enjoyed by civilians having never served. Chris was an ordinary guy. He grew up of a middle class, Christian family in Texas. He went to high school, tried college and did some time as a real cowboy working on a ranch. He went on to join the military and become a Seal, a feat in itself considering that only 10% of the sailors who enter the rigorous training program go on to complete it. He continued on to be one of the best Seal snipers in history. Writing was not one of Chris's fortes though. His book is written in plain language and can be rough at times. I found that down to earth, every day, brutally honest, not sugar coated approach very appealing. Others, who are looking for a great literary piece may not. American Sniper is not all blood and guts, as many war stories are. It is heartfelt. It has some graphic details but it also shows emotion, good and bad. Chris talks of his loves; God, Country and Family, even telling of the trouble he sometimes had with the order of Country and Family. It includes sections written by Chris's wife Taya that show the emotion the military family waiting at home experiences. My wife read the book and loved it. Having been a military spouse for many years and very politically involved she had heard Chris's story on the news, bought and read his book and recommended it to me. She could relate to many of the stories, having heard me tell similar ones. I served as a Seabee, performing some of the tasks for the Seals that Chris discusses. Our paths may have crossed somewhere in Kuwait or Iraq but I didn't know him personally. However, reading his story made me feel like I did. It is rare for someone with his experiences to relay them to others, especially the world in a book and especially to do it so well. After a short introduction, the book chronicles Chris's life. It starts with his childhood in Texas, goes through his teenage years and on to college. He writes very candidly about the things he did and mistakes he made. He appears to have had a bit of a wild streak, getting into an occasional fight, riding bulls and then broncos in the rodeo before getting hurt, eventually giving up college to become a cowboy then joining the military. He tells of wanting to be in the action, not in a military job on sidelines. He details boot camp and then on to BUDS (Seal training). Chris is extremely patriotic and truly believed in his mission of defending our country. He takes the reader through each deployment, including the enemy, kills he made, his comrades, injuries he and others received, working with the Marines, the Seabees, the Polish Grom (special forces) and even the heartbreak of loosing friends to the war. Toward the end of the story he tells of the difficult decision he faced in leaving his career and his brothers in arms for his beloved family. Chris's story has action, emotion, patriotism, sacrifice and most of all the sense of a very humble man doing a job most could never even imagine. From where I served, supporting missions of men like Chris, I may have a little better understanding of the things he's done and experienced, but his story, told not in a format for military but for civilians truly gives the reader insight into the heart of warriors like Chris and many who serve our country. With chapter titles like; "The Devil of Ramadi", "Man Down", "The Punisher", "Family Conflicts", "Down in the Shit", "Dealing Death", "Mortality" and "Home and Out", it is evident that this is much more than a war story. I highly recommend it for everyone. It educates readers on what our military members do for our country and I hope gives them a greater appreciation for their sacrifice.

The book reads like a military thriller. There are times in his narration that you forget this is true. The segments and stories are ones that draw you in to the ugly side of war. It is reality. I served in Iraq myself and many of the battles that Chris describes in the book are ones that I was familiar with. Although I never saw nearly the action that he did, I knew of those battles. He describes the hell that is war. He describes the insurgents, or savages as he calls them, and what they would do. He describes the firefights and the battles in such detail. His recollection of these incidents as he takes you through them lets you see inside the life of a silent professional, the life of a SEAL. Although it might not be the most eloquent prose you can find in a book, he is a Navy SEAL not a professional writer. I have read some of the comments online and many make it seem as though he is an arrogant man just wanting everyone to know how good he is. These people have obviously not read the book. He points out in the book that his main reason for writing it was because other people were planning on writing about his story and he wanted to make sure that the proper people got credit. He constantly talks through the pages about how he is not the most skilled sniper, but he is lucky and was surrounded by great people. Through his narration you get to see the teamwork that occurred to accomplish the numbers he did, and the pure luck at times. He constantly praises the soldiers and Marines that he was with. You get the sense of a humble man, one reluctant to tell the story but does so in order to honor those who surrounded him. The hardest parts to read were the loss of his friends. He tells the story of Marc Lee, a story I know through his mother Debbie's activism after his death. He also tells the story about how Ryan Job was wounded. You could tell the sadness in the words on the page. It is powerful. Having a husband that was wounded in Iraq it opened my eyes to what others feel when someone is wounded in front of them. Chris's dedication to those he served with is nearly palpable as he speaks of them. The most intriguing were the words of his wife, Taya. She writes about what she felt and experienced as his wife and the mother of their children. Many of the emotions she felt were ones that I felt when my husband was deployed. Although her situation was much more intense than mine would ever be, I could sympathize with her words. She provided the real insight to the man and not just the sniper. A part that touched me is when Chris spoke towards the end of the book about giving back. He discusses the retreats that he has helped with for Marcus Luttrell's charity the Lone Survivor Foundation (LSF). My husband, daughter and I were fortunate enough to be on one of these retreats that he described at Barefoot Ranch. It was an amazing experience. Chris is a great man and this is a great book.

