American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms (P.S.) - Softcover

Kyle, Chris; Doyle, William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062242725 ISBN 13: 9780062242723

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks, 2014

Synopsis

Chris Kyle fallen hero and #1 bestselling author of American Sniper reveals how ten legendary guns forever changed U.S. history.

At the time of his tragic death in February 2013, former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the top sniper in U.S. military history, was finishing one of the most exciting missions of his life: a remarkable book that retold American history through the lens of a hand-selected list of firearms. Kyle masterfully shows how guns have played a fascinating, indispensable, and often underappreciated role in our national story.

"Perhaps more than any other nation in the world," Kyle writes, "the history of the United States has been shaped by the gun. Firearms secured the first Europeans' hold on the continent, opened the frontier, helped win our independence, settled the West, kept law and order, and defeated tyranny across the world."

Drawing on his unmatched firearms knowledge and combat experience, Kyle carefully chose ten guns to help tell his story: the American long rifle, Spencer repeater, Colt .45 revolver, Winchester rifle, Springfield 1903 rifle, Thompson sub-machine gun, 1911 pistol, M1 Garand, .38 Special police revolver, and the M-16 rifle platform Kyle himself used as a SEAL. Through them, he revisits thrilling turning points in American history, including the single sniper shot that turned the tide of the Revolutionary War, the firearms designs that proved decisive at Gettysburg, the "gun that won the West," and the weapons that gave U.S. soldiers an edge in the world wars and beyond. This is also the story of how firearms innovation, creativity, and industrial genius has constantly pushed American history and power forward.

Filled with an unforgettable cast of characters, Chris Kyle's American Gun is a sweeping epic of bravery, adventure, invention, and sacrifice.

About this title

Review:

Kyle's enthusiasm for his subject is infectious, and his gift for narrative lends the stories the tension and drama they deserve. ... Regardless of one s views on guns, readers will gain a deeper respect for weaponry and the people tasked with using them. --Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

About the Author:

SEAL Team 3 chief Chris Kyle (1974-2013) 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. In 2005 he received the Grateful Nation Award, given by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. 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 also the author of the New York Times bestseller American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms. He lived with his family in Texas, where he devoted much of his spare time to supporting veterans.

William Doyle is an award-winning author based in New York. His 2011 book A Soldier's Dream: Captain Travis Patriquin and the Awakening of Iraq was hailed by Fox News as "a phenomenal book, staggering," and by the Huffington Post as "a truly inspirational story about an American soldier who epitomized our country's values." In 2012 he coauthored A Mission from God, the memoir of civil rights giant James Meredith. He also served as director of original programming and executive producer for HBO.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0062242725
• ISBN 13: 9780062242723
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336