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What Was Asked of Us: An Oral History of the Iraq War by the Soldiers Who Fought It
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.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 2006
26 people are currently reading
656 people want to read
About the author
Trish Wood
2 booksTrish Wood is an award-winning investigative journalist, interviewer, author, and documentary producer known for her fearless reporting and unflinching storytelling. With decades of experience chasing mobsters in Tokyo, exposing fraudsters, and confronting injustice worldwide, she became a household name through her work on the Emmy Award-winning The Fifth Estate. Her career has spanned television, radio, publishing, and now podcasting, where her sharp intellect, deep empathy, and irreverent humor shine.
Wood’s critically acclaimed Amazon Studios documentary series on the Ted Bundy murders brought fresh perspective through the voices of women and family members long in the shadows. She also created I Didn’t Do It, one of the first series on wrongful convictions, helping free innocent men. Her 2006 book, What Was Asked of Us, collected searing first-hand accounts from Iraq War veterans and earned widespread critical praise.
Now in podcasting, Wood continues to defy media orthodoxy and champion truth over dogma.
Wood’s critically acclaimed Amazon Studios documentary series on the Ted Bundy murders brought fresh perspective through the voices of women and family members long in the shadows. She also created I Didn’t Do It, one of the first series on wrongful convictions, helping free innocent men. Her 2006 book, What Was Asked of Us, collected searing first-hand accounts from Iraq War veterans and earned widespread critical praise.
Now in podcasting, Wood continues to defy media orthodoxy and champion truth over dogma.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
January 26, 2012
Roughly divided into four chapters (Winners and Losers, Bringing them America, Don't Look Away and Nor Fear the Dangers of the Day), this story lets the soldiers who fought in Iraq tell their story in their own words.
The interviewees are very expertly, led by questions, but the questions themselves aren't documented. This makes it all the more valuable, in my opinion, because it emphasis that these tales aren't just some stories, but memories, life-shaping impressions, that these soldiers were kind enough to share with us. Trish Wood has selected all sorts of people for her interviews - there are men who joined the army because everyone in their family did, others who were on drugs and at a dead-end in their life and needed a way out. There are anti-war soldiers, and others who are convinced that there were WMDs at some point. There are people who got bored by the daily routine of raiding houses, and others who admit that they love fighting, that they cannot imagine living their lives without that daily uncertainty and adrenaline.
The book never judges, not in the subtext (that would be the subtext hidden in those questions that aren't there), nor in the introductions to the book and the different chapters. It lets everyone tell their story, because every story is as valuable as the others.
And that's what this book is - valuable. I honestly feel that everyone, EVERYONE, should read this book. PLEASE read this book. No matter if you are an American or a European or you live on the Northpole - please read this book. I sure as hell don't care if you are pro-war (is there such a thing?) or anti-war (what does that even mean?) - you cannot deny that this war existed, still exists, and that too many people lost their life their. I think we owe it to them to hear their story.
From the many books I read on this subject, this is, without any doubt, the most important one.
The interviewees are very expertly, led by questions, but the questions themselves aren't documented. This makes it all the more valuable, in my opinion, because it emphasis that these tales aren't just some stories, but memories, life-shaping impressions, that these soldiers were kind enough to share with us. Trish Wood has selected all sorts of people for her interviews - there are men who joined the army because everyone in their family did, others who were on drugs and at a dead-end in their life and needed a way out. There are anti-war soldiers, and others who are convinced that there were WMDs at some point. There are people who got bored by the daily routine of raiding houses, and others who admit that they love fighting, that they cannot imagine living their lives without that daily uncertainty and adrenaline.
The book never judges, not in the subtext (that would be the subtext hidden in those questions that aren't there), nor in the introductions to the book and the different chapters. It lets everyone tell their story, because every story is as valuable as the others.
And that's what this book is - valuable. I honestly feel that everyone, EVERYONE, should read this book. PLEASE read this book. No matter if you are an American or a European or you live on the Northpole - please read this book. I sure as hell don't care if you are pro-war (is there such a thing?) or anti-war (what does that even mean?) - you cannot deny that this war existed, still exists, and that too many people lost their life their. I think we owe it to them to hear their story.
From the many books I read on this subject, this is, without any doubt, the most important one.
April 25, 2012
Anyone with a "Support Our Troops" ribbon on their vehicle should read this book. It's neither anti-war nor pro-war, and while readers may well find their own opinions about the Iraq war unchallenged, it will surely deepen their understanding of what that war means for those who have been fighting it. Here in the words of about 35 soldiers, mostly men and mostly marines, are accounts of being under fire, taking casualties, witnessing bombings, dealing with loss, anxiety, and grief, while maintaining a perspective that allows them to continue from day to day - staying the course.