On the surface, some may see Kyle's book as a great war story--it is that. But a deeper read of the book shows this to be a highly personalized account of the evolution of a man over the back-drop of war. Overlayed onto the story of Mr. Kyle's war time experiences is the story of Chris's evolution as a man, as a soldier, but most of all as a father and husband. Woven in throughout the book is story of his courtship and marriage to Taya, and to their starting a family. The book shows the not so pleasant realities of the difficulty imposed on our military families by fathers and husbands answering the call of duty. I admire Kyle's candor about his putting country (and the SEALs) ahead of his family. Some authors would not be so willing to display their personal pocks like this. I was afraid the story of his marital relationship and its difficulties would take away from the narrative, but far from doing so it enriched it especially with the commentary written by his wife which added dimension to the personal drama of Kyle's 4 deployments. One has to appreciate a man whose patriotism and sense of duty called him away from home and family so many times. Some might condemn his priorities. But without such men, who would fight our battles? 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. The events he was involved in during the Iraq War are of course the main focus of the book and for me the most engrossing. Chris is a great story teller and the battles he fought are well drawn and really pull you in. The Fallujah chapters were particularly interesting. I felt like I was there in the thick of the battle with Chris and his team. The story of the 2400 yard kill he made near the end of his final deployment was truly amazing. Mr. Kyle's wicked sense of humor also shines through the narrative as well. This is anything but a dry read. Not as big a page turner as his buddy Marcus Lutrell's book "Lone Survivor," "American Sniper" nonetheless deserves its own honored place in the realms of recent war literature. While "Lone Survivor's" chapters on Seal training I felt were stronger, Kyle's book nonethless does a nice job describing this grueling process. This book is certainly more personal than Lutrell's book, and I think I came away with a better sense of who Chris Kyle is than I did from Lutrell and his book. My only quibbles with the book are I wish he had used less profanity. I know that's how soldiers talk and I don't want to rob the book of Chris's personality (which comes out abundantly in the volume). I just thought it was a bit excessive. I would have been interested too in having more dates to the events described to give us a better idea of the time line of Chris's tale. I think the book could have used a little more disciplined editing too, eliminating some of the one and two sentence paragraphs and the sections describing the guns Chris used which didn't really interest me not being much of a gun guy. But I'm sure this will be of great interest to gun enthusiasts. I just thought that aspect could have been blended into the war stories. Despite that, the book is well-paced and never bogs down at any point other than perhaps the gun section, but even then just barely. But these are minor critiques. To the left wing scolds reviewing the book on here who want to dismiss Chris as a "warmonger," stop playing so predictably to type with your tiresome self-righteousness. I have my doubts you even read the book. Chris isn't some blood thirsty fiend. He was a man who had a job to do and did it well and took justifiable pride in it--even if you don't understand that or agree with the Iraq War. He truly felt what he was doing made the world a better, safer place. Instead of simpering over people who'd gladly kill you and your family merely for being an American try thinking of the lives he saved, both American and Iraqi, by taking out the terrorist beasts who wanted to use Iraq to impose their nihilistic, oppressive and monsterous perversion of Islam on Iraq and the region. Who are those of you who never served and were never in Iraq to question Chris's motives? Overall a book that will draw you in and hold you. Well told, unafraid, candid, honest, unvarnished. Admirable traits for a war biography in such PC times as ours that discourage the idea of there being any glory to be had in war. Mr. Kyle does a competent job putting the lid on that sentiment. Thank you Mr. Kyle for all you did for me and for all you did for all of us.

