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    American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms
    American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms
    American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms
    Audiobook6 hours

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

    Written by Chris Kyle and William Doyle

    Narrated by John Pruden

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    About this audiobook

    THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING FOLLOW-UP TO AMERICAN SNIPER

    Join Chris Kyle on a fascinating journey to discover “how 10 firearms changed United States history” (New York Times Book Review)

    Drawing on his legendary firearms knowledge and combat experience, U.S. Navy SEAL and #1 bestselling author of American Sniper Chris Kyle dramatically chronicles the story of America—from the Revolution to the present—through the lens of ten iconic guns and the remarkable heroes who used them to shape history: the American long rifle, Spencer repeater, Colt .45 revolver, Winchester 1873 rifle, Springfield M1903 rifle, M1911 pistol, Thompson submachine gun, M1 Garand, .38 Special police revolver, and the M16 rifle platform Kyle himself used. American Gun is a sweeping epic of bravery, adventure, invention, and sacrifice.

    Featuring a foreword and afterword by Chris's wife, Taya Kyle, and illustrated with more than 100 photographs, this new paperback edition features a bonus chapter, “The Eleventh Gun,” on shotguns, derringers, and the Browning M2 machine gun.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJun 4, 2013
    ISBN9780062242747
    Author

    Chris Kyle

    SEAL Team 3 Chief Chris Kyle (1974–2013) was awarded two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with Valor, and numerous other citations. Following four combat tours in Iraq, he became chief instructor for training Naval Special Warfare sniper teams. He is the author of American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms. A native Texan, Kyle is survived by his wife, Taya, and their two children.

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    Reviews for American Gun

    4/5

    97 ratings9 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Very easy read with gripping stories about gun history. Although I personally don't agree with the author's world views on gun use and other issues, the book is upfront about it and certainly not less enjoyable for it.
    • 5/5
      loved it.
    • 5/5
      Excellent. I paid 75 cents for it used; I would have paid more than full price for it new if I had known it would be well worth it.This is more of a history book than it is a technical treatise on arms. Any technical discussion of gun details is on a level of explanation for the layman while brief enough to not tire a seasoned aficionado. Where the book really shines is the historical story-telling. Chief Kyle is able to seamlessly weave the advancement of our republic and its ideals together with advancements in firearms design, along with the tactics and histories behind them of military, law enforcement and even the bad guys. One is left with the strong impression that our great nation and the values we hold dear would have been shaped quite differently without men like Colt, Browning and even the unnamed smith working a frontier forge beside a winding creek.Nearly every chapter starts with vibrant story-telling of an event that could be a simple historical footnote, a mere Trivial Pursuit question, but turns out to be a pivotal moment showcasing the weapon that soon comes under discussion. Each gun in the list of ten is treated as a springboard for discussion of other guns - advancements along the way and competitors - as well as relevant social, military and economic history that surrounds the gun's development and need. For example, the story of the .38 Special police revolver would not be told without a brief history of American police departments and their weapons needs, and even the later guns that replaced the .38, like the Glock 17 and others. That is one example of how each chapter delves into telling the story of America, centered on the gun. The gun is not the point - the American way of life that the gun helped secure is. Hence, I recommend this book to anyone interested in what it means to be an American, whether or not they are familiar with or even interested in guns.The book could be slighted by some for the author occasionally (and especially in the latter chapters) interjecting himself and his experience into the story. I do not find this a detriment. Rather, it gives the book an authentic feel, more like stories told by a warm veteran uncle than a cold historian academic. And after all, who would read a book by a celebrated warrior and expect him not to share his experience?My only minor (very minor) complaint is a matter of personal preference. I wish the references, footnotes and explanatory remarks were at the bottom of each page or at the least, at the end of each chapter. I prefer to read them along with the text, and in a way easy to cross-reference with the text. Instead, they are relegated to a back page without a really decent system of reference to the text. There are no superscript numerals, asterisks or other referencing to make reading the footnotes easy. But alas, maybe that book would read more like the cold academic in the musty library and less like the fun uncle telling stories on the back porch.
    • 4/5
      Really a fantastic book. It's about a subject near and dear to my heart and the stories that Chris Kyle and William Doyle share throughout their book really make the guns they talk about and their history in United States come alive. Do I agree that their list is an absolutely definitive one? No, probably not. There were guns that greatly influenced and continue to influence our culture and that of gun people that weren't touched upon at all. The point is that the list they choose was a brilliant one. All 10 of the firearms in the list undeniably have had a huge impact and have some amazing stories to be told. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is confused as to why some folks are so into guns. The love and interest that Kyle showed in writing this book will help people understand a little bit more.
    • 5/5
      A really very good look at American Hisotry through the lens of firearms and the people that wielded them. Exciting, engaging, informing and easy reading, this is history at its best, coupled with an easy going descriptive style, that never makes the subject boring or dry. This is biased, but the author has enough experience to make his biases worth listening too, and this is not necessarily an academic tome and all the better for it. Very good and highly recommended, even for the general reader.
    • 3/5
      Some of the stories were interesting and even merited further perusal. However, the author was clearly no historian and he presented his "history" through the biased, patriotic lenses of "American badassery". I am fascinated with the topic and consider this book as a precursor to a primer of a historic work. Once I found a way to ignore the blatant biases, I could let this book be the spark to the idea that there is a vast history of guns out there. I only hope I can find an author who is truly up to the academic and literary challenge (unlike this author).
    • 3/5
      Average book, written in casual tone. A review of some different guns throughout American history. Kinda annoying when the author gets all gun ra-ra but other than that is an interesting book when he discusses the mechanics and uses of various guns.
    • 3/5
      Good book if you like US history and guns. Great to see the links between the conflicts of the US and the development of new weapons. Does anyone own all 10 of these guns?
    • 5/5
      As a person who believes there is no such thing as a law-abiding citizen having too many guns, I once again surprised myself by absolutely loving this book. Chris's love and respect for firearms is evident on every page, as is his sense of humor. I was prepared for a dry boring book about guns, but what I found instead is an engaging book about people. And not "people" as in some vague group of "American people", but the back-stories of individuals who were a part of America's history. Who knew Lincoln was a hands-on guy who used a field near the White House as his personal gun-testing range, personally testing guns to be used by the military, and tinkering with helping to improve their design? I didn't. Even if you are not a gun enthusiast, I'd still recommend reading this book for the personal (yeah, I know--I'm probably over-using that word) approach to "America in 10 easy chapters". From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, to the taming of the Wild West, to the Gangster Era, to the attempted assassination of President Truman, to 23-year-old Silver Star recipient Leigh Ann Hester and everything in-between, this book puts real faces on our American history. Thank you, Chris and Taya Kyle--well done!