It is impossible not to be moved by some of these stories. In some soldiers the initial idealism remains tried but uncompromised. In others, there is anger and disillusionment. In still others there is the welcome intensity of fighting itself. Among even the ambivalent, there is often pride taken in jobs well done and difficult objectives achieved. A frequent theme in their stories is the varying ability to perceive the Iraqis as fellow human beings or as so utterly foreign as to be beyond empathy. The reader quickly learns that it is inappropriate to generalize about the fighting forces in Iraq. As one of them says, if you ask a hundred different soldiers why they are there, you'll get a hundred different answers.
What the book speaks to is the need for Americans - regardless of their feelings about the war itself - to understand the immense toll that it takes on the mental and emotional health of individual soldiers, and that many return in great need of healing. For a further understanding of post-traumatic stress syndrome among those who have served in the military during wartime, read the books of Jonathan Shay.
It is impossible not to be moved by some of these stories. In some soldiers the initial idealism remains tried but uncompromised. In others, there is anger and disillusionment. In still others there is the welcome intensity of fighting itself. Among even the ambivalent, there is often pride taken in jobs well done and difficult objectives achieved. A frequent theme in their stories is the varying ability to perceive the Iraqis as fellow human beings or as so utterly foreign as to be beyond empathy. The reader quickly learns that it is inappropriate to generalize about the fighting forces in Iraq. As one of them says, if you ask a hundred different soldiers why they are there, you'll get a hundred different answers.
What the book speaks to is the need for Americans - regardless of their feelings about the war itself - to understand the immense toll that it takes on the mental and emotional health of individual soldiers, and that many return in great need of healing. For a further understanding of post-traumatic stress syndrome among those who have served in the military during wartime, read the books of Jonathan Shay.
November 6, 2023
Neither pro-war nor anti-war. Interviews with American soldiers (mostly Marines) who served in Iraq. I read some of it through tears. If you want to know why so many soldiers came back from Iraq with catastrophic debilitating life long injuries and/or severe PTSD, read this book. It was a different kind of war. A tough read but a real eye opener. It's easy to say in passing "Thank you for your service." Do you really understand the sacrifice? The poignant last sentence of the book: "If I were to ask you, ballpark--how many soldiers have died in Iraq . . . well, do you actually know?"
March 27, 2013
This book is a compelling, vivid and somber account by 29 soldiers and marines who served our nation by fighting in Iraq. Some of the words and descriptions given by these men and women are shockingly inconceivable and unthinkable. Other stories are simply too sad for any reader not to become emotionally stirred. The following are vivid excerpts that should cause serious contemplation of the end results by national leadership before committing human beings, especially the young, to partake in such a parody of events.
“It became clear that the enemy in Iraq would frequently look more like a civilian than a combatant (Wood, Muller, 2006, pp. 4).”
“I joined straight out of high school…you could see the explosions like a big thunderstorm without the clouds…I had to open fire on the bus to protect the people that we were taking care of…and everybody in the whole bus was killed (Smith, T.).”
“It was so close that marines were pulling out their pistols and knives, getting ready to defend themselves…we got sent into a city with thin-skinned armored vehicles and as a result we were meat-grinded in there…we really were (LeHew, J.).”
“The gunnery sergeant…ran up to us…almost incoherent and babbling, ‘Did you see what happened to us? Did you see what happened to us?’ It was friendly fire from the A-10s. We’re the best trained unit in the entire world. How did it come to the point where not only were we engaged by the enemy, which is totally acceptable, but we’re engaged by our own forces, not just once but making repeated attempts? How did it come to this madness and chaos (LeHew, J.)?”
“The Colonel came up and said, ‘I just got off the phone with headquarters, and they don’t have a security or reconstruction plan to implement.’ The Iraqi people had hope…so people came back to work, and then ORHA showed up, the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance…one night I said, look, here’s what we’ve done in your section…and the guy from ORHA said, ‘we want you to stop…we want you to let everyone go.’ I said, I don’t understand, we’re accomplishing things, and if you stop it, everything goes back to a minus…for godsakes, don’t do that (King, A.).”
“During the Falluja battle, one sheikh told me, ‘You told five hundred thousand men who were trained to kill people to go become productive members in a society that had 70-plus percent unemployment, and I’d say they’re being pretty productive right now (King, A.).”
