
American Spirit
Profiles in Resilience, Courage, and Faith
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Narrated by:
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Taya Kyle
About this listen
From Taya Kyle, New York Times best-selling author of American Wife and widow of “American Sniper” Chris Kyle, an inspiring collection of stories, both personal and drawn from American history, that showcase the resilience of the “American spirit”.
After losing her husband, “American Sniper” Chris Kyle, Taya Kyle entered a period of immense pain and grief. She was able to pull herself from the depths of that devastation with the help of family and friends - and also many strangers across America, who shared their own stories of suffering, survival, and triumph. Bolstered by their resilience, Taya began a new career as an inspirational speaker and foundation leader, spreading her message of hope and love across the country.
Now, in American Spirit, Taya gives back to those who helped her along the way, by sharing the stories of Americans who inspired her. Working again with trusted collaborator Jim DeFelice (coauthor of American Sniper and American Wife), she tells the remarkable stories of more than 30 Americans, young and old, rich and not so rich, famous and unknown, who have done extraordinary things for their communities and for the nation at large.
There is the 9/11 survivor who became a senator, the reality TV star who helped the homeless when everyone else wanted to send them out of town, the young man who went trick-or-treating for a local food bank - and many other veterans, ministers, reporters, football stars, pilots, and teachers who show the very best side of America.
©2019 Taya Kyle and Jim De Felice (P)2019 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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American Sniper
- The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History
- By: Chris Kyle, Scott McEwan, Jim DeFelice
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. The Pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of Kyles kills (the previous American record was 109), but it has declined to verify the astonishing total number for this book. Iraqi insurgents feared Kyle so much they named him al-Shaitan ("the devil") and placed a bounty on his head.
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Tremendously Enlightening, could not put it down
- By T. Edwards on 01-09-12
By: Chris Kyle, and others
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American Wife
- A Memoir of Love, War, Faith, and Renewal
- By: Taya Kyle, Jim DeFelice
- Narrated by: Taya Kyle
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Though Chris and Taya Kyle's marriage had its difficult moments, it was always a love story. Together they'd endured military service, a best-selling book, unexpected fame, and a film deal starring a hot Hollywood actor. But just when Taya thought that she and Chris were finally going to live their dream together, her husband was murdered. In the wake of his death, a grieving Taya was left to raise her two young children and handle the many things Chris left behind.
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Amazing
- By John W. on 05-05-15
By: Taya Kyle, and others
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Not That Fancy
- Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots
- By: Reba McEntire
- Narrated by: Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Carly Pearce, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
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The best things in life are really not that fancy. This audiobook featuring all-things-Reba invites you to get back to the basics of life: fun, food, friends, and family. In her first book in over two decades, actress and country music legend Reba McEntire takes you behind the scenes and shares the stories, recipes, and Oklahoma-style truths that guide her life.
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The queen didn’t disappoint
- By jojouknow on 10-18-23
By: Reba McEntire
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Lone Survivor
- The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
- By: Marcus Luttrell, Patrick Robinson
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Four US Navy SEALS departed one clear night in early July 2005 for the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border for a reconnaissance mission. Their task was to document the activity of an al Qaeda leader rumored to have a small army in a Taliban stronghold. Five days later, only one of those Navy SEALS made it out alive. This is the story of the only survivor of Operation Redwing, SEAL team leader Marcus Luttrell, and the extraordinary firefight that led to the largest loss of life in American Navy SEAL history.
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Enthralling and authentic story of valor in combat
- By Michael J Canning on 01-25-14
By: Marcus Luttrell, and others
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One Second After
- By: William R. Forstchen
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Already cited on the floor of Congress and discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a book all Americans should read, One Second After is the story of a war scenario that could become all too terrifyingly real. Based upon a real weapon - the Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) - which may already be in the hands of our enemies, it is a truly realistic look at the awesome power of a weapon that can destroy the entire United States.
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A Civil War Re-enactor Saves a Community?
