Customer Reviews

Official Fahrenheit 9/11 Reader, The

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

If you enjoyed the documentary, you'll love this book. Not only does it transcribe the entire movie, but it provides facts upon facts on where it was gathered. It's hard to read these one-star reviews which state it's full of lies & heresy when here, published in black & white, are the proven facts. And to say it's all about the money for Michael Moore is riduculous. He's trying his hardest to inform the people what this past administration has done to our nation. He's as frustrated as the rest of us; and just wants to know the truth & reasoning behind this war. And just to add, all profits from his recently published/released "Will They Ever Trust Us Again?" are going to the families of the servicemen & women whom the government has abandoned. So, if you get the chance, pick up a copy of that compilation of soldiers' letters...it's truly a magnificent read. I recommend it was much I do this book.

I went to see this film when it first came out and I was extremely impressed. I felt moved by the scenes of the soldiers, their families, and the Iraqi citizens, all of them hurting and dieing to defend our country and democracy-oops! I mean Bush. It upsets me what this man and his cronies have gotten away with. All of these emotions and ideas are expressed wonderfully in this book, documenting the huge effect this film has had on our society and political spectrum. Which is exactly what upsets all these conservatives; they can't seem to stand that such a left-wing realist could become so popular and encourage so much anti-conservativism, or at least second thoughts on these beliefs. So what do all these GOP(Greedy Old Pigs)er's do? They simple-mindedly accuse any and all anti-Bush, anti-right-wing, anti-conservative Americans as being pro-terrorist, Osama bin Ladin-poster-on-wall-with-holy shrine anti-American traitors, like one earlier reviewer basically put it. If somebody hates America so much-like you have accused Michael Moore of-don't you think they would just go live in some other country? Did you ever stop to think that "hmmm, maybe these evil devil-worshipping atheist liberal left-wingers don't necessarily hate America as they are disgusted with the American government and want it to change to more reflect and preserve the America they've grown to love." Just think about it. Like, why is Moore and this film so popular? Maybe it's because he's someone who is not afraid to stand up and speak out against our government, a ver difficult and couragous thing to do in today's America. So many people share his beliefs for a less corrupt government that he has become so popular as the voice for all the unheard and suppressed America.

This is the most important election of our lifetime, and Bush is the most vile President in American history. That, however, is secondary to the fact that Farenheit 9/11 was a great film.. The only flaw in it was that it was in fact a film, and there is simply no time or place to stop and source every single statement made throughout, and that leaves the door open for all the people who hate the viewpoint and subject of the film to start flinging accusations that it's all made up, even though these accusers themselves seem to feel no need to back up their statements... which is why this book is wonderful.

Assembled by Michael Moore to back up the movie, this is a huge book that contains, among other things, a complete transcript of the film and an exhaustive section that goes through the film basically fact by fact, line for line, and provides for each line multiple sources, quotes, proof, documentation, newspaper articles, weblinks, etc., all fully dated and referenced, to show where each detail was taken from, and support essentially every single fact and accusation in the film.

Do not listen to the reviewer that said that the sources listed are second hand and not valid.. When a primary source is availible, it is listed. The secondary sources are all respected newspapers and publications, and they all have extensive fact-checking departments of their own. Moore is not attempting to give a complete paper trail for every piece of information, but rather to show you places in which it has been supported.. That none of this is his own invention.

It also has an awesome section of writings about the film by varied critics, quotes from audiences and celebrities about it, political cartoons and photos that involve the film, and an awesome section of reading, essays etc. about the topics touched on in the film, Saudi money in America, etc. After reading most of this material, all you will feel is that it's amazing how RESTRAINED Moore's attack on the "president" actually was, and how much more damning information there is out there.

Everybody who has seen the film or who has any doubts about the validity of the accusations in the film should pick up a copy of this book, or at least buy a copy for a Republican friend they have, and hand it to the friend next time they're babbling about how the film is full of lies, as a big helping of shut the (insert word of your choice) up. As Moore says in the forward, friends don't let friends vote Republican.

