Will They Ever Trust Us Again?: Letters From the War Zone (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Over the last year, Moore invited soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as their friends and family members, to send him letters. He received "thousands" of responses, mostly via his Web site, and this book presents a sampling of those transmissions. Some are short notes thanking Moore for Fahrenheit 9/11 and ranting against Republicans, but the vast majority are personal stories written with passion and an obvious mixture of emotions—anger at the Bush administration ("I signed a contract with the government to serve in our military, and proudly, but I never thought that our military would be used in such a self-serving, crooked, and disgraceful way"), remorse ("It didn’t hit me until I saw Fahrenheit 9/11 that I was driving the ship that was sending planes to kill people"), fear ("I am wondering if this is the last Christmas I will spend with my son") and sorrow ("Chris, the dead young man, was a former student of mine. This incredibly stupid war now has a face and a name, and I find I can’t quit crying"). A recurring story is that of the naïve teenager who signed up "looking for some extra pocket money and a way to college" and who is now jaded, angry and searching for a way out. In his introduction, Moore writes, "What makes these comments unique and so intense is the fact that they are not the words of the Left or the rhetoric of the antiwar movement—they are the war movement." It’s clear, however, that many of the contributors are Left-leaning or firmly in the Democrats’ camp. Not a word of dissension (and it’s safe to assume the Moore has received letters from those who don’t agree with him) is included here. Nevertheless, this collection packs the emotional punch of a SCUD missile and will open readers’ eyes to the fact that it’s not just the country that’s divided; the soldiers fighting overseas are, too.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Personal letters to Michael Moore from soldiers, veterans and their families—published for the first time—sharing their thoughts and feelings about the war in Iraq, with an Introduction by Moore.

Fahrenheit 9/11, the #1 documentary of all time, generated lots of attention and debate—and lots of mail. Michael Moore received scores of letters from active-duty GIs stationed in Iraq as well as family members of those soldiers and military veterans, all wanting to share a side of a story that hasn’t been told elsewhere. With the publication of Will They Ever Trust Us Again?, they will finally be heard.

Will They Ever Trust Us Again? goes beyond politics and gets to the heart of what the fighting in Iraq and the War on Terror are really about, from the people affected firsthand. The title is taken from a line in Fahrenheit 9/11, which asks the question: Can our men and women in uniform ever trust our country’s leaders again, trust that they will be sent into war only when absolutely necessary? To many in the military, and those who wrote letters to Michael Moore, that answer is no.

A provocative collection for anyone who truly supports our troops, Moore’s latest book will certainly be the most talked-about publication of the year.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1ST / 1ST edition (October 5, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743271521
• ISBN-13: 978-0743271523
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (144 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #646,915 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

448 of 498 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am not an alleged soldier., October 5, 2004

By	Andrew Balthazor - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am not an alleged soldier. I did write an email to Michael Moore, and gave him express permission to use portions of my email in this book. I felt compelled to respond to the reviewer who implied that I am not a real veteran of the Iraqi war and the 'war on terrorism.'

I wrote a letter to Mr. Moore after I returned from Iraq because when I was sent to Iraq in March 2003 and throughout my ten months of service in Baghdad I was extremely upset at fighting a war that was not necessary. When I and my comrades signed up for the Armed Forces we knew war was a possibility, but we trusted that our government and our leaders would only call upon us to risk our lives if war was absolutely necessary and only as a last resort. The Iraq war was not absolutely necessary and was not waged as a measure of last resort. Mr. Moore's recent documentary seemed to echo my sentiment, so I wrote him with some of my thoughts. You will now find some of these thoughts in his book.

Please at least flip through this book in the bookstore, if you can find it. We are real soldiers, and we are really upset at being used in a war that shouldn't be. I wouldn't expect the book to be filled with those soldiers and officers who support the war; generally, a lot of us at one point or another have had to convince ourselves that the war is necessary and good, which is sometimes the only way to keep yourself going. What you will see in the book are those us of who have stopped lying to ourselves, those of us who are now home, and some of us who were lucky enough to get out of the military so we can stop being pawns in a game we don't belong in.

