What Was Asked of Us: An Oral History of the Iraq War by the Soldiers Who Fought It [Hardcover]

Trish Wood (Author), Bobby Muller (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 2006

In this modern-day successor to the Vietnam classic "Everything We Had," award-winning investigative reporter Trish Wood offers a gritty, authentic, and uncensored history of the war in Iraq, as told by the American soldiers who are fighting it. Includes 8 pages of photographs and 1 map.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The thing about fighting in a war, relates one soldier in this penetrating, terrifying and important book, "is that there's no way to put into words what actually happened." Yet with these brutally straightforward accounts by 29 American veterans of the Iraq War, Wood—an award-winning Canadian investigative reporter—proves her own subject wrong. Wood's deftness as interviewer and editor renders her own presence scarce, freeing each soldier to provide firsthand looks at botched reconstruction efforts, intelligence snafus and the practicalities of heroism. Among these stories by soldiers from widely varying ideological and personal backgrounds, unexpected examples are the born-again Christian, appalled by the abuse he witnesses at Abu Ghraib, who asks, "America, what always makes us right?"; and the ex-drug addict, a self-described "left-wing nut," who calls the war "a meaningless conflict" yet acknowledges that "I loved every firefight I was in because for those few brief seconds nothing else matters." Colloquial, coarse and compelling, these narratives flash with humor, horror, nihilism and poesy. Despite the layers of tragedy, the ascendant message is one of courage and self-sacrifice amid war's absurdities. 16 pages b&w photos. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Wood, an investigative journalist who has been working with veterans of the Iraq war for more than two years, compiles interviews with 29 veterans of the war. Most interviewees describe their experiences in a chilling, matter-of-fact manner, but the raw savagery of the events they witnessed and the violence they endured and perpetrated make this a powerful tale of men at war. A navy corpsman goes from boredom and antsiness waiting for the war to begin in Kuwait to the chaos and confusion of a tank battle to the shock of having a soldier die in his arms. An infantryman sounds curiously detached as he relates his reactions to a suicide bombing that killed a close friend. A tank gunner coldly and without apology states his readiness to "slap around" civilians if firing came from their vicinity. Wood does not seem to have a political agenda, since the soldiers she quotes are neither pro- nor antiwar. Instead, her efforts are simply a reminder of the horrors of war as seen by those who fight it. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; First Edition. 1 in number line edition (November 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316016705
• ISBN-13: 978-0316016704
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #776,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for all who care about what happens in Iraq, November 4, 2006

By 

Erik K. Gustafson "Director of the Education ... (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Was Asked of Us: An Oral History of the Iraq War by the Soldiers Who Fought It (Hardcover)

The book reveals once more the power of stories. No matter how many hours of cable news, talking heads, and political speeches you may have seen, or commentaries you may have read, when it comes down to it, it's the men and women who were there who can tell us the most. Trish has done an outstanding job compiling one of the first oral histories of the Iraq War. I can not overstate the importance of this book. In reading it, no American can take another breath without feeling a debt of gratitude and a sense of responsibility for what we have asked (and continue to ask) of today's military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars R. Alan King, November 12, 2006

By 

R. A. King (Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Was Asked of Us: An Oral History of the Iraq War by the Soldiers Who Fought It (Hardcover)

In "What was Asked of Us," Trish Wood has captured the true nature of war. The challenges of combat requires a team effort, but each individual's experience is very personal. The personal experiences of the 29 soldiers and Marines who share their stories with Trish takes her readers onto the battlefield and into the fight. It is "a must read" for those who have been there and for those who have not.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For all those shipped home in boxes and bags., January 24, 2007

By 

panthercat (Riverside, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Was Asked of Us: An Oral History of the Iraq War by the Soldiers Who Fought It (Hardcover)

As a Veteran I felt obligated to see what our troops were experiencing in Iraq. Every chapter was the experience of a survivor, whether they came out of it intact or in pieces, who told about their buddies who didn't make it. These are the men and women who went to war believing in the weapons of mass destruction, but quickly discovered there weren't any. How on their first tour in the sand they were liked by the Iraqis, but by the time their second tour rolled around they were hated. How promises were made by others that the troops couldn't keep, which disappointed the Iraqi people even more. There was the little girl's shoe. Unfortunately her foot was still in it and the rest of her was nowhere to be seen after the explosion. A common thread that ran through most of the chapters was a request for honesty as to why they were actually sent. Some said it was all over oil, but they just want honesty from the United States government. There was little or no political correctness and I believe the Chaplain was the only one who didn't curse. I've already loaned out my copy. It should be on the best seller lists. For those who believe placing a stupid yellow ribbon on their SUV is sufficient sacrifice, GUESS AGAIN!