American Sniper

For the film adaptation, see American Sniper (film)
American Sniper

Paperback cover
Author Chris Kyle
Scott McEwen
Jim DeFelice
Country United States
Language English
Subject Personal memories
Publisher William Morrow and Company, an imprint of HarperCollins
Publication date
 January 2, 2012
Media type Hardcover
Audiobook
Paperback
Pages 400
ISBN 978-0062082350

American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History is a memoir by American United States Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, written with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. With 255 kills, 160 of them officially confirmed by the Pentagon, Kyle is the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history. The book was published by William Morrow and Company on January 2, 2012,[1] and appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list for 37 weeks.[2] The memoir has sold over 1.2 million copies across all formats (hardcover, paper and ebook), including 700,000 copies in 2015 alone, making it the best-selling book of 2015 so far. It landed atop all the major best-seller lists including the aforementioned The New York Times, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today and No. 2 on Amazon.[3] Its film adaptation directed by Clint Eastwood was released in 2014.

Post-publication retraction

In July 2014, the sub-chapter "Punching Out Scruff Face" was removed from later editions of the book after a three-week trial in U.S. Federal Court where the jury found that the author, Chris Kyle, had unjustly enriched himself by defaming plaintiff Jesse Ventura. In the book, Kyle described blackening the eye of "Scruff Face", whom he later identified in media interviews as Jesse Ventura.[4] The jury awarded $500,000 for defamation and $1,345,477.25 for unjust enrichment.[5][6] The lawsuit, Ventura v. Kyle, is being appealed by the defendant's estate to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.[7][8]

In December 2014, attorneys for Ventura filed a separate lawsuit against HarperCollins, the parent company of the publisher, for failing to check the accuracy of the story it used in publicity. The suit alleges that the false account used in publicity had "increased sales" and generated "millions of dollars for HarperCollins."[9]

Other controversies

Kyle's family claimed he donated his book proceeds to Veterans' Charity, but reports surfaced that he had kept most of the profit for himself.[10] National Review rebutted the claim that all proceeds of his book went to veterans' charities. According to reports, around 2 percent ($52,000) went to the charities, while Kyle's family took $3 million.[11]

Kyle's claims of killing Americans on U.S. soil, such as killing about 30 "looters" after Hurricane Katrina by shooting them from atop the Superdome, could not be substantiated by law enforcement,[12] leading some critics to say that Kyle had a tendency for embellishment that may cast doubt on other scenes in the memoir.[13]

Film adaptation

A film adaptation of the book was released by Warner Bros. and had its world premiere on November 11, 2014, at the American Film Institute Festival, followed by a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 25, 2014. It received a wide release January 16, 2015.[14][15][16]

References

  1. ↑ "A Wave of Military Memoirs With You-Are-There Appeal". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "Nonfiction - Best Sellers - The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Andy Lewis (February 6, 2015). "'American Sniper' Book Sales See Continued Bump From Movie's Success". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Jesse Ventura's $1.8M award in defamation trial ruled reasonable". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Jury awards Jesse Ventura $1.8 million in 'American Sniper' lawsuit". Dallas Morning News. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Chris Kyle trial: Jesse Ventura wins $1.8 million in defamation case". Oregon Live. Associated Press. 2014-07-29. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "'American Sniper' widow to appeal Ventura defamation verdict". 23 December 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Jesse Ventura v. Taya Kyle". 23 December 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  9. ↑ Holley, Peter (2014-12-16). "Jesse Ventura sues HarperCollins over Chris Kyle’s ‘American Sniper’". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-01-14.
  10. ↑ Jilani, Zaid (24 January 2015). "7 heinous lies "American Sniper" is telling America". Salon. Alternet. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  11. ↑ Delgado, A. J. (30 July 2013). "Justice for Jesse: Ventura Was Right in His Lawsuit". National Review Online. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  12. ↑ http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/06/03/in-the-crosshairs
  13. ↑ http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2015/01/23/american_sniper_fact_vs_fiction_how_accurate_is_the_chris_kyle_movie.html
  14. ↑ "Warner Bros. Dates 'American Sniper'; Moves 'Point Break', 'an From U.N.C.L.E'". deadline.com. August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  15. ↑ Ray Subers (January 15, 2015). "Lowest-Grossing Best Picture Nominees Since Category Expansion". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  16. ↑ Ray Subers (January 15, 2015). "Forecast: 'Sniper' Sets Sights on January Record". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 17, 2015.