- By Cidney on 07-05-12
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13 Hours
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- By: Mitchell Zuckoff, Annex Security Team
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- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
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Performance
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Story
The harrowing, true account from the brave men on the ground who fought back during the Battle of Benghazi. 13 Hours presents, for the first time ever, the true account of the events of September 11, 2012, when terrorists attacked the US State Department Special Mission Compound and a nearby CIA station called the Annex in Benghazi, Libya. A team of six American security operators fought to repel the attackers and protect the Americans stationed there. Those men went beyond the call of duty, performing extraordinary acts of courage and heroism.
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Spellbinding, Inspiring, Humbling
- By NOKWISA on 09-15-14
By: Mitchell Zuckoff, and others
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American Sniper
- The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History
- By: Chris Kyle, Scott McEwan, Jim DeFelice
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. The Pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of Kyles kills (the previous American record was 109), but it has declined to verify the astonishing total number for this book. Iraqi insurgents feared Kyle so much they named him al-Shaitan ("the devil") and placed a bounty on his head.
-
-
Tremendously Enlightening, could not put it down
- By T. Edwards on 01-09-12
By: Chris Kyle, and others
-
American Wife
- A Memoir of Love, War, Faith, and Renewal
- By: Taya Kyle, Jim DeFelice
- Narrated by: Taya Kyle
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Though Chris and Taya Kyle's marriage had its difficult moments, it was always a love story. Together they'd endured military service, a best-selling book, unexpected fame, and a film deal starring a hot Hollywood actor. But just when Taya thought that she and Chris were finally going to live their dream together, her husband was murdered. In the wake of his death, a grieving Taya was left to raise her two young children and handle the many things Chris left behind.
-
-
Amazing
- By John W. on 05-05-15
By: Taya Kyle, and others
-
Not That Fancy
- Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots
- By: Reba McEntire
- Narrated by: Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Carly Pearce, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The best things in life are really not that fancy. This audiobook featuring all-things-Reba invites you to get back to the basics of life: fun, food, friends, and family. In her first book in over two decades, actress and country music legend Reba McEntire takes you behind the scenes and shares the stories, recipes, and Oklahoma-style truths that guide her life.
-
-
The queen didn’t disappoint
- By jojouknow on 10-18-23
By: Reba McEntire
-
Lone Survivor
- The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
- By: Marcus Luttrell, Patrick Robinson
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Four US Navy SEALS departed one clear night in early July 2005 for the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border for a reconnaissance mission. Their task was to document the activity of an al Qaeda leader rumored to have a small army in a Taliban stronghold. Five days later, only one of those Navy SEALS made it out alive. This is the story of the only survivor of Operation Redwing, SEAL team leader Marcus Luttrell, and the extraordinary firefight that led to the largest loss of life in American Navy SEAL history.
-
-
Enthralling and authentic story of valor in combat
- By Michael J Canning on 01-25-14
By: Marcus Luttrell, and others
-
One Second After
- By: William R. Forstchen
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Already cited on the floor of Congress and discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a book all Americans should read, One Second After is the story of a war scenario that could become all too terrifyingly real. Based upon a real weapon - the Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) - which may already be in the hands of our enemies, it is a truly realistic look at the awesome power of a weapon that can destroy the entire United States.
-
-
A Civil War Re-enactor Saves a Community?
- By Cidney on 07-05-12
-
13 Hours
- The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi
- By: Mitchell Zuckoff, Annex Security Team
- Narrated by: Mitchell Zuckoff
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The harrowing, true account from the brave men on the ground who fought back during the Battle of Benghazi. 13 Hours presents, for the first time ever, the true account of the events of September 11, 2012, when terrorists attacked the US State Department Special Mission Compound and a nearby CIA station called the Annex in Benghazi, Libya. A team of six American security operators fought to repel the attackers and protect the Americans stationed there. Those men went beyond the call of duty, performing extraordinary acts of courage and heroism.
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Spellbinding, Inspiring, Humbling
- By NOKWISA on 09-15-14
By: Mitchell Zuckoff, and others
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Like a River
- Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward After Loss and Heartache
- By: Granger Smith
- Narrated by: Granger Smith
- Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
On June 4th, 2019, country music singer Granger Smith was enjoying a final evening with his kids before heading to Nashville for the CMT Music Awards and his next tour. While helping his daughter London with her gymnastics, his youngest son fell into their pool. Granger did everything he could to get to him, but he was too late. River drowned, and Granger's world shattered.
