American Sniper (book)

Last updated
American Sniper
American Sniper book.jpg
Paperback cover
Author Chris Kyle
Scott McEwen
Jim DeFelice
LanguageEnglish
Subject Personal memories
Publisher William Morrow and Company, an imprint of HarperCollins
Publication date
January 2, 2012
Publication placeUnited States
Media type Hardcover
Audiobook
Paperback
Pages400
ISBN 978-0062082350

American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History is an autobiography by United States Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, written with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. The book was published by William Morrow and Company on January 2, 2012 [1] and appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list for 37 weeks. [2]

Contents

The memoir has sold over 1.2 million copies across all formats (hardcover, paper, and ebook), including 700,000 copies in 2015 alone, making it one of the best-selling books of 2015. [3] It landed atop all the major best-seller lists, including the aforementioned The New York Times , as well as Publishers Weekly and USA Today, and it reached No. 2 on Amazon . [4] Its film adaptation directed by Clint Eastwood and starring actor Bradley Cooper as Kyle was released in 2014.

Plot overview

American Sniper tells the story of Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL who completed four tours in Iraq from 1999 to 2009. The book describes Kyle's upbringing in Odessa, Texas, Navy SEAL training, and combat experiences in Iraq. [5] [6]

Kyle describes his role in the battle for control of Ramadi, events he claims led to Iraqi insurgents' nicknaming Kyle the "Devil of Ramadi" and placing a bounty on his head. [7] [8] He writes that after his first confirmed kill, "the others come easy. I don't have to psych myself up, or do something special mentally—I look through the scope, get my target in the cross hairs, and kill my enemy, before he kills one of my people." [9]

Reaction

Post-publication retraction

In July 2014, the sub-chapter "Punching Out Scruff Face" was removed from later editions of the book, after a three-week trial in U.S. Federal Court wherein the jury found that the author, Chris Kyle, had unjustly enriched himself by defaming plaintiff Jesse Ventura. In the book, Kyle described blackening the eye of "Scruff Face", whom he later identified in media interviews as Jesse Ventura. [10] The jury awarded Ventura $500,000 for defamation and $1,345,477.25 for unjust enrichment. [11] [12] In December 2014, attorneys for Ventura filed a separate lawsuit against HarperCollins, the parent company of the publisher, for failing to check the accuracy of the story it used in publicity. The suit alleges that the false account used in publicity had "increased sales" and generated "millions of dollars for HarperCollins." [13] On June 13, 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated the verdict on the defamation count, remanding the case for a new trial on that count, and reversed the unjust enrichment verdict outright. [14] The court cited legal and procedural errors in the trial without deciding whether Kyle's allegations were true or not. In December 2017, Ventura settled with Kyle's estate and dropped his suit against HarperCollins. [15]

Charity donation claims

Some sources claimed Kyle's family had said all his book proceeds were donated to veterans' charities. Salon and National Review disputed the donation amount, asserting that around 2 percent ($52,000) went to the charities, while Kyle's family received $3 million. [16] [17]

Military record claims

In May 2016, The Intercept claimed that Kyle's autobiography "embellished" his military record, and that he had been warned by Navy officials about the inaccuracies before publication. [18] [19] [20] Others, including co-author Scott McEwen, disputed this. [21] On May 28, The Hollywood Reporter did an analysis, concluding that the newly released internal Navy documents were inconclusive — that the document that typically is the definitive record of military service matched Kyle's claims and that the Navy had not yet publicly stated this document or the facts within it were incorrect. Kyle's DD Form 214 listed a total of two Silver Stars and six Bronze Stars, more than he claimed in his book. [22] On July 8, 2016, the U.S. Navy corrected Kyle's DD-214 regarding some decorations listed on his original discharge document. [23] The Navy revised it to one Silver Star and four Bronze Stars with valor. [23] The Navy said "Kyle would have played no role in the production of his personnel files other than signing the DD-214 upon his discharge" and "[a]fter thoroughly reviewing all available records, the Navy determined an error was made" and "issued a corrected copy of the DD-214, which accurately reflects Kyle's years of honorable and extraordinary service." [23]

Film adaptation

In 2014, Clint Eastwood's film American Sniper was released, which was based on Kyle's autobiography of the same name. It had its world premiere on November 11, 2014, at the American Film Institute Festival, followed by a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 25, 2014. It received a wide release January 16, 2015. [24] [25] [26] In the film, Kyle was portrayed by actor Bradley Cooper. [27] For his portrayal of Kyle, Cooper received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and the film was also nominated in five other categories, including Best Picture. [28] The film won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing. [29]

Memorial Edition

In 2013, after Kyle's death, a memorial edition was published which includes more than 80 pages of remembrances by his parents; his wife, Taya; his brother; lifelong friends; Marcus Luttrell and other fellow SEALs; veterans and wounded warriors; and many others.