I was lucky to find my way out of the military through special exceptions to stop loss policies, but many members of the military are looking at endless deployments with little time at home with their families; our military is stretched extremely thin, and I am very concerned that if we as a country ever really need the might of our military it won't be there for us.

-Andrew Balthazor

88 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Consevative Vet, October 7, 2004

By	Robert Hubby "67 year old vet" (Edgewater, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have read the book as I am interested in the troops. The book is not about Moore, its about the men and women who are serving or have served all over the world. Some of the letters are from officers, but mostly from the average soldier. The book also encludes the thoughts of their families.

The people who fight for our nation do not have a voice. The press doesn't report about them unless they are killed, and usualy not a name unless they are beheaded.

Our troops are real people who have a story to tell. I suggest you listen.

131 of 149 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Sought After and Informed Consent, October 8, 2004

By	R. H. Henkle "Earthwood" (Black Hills, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dear Haters of Michael Moore,

I want you to know that I am one of the people featured in this book. I was contacted directly by Michael Moore's Personal assistant who was helping him in the compilation of the book. This was following my 12 May 2004 Nationwide UNPAID Article entitled "West Point Graduate and Disabled Desert Storm Veteran Speaks Out Against Iraq Occupation".

He very courteously asked me if I would allow Michael to publish either that or another article I had published in 9 states. It kind of reminded me how I have read from a number of families of soldiers and marines killed in Iraq who received no contact whatsoever from ANY administration officials after their sons deaths in Iraq. YET, they did get personal phone calls from John Kerry. I bet that makes you Bush Worshippers sick at your stomach to know that this commander in chief had not attended the funeral of a single deceased Iraqi Vet the last time I researched that in June.

To him Commander in Chief means as he stated at the War College Speech in May. "If more troops are needed I will send them" Shortly thereafter he said that it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. It reminded me of Lord Fahrquad in SHREK 1 when he reminded his troops that some of them would die but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. Some speechwriter really screwed that one up, but just ask yourself WHAT LEVEL OF SACRIFICE will this President allow to get his "safe for democracy Iraq", his Safe For American Corporations and Oil Barons Iraq. That is what this is about and do not forget it!

I gave my permission to be in the book and added a caption specifically requesting for readers to vote and do what it takes to prevent a second Bush term on November 2nd. I also had a requirement for Michael Moore to note the dates of my articles and their context of being published just before the President's War College speech--which was nothing new--once again.

I don't care how Brian or others feel about Michael Moore. I have ordered the book before I get my own copy and will be reading it starting next Tuesday because I am curious to see how eloquent --those who don't have to spend all of their time lying to cover up bigger lies (The Bush Administration)-- can be.. I give it 5 stars because I am one of the authors the way I see it and it is people like Brian and the presently deceived Bush Wing of the Republican Party that do not want the voices of soldiers and their families heard. Ronald Reagan never would have let this get out of hand--he would have been intelligent about it and not driven by greed, oil, connections, or grudges against Saddam. He simply would have done what was right--that is why I left the Republican Party and you Moore haters are stuck in the Bushes.

5 stars for the way Mr. Moore and his crew sought the permission of me and my friends to get the truth out about this miserable continuation of the war in Iraq--A WAR THAT WAS WON IN APRIL 2003--and is being lost by an oil driven administration that wants a puppet oil province and really does not seem to think that victory in the war on terror is very important...at least not for the next 20 or 30 years as Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld have all stated they think this could last.

I SAY THAT IS TOTAL BS!!! IF THIS COUNTRY WAS MOBILIZED IN MANPOWER AND TRAINED TO REALLY FIGHT THIS WAR WE WOULD SQUASH AL QAEDA AND ANY TERRORIST REGIME LIKE BUGS IN LESS THAN 1 YEAR. BUT THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN WITH YOUR PRESIDENT AND HIS TAX EVADING BIG OIL BUDDIES RUNNING THIS COUNTRY.

Read the book, I have reviewed a number of the entries and I put my faith in its real authors; not the deceivers of this presidency who want to shut down any voice of opposition.

5 stars.