Amazing look at what are servicemen do for us. The decisions, ideals, and pace are very intriguing. I don't want to cover anything from the book, as it is a must read, but I will say that with the enhanced edition for Kindle gives readers the ability to watch little snippets of an interview done with Chris is cool and a bit eerie at the same time. It is sad how this man was taken by one of our own, but, it is in a way fitting. Wars effects go way beyond the battlefield. Once soldiers return, we should do whatever it takes to ensure they have access to the best care and opportunities, period! These people are true hero's, but as a nation, we don't treat them like it enough. I am not anti-war, nor am I one who thinks war is always right, I just think that when we send folks off to win we should let them do whatever it takes. We put our own in too many bad situations because of ideas about how we should kill people. I think decisions should not be limited to politicians who have no grasp on what is happening. We should train the heck out of these warriors and then trust them. If they go overboard, we can hold them accountable. But some of the decisions that are blown and cost lives due to waiting on people with no idea what is happening makes no sense. I think soldiers should be trusted. I think we treat them like they are babies at times. No guns on bases for example... no sense... They are trained to use weapons. They are fighting those who hate our country. There are plenty of folks who get on bases that should be dealt with immediately when they are a threat. Not after they mow down 20 unarmed people first. The book does a great job of showing how Chris feels about some decisions made by the commanders. Naturally despite his loathing of some things, he does as expected. You can't help but love the guy despite the many shortcomings he had. He was definitely not a perfect person, but very flawed. It is an interesting dichotomy because we as a country kind of make SEALs out to be perfect. They clearly aren't, but as you read you find yourself rooting for all soldiers, gaining more appreciation for them, and feeling pride in your country. Read the book. It is a page turner, and I had trouble putting it down and even more trouble after I read it and was left to my conclusions. Enjoy...

Unlike many of the posters on this review board, I actually purchased and read this novel. This is not a political rant nor am I here to assassinate the authors character. I am going to review the book. Written in a simple form where honesty shines through every comment, this book takes you from the author's experience at BUD's training to his retirement from the US Navy after four tours as a Navy SEAL Sniper. There are stories in the book that are humorous, there are stories that are sad, and the stories in which SEALs were lost are the most chilling of all. The author is good at his job and is unapologetic about his success. Please do not mistake that for bragging, he repeatedly thanks the men that he served with, the sophisticated shooting systems he used and luck. He openly admits he is not the "greatest" sniper, he gives that accolade to several other snipers who came before him. Instead, the author reiterates that he has written the book to memorialize the buddies he lost in battle. They were not honored with the silver star so their stories will never be told. To honor the men and their sacrifices, he agreed to write the book. Note that there are two other co-authors credited with this book, for all intents and purposes this story was going to be published one way or another, it seems that having the first person accounts make the book more accurate and realistic. I would be remiss if I did not point out that this book gives us a glimpse into a very private portion of anyone's life, marriage. the author's wife speak throughout the book as well. She gives us an honest and sometimes heart rending view of what it can be like to be married to a man committed to his career. the ups, downs and eventual success serve as a reminder that our men and women in service are not the only ones to suffer for their commitment to defending our freedom. This is the only comment I will make about the political nature of the war in Iraq. our soldiers did not ask to be sent over there, but when sent they followed orders and upheld the commitment they made to their country. I gave this book 5 stars. I believe that veterans of any war should be respected. My grandfather was in the Navy and was at Pearl Harbor, my husband is ex-Navy, and I have a cousin currently serving in the Air Force. My respect for all who sacrifice and their families knows no bounds. Buy the book. I think it is interesting, moving and heartfelt.

