American Gun; A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms

New York: William Morrow [An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers], 2013. First Edition [Stated], First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. xv, [3], 302 pages. Illustrations. Appendix: The Ten Guns by the Numbers. Source Notes. Index. Foreword and Afterword by Taya Kyle. Editorial contributions by Jim Defelice. This book was nearing its final stages with Chris Kyle was killed. His wife immediately affirmed that Chris' last work would be completed, and it was with the assistance of many friends. Christopher Scott Kyle (April 8, 1974 - February 2, 2013) was a United States Navy SEAL veteran and sniper. Kyle served four tours in the Iraq War and was awarded several commendations for acts of heroism and meritorious service in combat. He was awarded one Silver Star Medal, four Bronze Star Medals with "V" devices, a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and numerous other unit and personal awards. Kyle was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2009 and published his bestselling autobiography, American Sniper, in 2012. In 2013, Kyle was murdered at a shooting range near Chalk Mountain, Texas. Chris Kyle reveals how ten legendary guns forever changed U.S. history. Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle left us a remarkable book that retold American history through the lens of a hand-selected list of firearms. Kyle masterfully shows how guns have played an indispensable, and often underappreciated, role in our national story. 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. He revisits turning points in American history, including the 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 war. 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."