This book does have an agenda. That does not mean it is full of lies or propaganda, because the agenda is a valid one, and one that this book proves is supported by a staggering number of facts and sources, and the book does not attempt to hide its agenda. That agenda is simple: GET OUT AND VOTE. This man can not be president again, and we have the power to see that it doesn't happen.

As you are all well aware Michael Moore has Bibliographies in his books but since Fahrenheit 911 was a motion picture documentary he could not do one for that type of medium. Well guess what? Mike has not stopped his policy of backing up his facts, hence The F911 Reader which does just that.

A familiar theme we hear from right wing extremist groups is that Michael Moore is a liar - that most of what he says is made up - not real - his conjecture - his lies. This to me comes as a bit of a surprise because somehow these readers (and I use that word with caution in this context) must have missed the 25% to 33% bibliography content in his latest post-911 books. Maybe the fact is that some people can not run a finger to that little number in the back pages and read the resources... maybe some of them can not read? Or... it is more likely that they just have not read his books at all? Do they really believe that Mike does zero research or something? The answer to most of the hate rants is in the bibliographies if one right wing extremist bothered themselves so much as to actually read on past the final chapter.

"bib·li·og·ra·phy"

1. A list of the works of a specific author or publisher.
2.
1. A list of writings relating to a given subject: a bibliography of Latin American history.
2. A list of writings used or considered by an author in preparing a particular work.
3.
1. The description and identification of the editions, dates of issue, authorship, and typography of books or other written material.
2. A compilation of such information.

Got that????

If anyone has any doubts as to anything then why not doubt the source? NEVER will a right wing extremist ever point to the source material as corrupted or incorrect. It is always about Moore being wrong like he does it from thin air or something. As soon as I hear people attacking Moore, for being Moore, and because it comes out from Moore's gob, I really have to question the orientation of the mentality that seems to not be able to grasp where ALL of this stuff is actually coming from. The closest we get is in some pseudo anti-Moore (yeah Anti-Moore) home movie that tracks down some war vet who was captured by Moore in the spur of moment saying something maybe he shouldn't have said and now wants to change his tune (isn't it so strange how that moment of reality is not considered real when compared to a pre-prepared statement read by the vet who disavows what he said previously... in fact the reality of ALL of these little moments is what makes Moore's work so interesting.) or some newspaper that claims it didn't want its paper mentioned in Moore's work. Let's face it - Moore is bad for the military industrial complex as a whole. Nobody who makes money out of killing is going to have much love for this man.

Anyway the Reader does what all of his other works have done before - giving a full scale resource and bibliography foundation to F911. The truth is that when reading a book like this you know all to well that a Michael Moore hate group is actually based on the fact that is far easier to attack a fat man than it is to actually do the work... to actually DO THE WORK and READ and FOLLOWUP on the Bibliographies. There within the confines of a quick internet scan for related documents will reveal the proper orientation for one who is to critique Moore's work and not the man himself. This book is yet another testament to the fact that the person actually doing the work is Moore himself. Moore is an avid researcher who had no problem uncovering what you are not allowed to see or know. He then goes that step forward, seeking out his sources, filming them, and putting it for us up on the big screen. It is all about the facts.

This book contains the actual F911 screenplay so it is a must for anybody who wants to read the documentary. The next part of the book is the resources and bibliography - the backup - the evidence. The latter part of the book is then writings about the film itself, including critiques, letters or praise or contempt before finally showing us some funny pictures and shots of cinemas outside F911 screenings.

As someone who is interested in films, F911 is actually something unheard of in the annuals of film making, and is the reason why it won Cannes, but reading through the later part of this book really helps expand on why. I think anybody interested in film making should really get this book to nitpick the fundamental principles behind the making of this movie, its production value, the final distribution fiasco, censor ratings, rating enforcement, and how cinema screenings are affected by all of this. For me this was the gem of the book.