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Amazing book
- By Kindle Customer on 08-01-23
By: Granger Smith
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Band of Brothers
- E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne, from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
- Narrated by: Tim Jerome
- Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, U.S. Army, was as good a rifle company as any in the world. From their rigorous training in Georgia in 1942 to D-Day and victory, Ambrose tells the story of this remarkable company, which kept getting the tough assignments. Easy Company was responsible for everything from parachuting into France early D-Day morning to the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. Band of Brothers is the account of the men of this remarkable unit.
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High Expectations Met
- By Audrey on 02-12-13
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The Last Punisher
- A SEAL Team Three Sniper's True Account of the Battle of Ramadi
- By: Kevin Lacz, Ethan E. Rocke, Lincy Lacz
- Narrated by: Timothy Phillips
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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The Last Punisher is a bold, no-holds-barred first-person account of the Iraq War. With wry humor and moving testimony, Kevin Lacz tells the story of his tour in Iraq with SEAL Team Three, the warrior elite of the navy. This legendary unit, known as The Punishers, included Chris Kyle ( American Sniper), Mike Monsoor, Ryan Job, and Marc Lee. These brave men were instrumental in securing the key locations in the pivotal 2006 Battle of Ramadi, told with stunning detail in this book.
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Good story, poorly read
- By Dusty on 09-03-16
By: Kevin Lacz, and others
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The Reaper
- Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Special Ops Snipers
- By: Gary Brozek, Nicholas Irving
- Narrated by: Jeff Gurner
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Groundbreaking, thrilling and revealing, The Reaper is the astonishing memoir of Special Operations Direct Action Sniper Nicholas Irving, the 3rd Ranger Battalion's deadliest sniper with 33 confirmed kills, though his remarkable career total, including probables, is unknown. Irving shares the true story of his extraordinary military career, including his deployment to Afghanistan in the summer of 2009, when he set another record, this time for enemy kills on a single deployment.
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Great story
- By SteveS on 11-18-15
By: Gary Brozek, and others
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The Operator
- Firing the Shots That Killed Osama Bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior
- By: Robert O'Neill
- Narrated by: Robert O'Neill
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Stirringly evocative, thought provoking, and often jaw dropping, The Operator ranges across SEAL Team Operator Robert O'Neill's awe-inspiring 400-mission career that included his involvement in attempts to rescue "Lone Survivor" Marcus Luttrell and abducted-by-Somali-pirates Captain Richard Phillips and culminated in those famous three shots that dispatched the world's most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden.
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One of the best
- By Tim on 04-28-17
By: Robert O'Neill
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You Are Worth It
- Building a Life Worth Fighting For
- By: Kyle Carpenter, Don Yaeger
- Narrated by: Kyle Carpenter
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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You Are Worth It is a memoir about the War in Afghanistan and Kyle’s heroics, yes, but it also is a manual for living. Organized around the credos that have guided Kyle’s life (from “Don’t Hide Your Scars” to “Call Your Mom”), the book encourages us to become our best selves in the time we've been given on earth.
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Beautiful and emotionally draining
- By Shane on 10-25-19
By: Kyle Carpenter, and others
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Alone at Dawn
- Medal of Honor Recipient John Chapman and the Untold Story of the World's Deadliest Special Operations Force
- By: Dan Schilling, Lori Longfritz
- Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel, Betsy Foldes Meiman
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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In the predawn hours of March 4, 2002, just below the 10,000-foot peak of a mountain in eastern Afghanistan, a fierce battle raged. Outnumbered by Al Qaeda fighters, Air Force Combat Controller John Chapman and a handful of SEALs struggled to take the summit in a desperate bid to find a lost teammate. Chapman, leading the charge, was gravely wounded in the initial assault. Believing he was dead, his SEAL leader ordered a retreat. Chapman regained consciousness, alone with the enemy closing in on three sides, beginning the most difficult and exceptional fight of his life.
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Wasted chance to honor a hero.