“Our mission was at odds with itself because we can’t trust anybody, but we’re trying to trust the people (Quinones, T.).”
Review by SaM
“It became clear that the enemy in Iraq would frequently look more like a civilian than a combatant (Wood, Muller, 2006, pp. 4).”
“I joined straight out of high school…you could see the explosions like a big thunderstorm without the clouds…I had to open fire on the bus to protect the people that we were taking care of…and everybody in the whole bus was killed (Smith, T.).”
“It was so close that marines were pulling out their pistols and knives, getting ready to defend themselves…we got sent into a city with thin-skinned armored vehicles and as a result we were meat-grinded in there…we really were (LeHew, J.).”
“The gunnery sergeant…ran up to us…almost incoherent and babbling, ‘Did you see what happened to us? Did you see what happened to us?’ It was friendly fire from the A-10s. We’re the best trained unit in the entire world. How did it come to the point where not only were we engaged by the enemy, which is totally acceptable, but we’re engaged by our own forces, not just once but making repeated attempts? How did it come to this madness and chaos (LeHew, J.)?”
“The Colonel came up and said, ‘I just got off the phone with headquarters, and they don’t have a security or reconstruction plan to implement.’ The Iraqi people had hope…so people came back to work, and then ORHA showed up, the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance…one night I said, look, here’s what we’ve done in your section…and the guy from ORHA said, ‘we want you to stop…we want you to let everyone go.’ I said, I don’t understand, we’re accomplishing things, and if you stop it, everything goes back to a minus…for godsakes, don’t do that (King, A.).”
“During the Falluja battle, one sheikh told me, ‘You told five hundred thousand men who were trained to kill people to go become productive members in a society that had 70-plus percent unemployment, and I’d say they’re being pretty productive right now (King, A.).”
“Our mission was at odds with itself because we can’t trust anybody, but we’re trying to trust the people (Quinones, T.).”
Review by SaM
September 5, 2007
Oral histories of people recently returned from serving in iraq...The media does a great disservice to the stories of actual servicepersons, mitigating their lives to managable narratives that don't really share the scope of what is going on, not even close...I'd check out the book.
I think the last quote for the book is a good summary for why state-siders should bother with the book:
"They [Americans] don't invest themselves in the real issues of the war. Why did we get over there? When are we going to return? What is happening? How many soldiers have died?
If I were to ask you, ballpark -- how many soldiers have died in Iraq...well, do you actually know?"
~ What about Iraqi soldiers?
~ What about non-service contractors? US? International?
~ Non-Iraqi jihadists from other nations?
~ Iraqi Interpreters, taxi drivers, etc.?
The roots of this war tree are deep and will soil the region for a century, we have to as a nation of couch-bound observers begin understanding the scope of this endeavor...and how to mitigate it's damage for the future.
I think the last quote for the book is a good summary for why state-siders should bother with the book:
"They [Americans] don't invest themselves in the real issues of the war. Why did we get over there? When are we going to return? What is happening? How many soldiers have died?
If I were to ask you, ballpark -- how many soldiers have died in Iraq...well, do you actually know?"
~ What about Iraqi soldiers?
~ What about non-service contractors? US? International?
~ Non-Iraqi jihadists from other nations?
~ Iraqi Interpreters, taxi drivers, etc.?
The roots of this war tree are deep and will soil the region for a century, we have to as a nation of couch-bound observers begin understanding the scope of this endeavor...and how to mitigate it's damage for the future.
July 18, 2008
Neither pro- or anti-war, this book is an incredible collection of narratives from soldiers who served in Iraq. Some are gung-ho about the experience; others wonder what we're doing over there and are filled with anger over what they see as the Bush administration's ignorance of what is actually happening on the ground and their failure to provide adequate protection for the troops--so many stories of soldiers holding a weapon in one hand and a makeshift steel plate in another trying to provide some coverage while patrolling in one of their flimsy humvees.
Regardless of whether you are for or against what is going on over there, this is a must-read. It does a great job of showing the humanity of our soldiers and gives foreshadowing at the disturbing after-effects and stress of serving in such a brutal war.
Regardless of whether you are for or against what is going on over there, this is a must-read. It does a great job of showing the humanity of our soldiers and gives foreshadowing at the disturbing after-effects and stress of serving in such a brutal war.
