American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms Paperback - 2013

From the rear cover

Chris Kyle--fallen hero and #1 New York Times 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.

"Perhaps more than any other nation in the world," Kyle writes, "the history of the United States has been shaped by the gun." 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 submachine 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 design that proved decisive at Gettysburg, and the "gun that won the West."

Filled with an unforgettable cast of characters, Chris Kyle's American Gun is a sweeping epic of bravery, adventure, invention, and sacrifice. It is essential reading for anyone seeking to under-stand our national story.