Very broad stroke tale of Chris Kyle's career as a SEAL. Broad in the sense that there is very little detail on actual shots taken/contact with enemies (where he actually engaged targets in his capacity as a sniper). I was initially going to review the book after having read the first 30% of it which left me a bit disappointed but I decided to give it a chance, and finished it before re-writing my entire review. I fully agree with some of the previous reviews that the writing could have been better and I have to admit that I actually started wanting to skip all the passages written by Chris's wife (Taya) entirely. It does give a bit of perspective on their private life but as a shooter I was more interested in Chris's actual accounts. I found it very interesting (and initially a bit brazen) how Chris starts his book exactly the same way Carlos Hatchcock* did with his autobiography referencing having had to kill a woman the same way Carlos started his book having had to kill a boy. Later in the book Chris pays homage to Carlos so the similarity became understandable. * Carlos Hathcock - technically the best sniper ever to have walked the earth and probably the best written Sniper autobiography to date) Comparing the countless records on fighting in wars like Vietnam compared to modern day warfare in places like Iraq you cant seem to shake the feeling that the enemy guys like Chris face there just aren't cut from the same cloth. The Vietcong were a very formidable enemy, living the war and being excellent at guerilla warfare, tracking, planning and even having some superb snipers in their ranks. Reading Chris talk about his enemy using beachballs to cross a river in order to reach American positions (which he promptly shot resulting in them drowning), the enemy mostly being completely jacked up on heroin, being stupid and having NO clue how to actually fight (pot shots and stupid fighting) and talking about picking off enemy soldiers on a nightly basis (sometimes up to 3 a night) really gives the impression that its much easier to rake up a high kill tally than it was in past wars. Chris goes on to admit how much he admires Carlos Hathcock and that he admits he is not even in the same league saying that he got as many kills as he did because he was lucky in mostly being where the action was. Therefore reading about some of the kills leaves you feeling less than 'impressed'. That being said, what Chris has achieved and what he did for his country is nothing short of heroic and respectable. Chris does go on to discuss some of the street fights (clearing building to building) he was involved in out of his own choice after swapping his rifle for a Marines m-16 in order to fight along side them as he felt he could be of more use to the marines he was assisting on the ground than he could be as over-watch (a large number of his kills were CQ kills), which is also highly respectable. So... - If you are interested in the technical side of being a Sniper and actual details on shots taken, there are better books (for a start Carlos Hathcock's autobiography, A 100% flawless must read!) - If you're interest is purely in details of SEAL operations and their involvement in recent wars (Iraq) then this book will probably disappoint as it lacks detail. It is however very interesting to see how much the role of the modern day SEAL has changed (where and how they are deployed and how they operate as part of joint force missions with other branches of the US military). - If you want to read about Chris Kyle for the sake of learning about him as a person, where he came from and a quick run-down on his kill record (with no detail on separate kills as they tend to be summed up as "...that day I killed 3..." then this book will probably be of interest. All in all a good-ish book...couldn't say its $13 I'd spend again for the Kindle version, but not regretting having read it.

A very enjoyable read, I finished the book start to end in two days. I knew about Chris Kyle from watching some of his television interviews where he discussed his book and his run in with Jesse Ventura and later the reports of his death at the gun range at the hands of Eddie Ray Routh. As I was reading the book I was reminded of my experience with some UDT guys in the early 1960s while I was serving on submarines as a radioman on the USS Trumpetfish SS425 out of Squadron 4 in Charleston S.C. The operation was for us to drop them off while stilled submerged just offshore of Jacksonville FL and they were to go ashore and survey the beach and then come back and be picked up again while still submerged. On the way to Jacksonville they wanted to get in an hour or two of exercise every day. Chris mentioned in the book that it was difficult for them exercise on a nuclear boat due to the cramped space and I just thought, you should have tried it on a WWII era submarine. The best they could do was a few calisthenics and run in place. When we were submerged a few miles offshore of Jacksonville Beach a few of the guys made egress via the escape trunk with their rubber raft that was fitted with a small outboard motor. After they were clear of the boat we surfaced and the off duty watch section got to go topside so we could watch them in action. A young LTJG who was in charge of the operation was watching the progress via binoculars and after they were a couple of miles away he said "Damn, the motor stopped and Jones will never get it started again". He stripped to his swim trunks and put on the largest set of swim fins that I have ever seen and went over the side and took off swimming and it looked like he was moving faster than I could have run. He got to the raft and climbed aboard and restarted the engine and was back in the water and swimming back to the boat. He made it back just as fast as he went out. When he climbed back aboard about ten of us white hats were talking to him and ask him how long he could hold his breath. Without hesitation he said, "I can stay underwater without tanks about five minutes" to which we all said, "No way". So that was the basis of a bet and all of us pooled our money and came up with about $50 that said he couldn't do it. He took the bet and went back over the side. We all spread out and posted some guys at the bow and stern and each side to make sure that he wouldn't surface and sneak a breath. After about 5 and ½ minutes he resurfaced and was not out of breath or looked like he was stressed in any way and with a big smile he collected his winnings. The ashore crew headed back to the boat and we submerged again and raised the observation scope and very slowly made a pass by the raft where the UDT guys lassoed the scope and we towed them back into deeper water where they came back aboard via the escape trunk without us having to surface. It wasn't till later that the LTJG owned up and told us that he had swam under the submarine and climbed through one of the flood ports into a dry ballast tank where he waited the requisite 5 minutes. We tried to protest but he maintained that the bet was that he could stay underwater without tanks for 5 minutes and not that he would hold his breath that long. We relented and let him keep the $50 just for having the balls to climb up in a dark ballast tank in the first place. Ever since that trip I have had the upmost respect for the UDT and later the SEALS for their skill, conditioning and training.

