I just finished reading this book, and now I want to see the movie. For anyone interested, it is a very raw powerful look at war. Chris Kyle brings you into his life in a way that makes you feel like he is sitting across the table from you telling these stories. It is a very easy read, not a historical or data book, but a book that helps you to understand (as much as a book can) what our troops went through in Iraq during some of the worst fighting of the war.
On a personal note, I have a cousin who is a Navy SEAL who served during Desert Storm (unfortunately his life was also cut short in a non-combat related gun incident) and this book let me see a little of what he went through to become a SEAL and what they are required to do.
It is not a political book, and it is not propaganda. It is not pro, or anti-war, it is just about his experiences. His job through much of the war was to be a sniper, to protect our troops by killing enemies that would kill them if given the chance. He loved his job, and he was damn good at it, but he also explains how much hell there is in war, and how he hated it. After he left the war he did a lot of good things for fellow soldiers, it is a shame that his life was cut short.
I recommend this book. If for no other reason than to get a better perspective on what it was like for our soldiers. I have just now started to read Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell. As I said I now want to see the American Sniper movie, and I have a feeling that after I read Lone Survivor I'll want to see that movie as well.