September 11, 2021
This was a hard read. Some of it made me mad; some of it brought tears to my eyes. Those poor guys getting mortars dropped on their heads (even in their home base), wearing 80 lbs of battle rattle in 120-degree heat, never knowing if the next person they see is a suicide bomber, or getting cut to pieces from an IED. Plus--they were sent out with no armor on their vehicles in many cases. They could trust no one, not even the little kids.
The government would promise to help the people, and then renege on those promises. Is it any wonder that the people of the Middle East hate and distrust us?
The government would promise to help the people, and then renege on those promises. Is it any wonder that the people of the Middle East hate and distrust us?
November 9, 2014
This book is a real eye-opener!
Everyone should read it! I think it would teach the kids in High School a lot more than some of the required reading they have now. Everyone should know what these guys went through and the sacrifices they made for this country. (Not trying to get political) And especially those who think they get paid too much...
Everyone should read it! I think it would teach the kids in High School a lot more than some of the required reading they have now. Everyone should know what these guys went through and the sacrifices they made for this country. (Not trying to get political) And especially those who think they get paid too much...
July 13, 2009
Real understanding of what's going on with the soldiers who are fighting for our freedom. Scary the crap these men are subject to. I am very proud of our troupes, and even more so after this book.
February 11, 2025
heavy read took me some time to go through each narrative with my own life going on but i think absolutely necessary for americans to understand what really is the price of what we call “freedom” bc obvi i didn’t pay for it . was a little difficult to get into it bc it really is a cluster fuck of everyone’s experiences delivered so authentically . but the more you sit and wade through it is really eye opening
mainly male pov but i enjoyed reading the one excerpt abt a female soldier/therapist in the field
mainly male pov but i enjoyed reading the one excerpt abt a female soldier/therapist in the field
May 17, 2021
Though this wasn’t my favorite book ever, I’m glad it’s a book that was written. These people deserve a chance to tell their story. Some of it is surprising, some not, but either way it’s nice to hear first hand accounts about the Iraq war.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in the topic. Note that it is not a cohesive narrative, but a collection of 29 individuals recounting their experiences in Iraq.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in the topic. Note that it is not a cohesive narrative, but a collection of 29 individuals recounting their experiences in Iraq.
March 3, 2021
My curiosity made me want to read about the Iraq war that wasn't from any American leaders or propaganda from any news source although Trish Wood is an investigative journalist, so I picked this book with no regrets. Very insightful yet disturbing on the atrocities of war, there was a section in this book that bothered me but I'm glad to know the real history of this unjust war.
December 31, 2017
I will have to read this again, because there is a lot to take in. It is a remarkable work, and I appreciated that the chapters were not prefaced by any form of summary or description from the author. The words of each individual were left to stand on their own.
March 9, 2021
Such a sad, inspiring story of the men who fought for America. My Grandpa is a veteran of the Korean War and I read this under his insistence, and I am glad I did. I finished it in a day, it was very large but flew by in a flash. 5/5 stars.
September 26, 2017
I appreciated the insight into the experience at the soldiers' level - some brutal reading.
November 11, 2018
A must read.
March 8, 2020
Outstanding book, should be read by everyone!
January 26, 2021
Must read for anyone thinking of joining the military.
March 16, 2022
The challenges of war on the human spirit
April 22, 2022
Someone should read this to the president, god forbid he read anything himself. Too many have died; what a waste.
January 22, 2023
Starts slow but gets better, some really powerful pieces in here.
June 7, 2023
This book should be on the top of everyone's nonfiction list. Heartbreaking, but the stories deserved to be told.
December 26, 2014
The Iraq War is a very controversial and very misunderstood conflict. If you ask servicemen and civilians, the answer to the cause of sending in the troops to Iraq vary. Answers differ from the al-Qaeda link, the elimination of an oppressive regime to the protection of oil interests.
This is a compilation of stories of what the Iraq War was really like in a soldier's point of view. They tell their stories of why the joined the military to dealing with a developing situation on the ground. Iraq is a new form of warfare where there are no more frontlines because the enemy will attack you on all sides. The lines are now classified to zones. Fighting an unseen enemy is not easy for the serviceman and have negative effects on them such as PTSD and unprovoked hostility.
Never mind what the politicians say, going to Iraq started from a noble cause to a downward spiral of butchered lives. I hope that the Middle East have order restored.
This is a compilation of stories of what the Iraq War was really like in a soldier's point of view. They tell their stories of why the joined the military to dealing with a developing situation on the ground. Iraq is a new form of warfare where there are no more frontlines because the enemy will attack you on all sides. The lines are now classified to zones. Fighting an unseen enemy is not easy for the serviceman and have negative effects on them such as PTSD and unprovoked hostility.