Related Research Articles

Messi

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradley Cooper</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1975)

Bradley Charles Cooper is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Grammy Awards. In addition, he has been nominated for twelve Academy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award. Cooper appeared on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list three times and on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015. His films have grossed $13 billion worldwide, and he has been placed in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actors four times.

The GROM Military Unit, is a Polish special forces unit and forms part of the Special Troops Command of the Polish Armed Forces. It is believed to consist of around 250 operatives plus support personnel. GROM is considered to be the most elite unit in the Polish Armed Forces.

Jack Coughlin is a retired United States Marine Corps Gunnery sergeant and the author of the autobiography Shooter.

John Allen McDorman IV is an American actor best known for the 2014 film American Sniper and starring on television shows such as CBS' Limitless (2015–2016) and the Disney+ historical drama The Right Stuff as Alan Shepard. He is also well known for his roles on the ABC Family comedy-drama Greek (2007–2011), the fourth season of the Showtime comedy-drama Shameless (2014), the revival season of the CBS sitcom Murphy Brown (2018), FX's What We Do in the Shadows (2019), and Peacock's sci-fi comedy drama series Mrs. Davis (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Pfarrer</span> American writer (born 1957)

Charles Patrick Pfarrer III is an American writer, film producer, and former Navy SEAL. As an author, he has penned published screenplays, novels, comic books, and non-fiction works. His works deal with themes pertaining to the military. Pfarrer has worked on films including Navy SEALs, Darkman, and Hard Target.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Luttrell</span> U.S. Navy SEAL and author (born 1975)

Marcus Luttrell is a retired United States Navy SEAL who received the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his actions in June 2005 against Taliban fighters during Operation Red Wings in which he was the lone survivor. Luttrell became an SO1 by the end of his eight-year career in the United States Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Kyle</span> American military sniper (1974–2013)

Christopher Scott Kyle was a United States Navy SEAL sniper. He served four tours in the Iraq War and was awarded several commendations for acts of heroism and meritorious service in combat. He had 160 confirmed kills and was awarded a Silver Star, three Bronze Star Medals with "V" devices for valor, 2x Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with "V" device, as well as numerous other unit and personal awards.

Howard Eugene Wasdin was an American chiropractor and a former member of the United States Navy who served as a sailor in the Atlantic Fleet and as a Navy SEAL. Following his honorable discharge, he co-wrote the autobiographical memoir SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper, and its young adult version, I Am a SEAL Team Six Warrior: Memoirs of an American Soldier. Wasdin served in operation Desert Storm and was part of the operation to capture Mohamed Farrah Aidid, a Somali warlord. It was in the operation that Wasdin was shot three times and almost lost his right leg. After 12 years of service, he earned his Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) from Life University in Georgia and lived in Georgia, where he operated a chiropractic clinic.

<i>Captain Phillips</i> (film) 2013 film by Paul Greengrass

Captain Phillips is a 2013 American biographical action-thriller film directed by Paul Greengrass. Based on the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking, the film tells the story of Captain Richard Phillips, an American merchant mariner who was taken hostage by Somali pirates. It stars Tom Hanks as Phillips, alongside Barkhad Abdi as pirate leader Abduwali Muse.

<i>American Sniper</i> 2014 biographical film

American Sniper is a 2014 American biographical war drama film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood and written and executive-produced by Jason Hall, based on the memoir of the same name by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. The film follows the life of Kyle, who became the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history with 255 kills from four tours in the Iraq War, 160 of which were officially confirmed by the Department of Defense. While Kyle was celebrated for his military successes, his tours of duty took a heavy toll on his personal and family life. It stars Bradley Cooper as Kyle and Sienna Miller as his wife Taya, with Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz, Navid Negahban, and Keir O'Donnell in supporting roles.

<i>13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi</i> 2016 film by Michael Bay

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is a 2016 American biographical action-thriller film, directed and produced by Michael Bay. Written by Chuck Hogan, it is based on Mitchell Zuckoff's 2014 book. The film follows six members of the Annex Security Team who fought to defend the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya after waves of attacks by militants on September 11, 2012. The film stars James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Pablo Schreiber, Max Martini, David Denman and Dominic Fumusa, with supporting roles by Toby Stephens, Alexia Barlier and David Costabile. Filming began on April 27, 2015, in Malta and Morocco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taya Kyle</span> American author and political commentator

Taya Renae Kyle is an American author, political commentator, and military veteran's family activist. Known as the widow of US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, she was portrayed by actress Sienna Miller in the film American Sniper based on his autobiography of the same name. She is also the co-author of American Wife: A Memoir of Love, Service, Faith, and Renewal, a book about life with her husband.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Irving</span> American author and former soldier (born 1986)

Nicholas Irving is an American author and former soldier. He was a special operations sniper in the 3rd Ranger Battalion for the U.S. Army.