Anyhow the bottom line is that this book is just yet another reason why attacking Moore for being fat is hell of a lot easier than actually DOING THE WORK. Do the work and attain the goal. See things for what they really are. It is as easy as that.

This is a very comprehensive reader including the complete screenplay, background sources and facts, letters and reviews and also, most interestingly, in-depth essays and articles about the issues raised in the film. There are also some hilarious political cartoons relating to the film and some great photos of the opening weekend of the film,

This excellent book gives the script of Michael Moore's historic film `Fahrenheit 9/11'. As Mike LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle commented, "In the 90-year history of the American feature film there has never been a popular election-year documentary like this one." The film won the Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Millions of people across the world have now seen the film.

The book includes the sources and evidence for the film's statements, some of the comments that Moore received from the public, and some related articles by various writers.

Moore tells us about the botched war against Al Qa'ida, and how the US state was completely unprepared for the attack, even though bin Laden had declared war on the USA in 1996. He details how the Bush administration, although repeatedly warned of an imminent attack, prepared no counter-attack and took an amazing two months to launch a military response.

Moore reminds us that the official 9/11 Commission found `no credible evidence' of any link between Iraq and Al Qa'ida. Vice-President Dick Cheney responded to this Report by repeating robotically that there was `overwhelming evidence'. President Bush added helpfully, "The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam and Al Qa'ida is because there was a relationship between Iraq and Al Qa'ida."

Moore denounces Bush and Blair's diversionary attack on Iraq, a country which has never attacked the USA or Britain and has never threatened to attack the USA or Britain. This unnecessary war of aggression has cost the USA more than a thousand soldiers' lives, and $166 billion, so far.

Whether you loved or hated the film Fahrenheit 9/11,it presented the viewer with fact after fact after fact, and whether you're left saying "wow, can this all be true" or "no way, it can't be true", this book is an invaluable resource. It includes the full transcript of the film followed by a section of line by line exhaustive fact checking, all of it from widely respected sources, with citations and relevent excerpts (if only we had this much factchecking available for every documentary and every news broadcast!). In a late section in the book, Moore even includes full length articles so we can see these facts presented in their original context. Much of Fahrenheit 9/11 is the amalgamation of facts we all could have read in a variety of newspapers, hardly the pack of lies that those who are politically challenged by this movie present it as.

Additional sections include an array of reviews and critiques of the film, dozens of letters Moore received after the film was released and a collection of a few very funny political cartoons about the film and its political impact.

Some of the book (the letters especially) come off as a cheering section for Moore and his movie. While it is interesting to read the letters, Moore doens't need the cheering section; this film speaks for itself. That is the reason I gave this book 4 stars out of 5.

I believe this book is a great companion to the film because it supports, in no uncertain terms, the veracity of Moore's claims. I'm not sure the book stands alone without the movie. You can read the script, but it does not capture the emotional impact of seeing the film first hand.

The books affirms more of what the movie does- that we've all been blind to much of the corruption and scandal of our own government, and it's made even more shameful because so much of it WAS in the newspaper, if only we'd payed attention. We're just so conditioned to believe what TV tells us and not scour the headlines for real news, or we're too busy to amalgamate facts and check and recheck facts th way that Moore does. We're almost going to allow our country to get hijacked.

If you're dissatisfied with the President and his administration, this book and its film companion will add fuel to your fire. If you're not dissatisfied, and you plan on voting for Bush on Nov. 2, this movie may or may not change your mind, but it cannot hurt you, it will definitely give you a good laugh, and it gives us all some things to think about.

This is a great book that backs up all the facts in the film.

See Fahrenheit 9/11 first, then get this book.

And don't let others convince you to not see the film. Be a true Patriot and judge it for yourself...

Everyone will eventually know... But it would better to know sooner than later in this case.