AMERICAN SNIPER, Autobiography by Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history. This book is not about grand military strategy; it is a detailed and very descriptive narrative on the life of Chris Kyle, an American warrior. Kyle devotes a lot of ink describing tactics peculiar to special operations as a sniper. He describes his participation in battles in Fallujah, Romadi and other hot spots of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Kyle covers in great detail descriptions of weapons and munitions he studied and used in his profession—killing bad guys. He also discusses the equipment he carried on his person, emergency medical supplies, body armor, etc. He talks about the confidence he learned to have in the Air Force and Navy air depositing ordinance as close as a few hundred feet from friendly forces. He mentions his longest confirmed kill of 1,600 yards—the length of 16 football fields and admits there might have been a bit of luck involved. He talks about working closely with Army and Marines special ops and how he took it upon himself to help train them. Chris Kyle was a story teller. Some have criticized his writing as amateurish and crass. I found it candid, descriptive and often humorous. As someone said, Kyle writes like he talks. His dialogue is often laced with guttural profanity. His descriptions of various combat venues are so vivid I felt I was there with him. Some have characterized Chris Kyle as bloodthirsty and thoughtless when it comes to human life. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every military person who has been to war sees war and combat differently. Some thoroughly enjoy it, others despise and loath it. Chris Kyle liked what he did; he was good at it and couldn’t wait to get back with his fellow SEALS and to be a key player in killing bad guys—savages as he called them. He believed every savage he killed saved an American life. He does not apologize for liking his job. One thing I found surprising, Chris Kyle did not like water; he did not like being at sea. He particularly disliked submarines. He called shipboard duty the most boring part of his career. He admitted his Texas roots made him a land lover. Chris’s wife, Taya, interjects her very welcome thoughts throughout the book. They both admit their marriage was a troubled one during the time Chris was in the Navy. Each deployment brought new issues and tensions to the marriage. Taya was left alone most of the time to raise a baby and a toddler. She resented it. She felt that Chris had more allegiance to the SEALS and his buddies than to his own family. As she put it, Chris’s priorities were—God, Country, Family; hers were God, Family, Country. I found Taya’s comments candid, honest and at times humorous. Her views provide a warm personal touch to understanding Chris Kyle and their family. If you read this book from cover to cover you learn a lot about the SEALS, their profession, their private lives and the camaraderie, trust and ironclad friendships inherent to their profession. During his career, Chris Kyle earned two Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars, all for valor. Chris Kyle is a great American hero and should be remembered in that context. His wife, Taya, is a hero too. She is the embodiment of all military wives. Without them, military families could not survive. I know this to be true having spent 28 years in the military myself. I give the book 5 stars.

Es muy entretenido y si les gusta el tiro, la caza y las armas, trae muchos datos técnicos importantes

J'ai adoré le film et voulait en savoir plus sur le personnage.... Le livre est très bien aussi. Il met en exergue ce qui faisait courir Chris Kyle : Dieu, son pays et sa famille. Normal alors qu'il croit dans le bien, dans le mal et qu'il n'a aucun remords sur le fait d'avoir tiré sur les "bad guys" qui voulaient tuer des américains. Le livre est parsemé des pensées de sa femme qui mettait Dieu, la famille et son pays en tête de ses objectifs. D'où des difficultés de couple. Dans tous les cas, même si on ne partage pas le point de vue de Chris Kyle, ce livre est authentique et instructif. Je vous le conseille vivement.

I really enjoyed this book. I love Navy Seal stories, and this one is very VERY good. Totally recommend.

