In "American Gun", the deadliest sniper in U.S. history tracks down and shoots the most important American firearms, from a flintlock rifle to a Colt revolver to the latest high-tech weapon he used as a SEAL. Chris Kyle uses these guns as a window on United States history, making the sweeping argument that the American story has been tied to and shaped by the gun. In each chapter he offers engaging stories associated with a particular gun, form wars to duels to shoot outs. "American Gun" is part history, part first-hand journey as Chris locates and shoots these legendary guns. The 10 Guns that shaped America - The American long Rifle (aka the Kentucky Rifle): used to open the American frontier and by soldiers in the American Revolution; The Spencer Repeater: designed during the Civil War, this first repeating rifle cut reload time by 80%; The Colt Single Action Army (aka Colt .4 5): the handgun that defined the Old West, used by Buffalo Bill, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, and other iconic gunslingers; The Winchester 1873 Rifle: the Gun that Won the West was a staple in the late nineteenth-century Indian Wars and a favorite a prop in countless Westerns; The 1903 Springfield: designed at the request of Teddy Roosevelt, this superior rifle gave U.S. forces an edge during WWI; The M1911 Army Pistol: the official U.S. Army sidearm from 1911 to 1985, the King of Combat Pistols is still used by today's elite Special Forces units. The American Machine Gun: including the Browning Automatic Rifle and the Thompson Sub-machine Gun, the Gun that Made the '20s Roar, was the weapon of choice for lawmen and gangsters during the Prohibition era, including Machine-Gun Kelly, Elliot Ness, Bonnie and Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, John Dillinger, and others; The M1 Garand Semi-Automatic Rifle: the Gun that Saved the World, used by U.S. forces again Nazis and the Japanese during WW II; The American Police Handgun: from the .3 8 Special revolver to the Glock pistol, this chapter is a tour through police firearms history; The M16 Assault Rifle: made famous during Vietnam, this platform is still the standard used by U.S. military weapons including the H&K M4, the firearm that killed Osama bin Laden.
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.
William Doyle has written or cowritten seven books, including PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy and American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms (with “American Sniper” Chris Kyle). He served as director of original programming for HBO and was coproducer of the PBS special Navy SEALs: Their Untold Story. He lives with his family in New York City.