Never mind what the politicians say, going to Iraq started from a noble cause to a downward spiral of butchered lives. I hope that the Middle East have order restored.
December 2, 2013
This book was an autobiography of solders in the Iraq war. As such it doesn’t really have a story line, unless you count history as the plot. Trish Wood is in reality only the compiler of many oral histories. The vast majority of the book is what appear to be transcribed interviews with veterans of the Iraq war. The conflict in this book is obviously based on the war, with American troops fighting against insurgents in Iraq, and there is plenty of conflict. To be honest that made the book in the words of New York Times review “Chilling”. It wasn’t censored, or made easy to read. In some cases it was graphic, not for the sake of violence, or to capture your attention but simply to tell the truth of those solders experiences. That is what in my opinion makes the book chilling, the fact that it is horrifying often in telling the honest and unexaggerated truth.
October 3, 2016
Unlike Fire and Forget: Short Stories from the Long War or Redeployment this book reads more like a series of brief reports on the missions these men and women served. It gives an entirely different perspective on life at war: how our soldiers are trained to process the things they go through, and how they are trained to communicate, and how that holds up when they are released back home.
If you read this one (and I recommend that you do), I also suggest picking up the more poetic essay collections listed above for comparison.
If you read this one (and I recommend that you do), I also suggest picking up the more poetic essay collections listed above for comparison.
June 8, 2014
This book is a compilation of stories told by various servicemen and servicewomen who served in Iraq. If you want some idea what this war was really about, how unprepared we were to fight it, how terribly and thoughtlessly our government treated our troops, how many lives were destroyed, broken or damaged to no good end, read this book. It's an oral compilation, not a dissertation, but it is all from the gut and from the heart.
The writing is often raw and graphic. It's short glimpses into events of the past. The book does not have a political agenda, but when you are done reading, you will be asking yourself, "Why."
It's my personal belief that the United States, as a country, sent our people off to fight, so the least we can do is read what happened to them in their own words.
The writing is often raw and graphic. It's short glimpses into events of the past. The book does not have a political agenda, but when you are done reading, you will be asking yourself, "Why."
It's my personal belief that the United States, as a country, sent our people off to fight, so the least we can do is read what happened to them in their own words.
January 27, 2009
This book is a collection of personal accounts from young soldiers in Iraq. It truly depicts the horrors of war from a first person perspective. One of the people described their experience and talked about how one of the captains got shot in the face. When they arrived to him, his entire face was bloody, and soldiers tryed asking him where he got hit. But he couldn't respond.
Soldiers described their experiences as very confusing and overwhelming, yet it was very energetic and full of adrenaline. Bullets were flying everywhere. Loud noises of war were coming from all directions.
Soldiers described their experiences as very confusing and overwhelming, yet it was very energetic and full of adrenaline. Bullets were flying everywhere. Loud noises of war were coming from all directions.
April 13, 2013
This is an important compilation of firsthand war accounts. Unfortunately, after reading "Generation Kill" and "Horse Soldiers," these raw interviews made for rough reading. They come across as unedited transcripts--not necessarily bad in itself--but many of the interviewees aren't exactly good storytellers or quick wits. God bless these men and women for their military service, but I think, to do them proper service, good storytelling and literary mastery are more in order.
Sometimes hyper-realism gets in the way of reality.
Sometimes hyper-realism gets in the way of reality.
November 13, 2014
Wow. Such an impactful read. I appreciated reading the firsthand accounts of some who had been on the frontlines in Iraq from 2003-2006. It is so heartbreaking learning some of the things many have been through - what they've seen and experienced there, some tough decisions that were made, the loss and grief, and psychological effects they deal with...I could go on. Quite a thought-provoking read.
Cautionary note that due to the subject matter the language is graphic - may not be suitable for some readers.
Cautionary note that due to the subject matter the language is graphic - may not be suitable for some readers.
August 22, 2016
This is a good book. It's a series of oral reports from 28 people from the American armed forces who went to Iraq, plus one surgeon with the army operating in Germany on soldiers coming in injured from Iraq. A few of the people have two chapters and there's a glossary in the back for the military terminology.
I saw this in the library a while ago and felt like, I should read this book, but I don't want to. But I checked it out last week and even though it's emotionally difficult and had my eyes watering at times, it's not so bad.
I saw this in the library a while ago and felt like, I should read this book, but I don't want to. But I checked it out last week and even though it's emotionally difficult and had my eyes watering at times, it's not so bad.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews