Will They Ever Trust Us Again?: Letters from the War Zone [Paperback]

Michael Moore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004

American soldiers serve willingly. They risk their lives so the rest of us can be safe. The one small thing they ask, though, is that they not be sent into harm's way unless it is absolutely necessary. But after being lied to about weapons of mass destruction and about the connection between al Qaeda and Iraq; after being forced by stop-loss orders to extend their deployment; after being undertrained, underequipped, and overworked long after George Bush declared Iraq "Mission Accomplished," these soldiers have something to say.

From his famous 2003 Oscar acceptance speech to his record-breaking documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration and the war in Iraq. But in this book, Moore gives the spotlight to the real heroes of protest: the men and women who have fought in Iraq and want the American public to know how they feel about their mission and their commander in chief. Moore also fields letters from veterans of other wars and mothers, wives, and siblings of our soldiers in the field. They also express their anger and frustration, their tears and pain, and their hopes and prayers. Impassioned, accessible, and moving, these are letters that reveal the true hearts and minds of the men, women, and families on the front line.

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Michael Moore was born in Flint, Michigan, and attended Catholic schools, including a year in the seminary, which he says accounts for his healthy respect for the fires of hell which seem to be located somewhere just outside Crawford, Texas.

He was an Eagle Scout, Newspaper Boy of the Week, and the youngest person ever elected to public office in the state of Michigan when he was 18-years old.

Michael Moore is now the Oscar and Emmy-winning director of the groundbreaking and record-setting films Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine, and Fahrenheit 9/11 (which also won the top prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival and has gone on to become the highest grossing documentary of all time.)

No Disney film this year has made as much at the box office as Fahrenheit 9/11. It became the first documentary ever to premier at number one in the box-office in its opening weekend. Film Comment has called it "The Film of the Year."

Michael Moore is also America's #1 selling nonfiction author with such books as Stupid White Men and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation, and Dude, Where's My Country. No other author has spent more weeks on the New York Times hardcover non-fiction list in the past two years than Michael Moore. Stupid White Men was also awarded Britain's top book honor, "British Book of the Year," the first time the award has been bestowed on an American author.

Michael now has two new books being published by Simon & Schuster: Will They Ever Trust Us Again -- Letters from the War Zone, which is a compilation of letters he has received from soldiers in Iraq and from their families back home; and The Official Fahrenheit 9/11 Reader, which contains loads of backup materials for the film, plus essays, and the film's screenplay.

In addition to winning the Academy Award for Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore won the Emmy Award for his NBC and Fox series, TV Nation and was also nominated for his other series, The Awful Truth (which the L.A. Times called "the smartest and funniest show on TV.")

Michael Moore also wrote and directed the comedy feature Canadian Bacon starring the late John Candy, and the BBC documentary, The Big One. He has directed music videos for R.E.M., Rage Against the Machine, Neil Young, and System of a Down.

His other best-selling books include Downsize This! Random Threats from an Unarmed American, and Adventures in a TV Nation, which he co-wrote with his wife Kathleen Glynn. His books have been translated in over 30 languages, and have gone to #1 in Italy, Germany, France, Japan, Great Britain, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Michael currently spends his time reading, gardening, and removing George W. Bush from the White House.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743273095
• ISBN-13: 978-0743273091
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (142 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,111,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Moore is an Academy Award-winning American filmmaker, bestselling author, and liberal political commentator. He is the director and producer of Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Sicko, three of the top five highest-grossing documentaries of all time. In September 2008, he released his first free movie on the Internet, Slacker Uprising, documenting his personal crusade to encourage more Americans to vote in presidential elections. He has also written and starred in the TV shows TV Nation and The Awful Truth. His bestselling books include Dude, Where's My Country and Mike's Election Guide 2008.Moore is a self-described liberal who has explored globalization, large corporations, gun ownership, the Iraq War, U.S. President George W. Bush and the American health care system in his written and cinematic works. In 2005 Time magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people. In 2005, Moore started the annual Traverse City Film Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. In 2008, he closed his Manhattan office and moved it to Traverse City, where he is working on his new film.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

449 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)   

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

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

90 of 99 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)   

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

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.

135 of 153 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)   

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

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.