Rorke Thomas Denver is an American actor, author, and former United States Navy SEALs commander. Denver is most known for his role as Lieutenant Rorke in the 2012 film Act of Valor and for his appearance as a team leader in the Fox Television series, American Grit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Lacz</span> United States Navy sailor (born 1981)

Kevin "Dauber" Lacz is a United States Navy SEAL veteran who served two tours in the Iraq War. His platoon's 2006 deployment to Ramadi has been discussed in several books, including Dick Couch's The Sheriff of Ramadi, Jim DeFelice's Code Name: Johnny Walker, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin's Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win and Chris Kyle's New York Times best-selling autobiography, American Sniper. Lacz's presence in the book led to his involvement in the production of and eventual casting in the Clint Eastwood-directed Oscar-winning biopic of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murders of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield</span> Double murder in Texas in 2013

On February 2, 2013, Christopher Scott Kyle and his friend Chad Hutson Littlefield were shot to death at a shooting range near Chalk Mountain, Texas, by Eddie Ray Routh. The two were walking down range to set up targets when Routh opened fire with two handguns and hit both of them. Routh, a former Marine who was 25 years old at the time, had post-traumatic stress disorder. The case attracted national attention due to Kyle's fame as author of a bestselling autobiography, American Sniper, published in 2012.

References

  1. ↑ Bosman, Julie (18 March 2012). "A Wave of Military Memoirs With You-Are-There Appeal". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Nonfiction – Best Sellers – The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  3. ↑ Andy Lewis (February 6, 2015). "'American Sniper' Book Sales See Continued Bump From Movie's Success". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  4. ↑ Andy Lewis (February 6, 2015). "'American Sniper' Book Sales See Continued Bump From Movie's Success". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  5. ↑ Taylor Dibbert (27 April 2015). "Book Review: American Sniper". Huffington Post. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  6. ↑ Joshua Sinai (13 January 2012). "BOOK REVIEW: 'American Sniper'". Washington Times. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Buiso, Gray (January 1, 2012). "Meet the big shot – SEAL is America's deadliest sniper". New York Post. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  8. ↑ Lindsay Deutsch (23 January 2015). "The fascinating life of Chris Kyle, the 'American Sniper'". USA Today. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  9. ↑ Tony Perry (5 March 2012). "Book review: 'American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History' by Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  10. ↑ "Jesse Ventura's $1.8M award in defamation trial ruled reasonable". St. Paul Pioneer Press . August 8, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Jury awards Jesse Ventura $1.8 million in 'American Sniper' lawsuit". Dallas Morning News. July 29, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Chris Kyle trial: Jesse Ventura wins $1.8 million in defamation case". Oregon Live. Associated Press. July 29, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  13. ↑ Holley, Peter (December 16, 2014). "Jesse Ventura sues HarperCollins over Chris Kyle's 'American Sniper'". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  14. ↑ Ventura v. Kyle, No. 14-3876 (8th Cir. June 13, 2016).
  15. ↑ "With legal battle over and settlement pocketed, Ventura calls Kyle 'American Liar'". Associated Press. December 4, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  16. ↑ Jilani, Zaid (January 24, 2015). "7 heinous lies "American Sniper" is telling America". Salon . Alternet . Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  17. ↑ Delgado, A.J. (July 30, 2013). "Justice for Jesse: Ventura Was Right in His Lawsuit". National Review Online . Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Report: Chris Kyle overstated his military medal record, documents show". Fox 5 San Diego. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  19. ↑ Cole, Matthew; McNeill, Sheelagh (May 25, 2016). ""American Sniper" Chris Kyle Distorted His Military Record, Documents Show". The Intercept . Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  20. ↑ Lamothe, Dan (May 25, 2016). "How 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle's truthfulness is in question once again" . Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  21. ↑ "'American Sniper' Co-Author Defends Chris Kyle's Military Record Over New Controversy". The Hollywood Reporter . 3 June 2016. We submitted the book for vetting with the DOD ... and certain parts of the manuscript were, at their request, redacted. [C]ertain other figures ... for example the number of Chris' confirmed kills —were agreed upon as something that could be released to the public.
  22. ↑ "'American Sniper' Chris Kyle's Record Under Fire, But Is It a Memorial Day Rush to Judgment?". The Hollywood Reporter . 28 May 2016.
  23. 1 2 3 Crawford, Jamie. "Navy: 'American Sniper' medal count corrected". CNN.
  24. ↑ "Warner Bros. Dates 'American Sniper'; Moves 'Point Break', 'Man From U.N.C.L.E'". Deadline. August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  25. ↑ Subers, Ray (January 15, 2015). "Lowest-Grossing Best Picture Nominees Since Category Expansion". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  26. ↑ Subers, Ray (January 15, 2015). "Forecast: 'Sniper' Sets Sights on January Record". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  27. ↑ Verrier, Richard (April 23, 2014). "Eastwood starts shooting 'American Sniper' at Santa Clarita ranch". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  28. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (January 15, 2015). "Oscar Nominations 2015: Full List Of 87th Academy Award Nominees". Deadline. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  29. ↑ Chumley, Cheryl K. (February 23, 2015). "'American Sniper' wins Academy Award — for sound editing". The Washington Times . Retrieved February 23, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.