Mir hat das Buch sehr gut gefallen und ich möchte ausdrücklich dem vorherigen Rezensenten widersprechen, dem dabei schlecht geworden ist. Ich halte Kyle keineswegs für einen "Psycho", sondern für einen Soldaten, der seinen Job liebt (der vorherige Rezensent kritisiert, dass Kyle "gern" in den Krieg gezogen ist und Spaß an der entsprechenden "Action" hat. Wenn er das nicht hätte, hätte er nicht Soldat werden sollen und das er es offen zugibt, was der Rezensent ebenfalls kritisiert, finde ich erfrischend und ehrlich, da keine politisch korrekten Umschreibungen oder Entschuldigungen kamen) und anscheinend auch besonders gut darin war, wenn man sich seine Abschussquote anschaut. Man muss daran keinen Spaß haben, aber man muss auch kein Soldat werden. Kyle hat darin seine Leidenschaft gefunden, die ihn mehr als nur erfüllt hat. Wer das verurteilen will, soll es tun. Ich fand es großartig. Wer der Meinung ist, Soldaten seien Mörder oder hätten zumindest die moralische Pflicht ihren Job zu hassen, der sollte dieses Buch vielleicht gar nicht anrühren. Das Buch ist ausgesprochen kurzweilig geschrieben. Kyle erzählt zunächst aus seinem Leben, seiner Kindheit, wie er seine Frau kennengelernt hat und wie er Seal wurde. Die Story mit seiner Frau, schien mir aus deutschen Augen wie die typisch amerikanische Seifenoper mit viel Kitsch zu beginnen und entlockte mir zunächst ein Stöhnen, wurde dann aber eine überraschend ehrliche Geschichte mit Stellungnahmen von beiden Seiten zur teilweise schwierigen Ehe der beiden unter den gegebenen Umständen. Man spürt die Spannung und die schwierigkeiten. Da ich die typische perfekte American Family-story erwartet hätte, war ich von diesem ehrlichen Einblick der beiden Eheleute, in dem auch Kyle nicht immer im besten Licht erscheint, sehr beeindruckt. Neben der privaten Story liegt der Schwerpunkt natürlich auf Kyles Seal-Laufbahn. Nebenbei erfährt man viele interessante Infos über das Leben eines Seals, über den Umgang der Soldaten untereinander, Ausbildung, Einstellungen, Ausrüstung etc Es wird praktisch kein Vorwissen vorausgesetzt, so kann auch der Leser, der keine Ahnung hat, gut mitkommen. Der Schwerpunkt der Autobiographie liegt natürlich auf Kyles 4 Irakeinsätzen, wo er an verschiedenen aus den Medien bekannten Orten kämpft wie Nasirijah, Fallujah, Sadr City oder Ramadi und letztendlich zum erfolgreichsten Scharfschützen der US-Militärgeschichte wird. Ich habe während des Lesens zunehmend mitgefiebert und konnte das Buch gar nicht mehr weglegen, so spannend wurde es. Wer moderne Abenteuer- oder Kriegsgeschichten sucht, die sogar wahr sind, ist mit diesem Buch bestens bedient. Man wünscht sich, dass deutsche Soldaten ebensolche Erfolgsstories erzählen könnten. Leider trägt, das antisoldatische Klima in Deutschland dazu bei, dass sich in Rezensionen wie der obigen zeigt (wenn überhaupt Soldat, dann bitte mit Scham und ständiger Selbstkritik, in der man unbedingt den Gegner entschulden muss und seinen Job als böse empfindet (das scheint die gewünschte "Reflexion" zu sein). Soldaten wie Kyle beklagen die amerikanischen Rules of Engagement. Wenn man sich allerdings mit Deutschen Soldaten unterhält, die in Afghanistan waren und denen durch die weit härteren deutschen Gesetze die Hände gebunden sind, braucht sich nicht wundern, wenn wir diesen Krieg verlieren. Wir kämpfen gegen einen Feind der keine Regeln kennt und binden uns beide Hände am Rücken fest um ja nicht so "böse" wie die Amerikaner zu sein, die Gott sei Dank unsere Verbündeten sind um auch ja die Taliban nicht zu verärgern und an den Verhandlungstisch zu küssen. Kyle beschreibt wie einfach schlichte Dezimierung der Gegner zur Befriedigung irakischer Gebiete beigetragen hat. Sie haben die Aufständischen so geschwäch und ihnen klar gemacht, dass sie nicht gewinnen können und der irakischen Bevölkerung damit signalisiert, dass sie die Amerikaner die Stärkeren sind und genau das hat funktioniert. Alles in allem: Tolles Buch mit politisch unkorrekten Implikationen. Nachtrag 05.02.2013: Rest in Peace Chris Kyle

It gives me a a lot of perspective of war. And I understood How Taya felt about the war, Infulence of the service Cris did. This book will be a unforgettable fiction story in mind .