- By Scott on 07-11-19
By: Dan Schilling, and others
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Black Hawk Down
- By: Mark Bowden
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 15 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Ninety-nine elite American soldiers are trapped in the middle of a hostile city. As night falls, they are surrounded by thousands of enemy gunmen. Their wounded are bleeding to death. Their ammunition and supplies are dwindling. This is the story of how they got there - and how they fought their way out. Black Hawk Down drops you into a crowded marketplace in the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia with the U.S. Special Forces and puts you in the middle of the most intense firelight American soldiers have fought since the Vietnam war.
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A Classic Of Military Writing...
- By Joshua on 11-06-16
By: Mark Bowden
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The Life and Legend of Chris Kyle: American Sniper, Navy SEAL
- By: Michael J. Mooney
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 1 hr and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Journalist Michael J. Mooney reveals the life story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the American Sniper, from his Texas childhood up through his death in February 2013. A brutal warrior but a gentle father and husband, Kyle led the life of an American hero and legend. His heroism and reputation in the military service earned him the nickname "the devil" among insurgents and the nickname The Legend among his SEAL brethren, but his impact extended beyond that after he came home, through his work with fellow veterans.
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Ok
- By Rafik Farouk on 01-30-15
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American Gun
- A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms
- By: Chris Kyle, William Doyle
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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At the time of his tragic death in February 2013, former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the most accomplished sniper in U.S. military history, was finishing a remarkable book that retold American history through the lens of a hand-selected list of firearms. Kyle masterfully argues that guns have played a fascinating, indispensable, and often under-appreciated role in our national story. He carefully chose ten guns to help tell his story, ranging from the American long rifle to the modern M-16, and uses these guns as a platform for exploring American history.
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An Important Look at US History
- By harry on 06-24-13
By: Chris Kyle, and others
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Let's Roll!
- By: Lisa Beamer, Ken Abraham - contributor
- Narrated by: Lisa Helm
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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On September 11, 2001, Lisa Beamer was thrust into the national spotlight after her husband, Todd, became an American hero by preventing terrorist hijackers from almost certainly flying United Flight 93 into the White House or the United States Capitol. Instead, Todd led a group of passengers to resist the hijackers, forcing the plane to crash into a Pennsylvania field. Todd and the other heroes of Flight 93 gave their lives so that untold others would be spared. Nothing could be more heroic. Lisa is now telling that story, and much more.
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Inspiring book. I couldn't put it down.
- By Sam on 09-13-03
By: Lisa Beamer, and others
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Where We Belong
- Journeys That Show Us the Way
- By: Hoda Kotb
- Narrated by: Hoda Kotb
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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In this incredible collection of stories, Hoda Kotb reveals individuals who reached critical points in their lives and suddenly found they were being pulled in completely new directions. By following their passions, their guts, and their hearts, these people learned their life purposes were utterly unlike what they'd planned.
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Nice Little Read
- By Julia on 01-18-16
By: Hoda Kotb
What listeners say about American Spirit
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Rebecka R. Murray
- 05-14-19
Just love Taya Kyle!
Her strength through all adversity is nothing short of Amazing. God is good...All the time!
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1 person found this helpful
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- BWHCC
- 04-26-19
Very inspiring-loved the "ripple effect" examples
Taya is a wonderfull narrator. She and Jim have a gift for highlighting the good!
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- Kindle Customer
- 09-03-19
wonderful story of courage and faith
loved this book of different stories of courage and faith and hard work of working together.
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- Tuesday Lobert
- 06-06-21
Couldn't stop listening to this inspiring book
Thank you Taya Kyle for writing and recording this awesome and inspiring book. God bless.
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- Tony P.
- 05-01-19
Great book by an incredible woman.
Well read, easy to listen to yet emotionally draining and empowering at the same time. We all can do more, this book tells about those that are doing more!
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- Amber33
- 05-10-19
GREAT BOOK!
Taya did an amazing job in both writing and performance, just as she did in American Wife. This book is uplifting with the many stories of American Spirit.
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- Sergio Sosa
- 03-12-20
A Horrible Listen!
I thought this book would be inspirational but it turned out to be a snooze fest. I’m not sure if it was because it came off as a teacher reading from a textbook or the lack of real excitement.
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