God Bless America

Most people in the good 'ole USA know about the film which is connected to this book. Sadly, fewer are aware of this title. As a film, it was entertaining. However, there were some items that were a bit flimsy in fact. I believe, in the interest of time, that they trimmed the film back a bit. This book,as it was designed to do, fills in the gaps and allows the film viewer to understand just where these conclusions came from. And, while i have to take a party line here, most of the more radical 'Conservatives' will beat this book into oblivion, it is truly the only way to substantiate these facts. And, these points are backed up quite thoroughly. No matter what your political stance, you SHOULD question the facts in the movie. Then, get this book and learn where to get the answers to these questions. An earlier reviewer said that this book was listed as a documentary and then went on using some grandiose language in an attempt to prove how 'smurt' he/she was. This book is in no way listed as a documentary! The movie was. And, if you have the courage to admit it, this book is barely arguable. But, in this nation, where bush has taught us to hate each other for our differences more than we ever have before, we are sure to argue with each other to the point of nausea. Shouldn't we all remember the phrase we were taught before we bought our first car or home? If it SEEMS to good to be true, it probably is? According to Bush, he can do no wrong. That's just too good to be true.

As should be obvious to whoever does not live under a rock, Moore has been accused of just about everything. Attacks on America, lies.. the list goes on. Millions find mud-slinging more convenient than rational debate, or as the White House said it: "We don't need to have watched [Fahrenheit 9/11] to know it's wrong".

Two words: Check the goddamned sources and then report back. "59 Deceits in F-9/11" and the other essays on the movie are simply not well-enough researched.

The frightening truth is that the movie and book are indeed factual. You may yell all you want - it just proves how well you know that there's no way to refute Moore's arguments. If I am to turn down Bush's invasion, I use rational arguments like "he's cutting fire department funds"; "he's an opponent of the Gay civil rights movement", etc. Moore's opponents, however, do nothing but insult him, which I find strange at best. Because if it is so obvious that Moore is a liar and that his arguments stink... well... point out those arguments.

Name one lie in Fahrenheit 9/11. I'd be surprised if you did (especially since Moore doesn't say much in the movie -it's mostly scans of records, interviews, and footage from news and the front lines), and even more surprised if you could prove your point. You'd be a first, you see.

You may ask, "why on Earth would I pay to watch two hours of slander?! Poor Bush, Cheney, Ashcroft, and Wolfowitz!". A valid question. Answer: Because these things can not be said enough times. It's like learning about the witch hunts in Salem; the genocide of the Native Americans; and the tragic terrorism against African Americans during their Civil Rights Movement. It's all horrific, and none of it creates a good image of America. But it needs to be said.

Anyone critizing this movie: Insulting Moore won't change anyone's minds. Because for every one of your blatant insults there's a rational post supporting Moore. Using rational arguments can get you a long, long way.

As for the contents of the book itself:

First off is an introduction written by Moore (big surprise) and a third-hand introduction.

Next off is a transcript of the movie. Great. If you've watched the movie, that's helpful.

Then follows the essential list of sources, which is nothing short of massive. It's enough to turn down any claim that Moore's a liar and force his opponents to arm the insult guns and the verbal abuse missile launchers (which has been proven).

Next off is a list of positive reviews of Fahrenheit 9/11. Pretty nice work, most of it.

Following that is a list of essays on the movie and Moore (which detail, among other things, how Republicans seem to prefer the insult-first-debate-later tactic against him). While I blatantly disagree with some of them, they're a worthwhile addition.

Finally, there are political cartoons and pictures of lines outside theatres, a plane carrying a "See Fahrenheit 9/11!" banner, and other Fahrenheit 9/11-related things.

Is this book, and its parent movie, an attack on the States? Hardly. If Moore was an Anti-American and wanted the USA to go to the Graveyard of Fallen Nations where the Third Reich, Roman Empire, Soviet Union, and the other fallen nations and empires await... he wouldn't have done all he has done to stop the Republicans.