The Mysteries of Haditha

A Memoir

By: M. C. Armstrong

Narrated by: Zirkle Alexander

M. C. Armstrong secured his embed as a journalist with the Navy SEALs in 2008. Shortly before he left for Iraq, his father asked him to tell the story no one else seemed to be telling. The story of the people sometimes constructed as our friends, and other times, our enemies: the Iraqis.

“But what about them?” he asked. “Who’s their good guy? Who’s their George Washington? That’s the story you want to find. Talk to them.”

Armstrong’s searing memories about his relationship with his father, his fiancé, and his SEAL team companion take the listener on a nosedive ride from a historically Black college in the American South straight into Baghdad, the burn pits, and the desert beyond the mysterious Haditha dam. Culminating in the disclosure of a devastating secret, The Mysteries of Haditha explores the lengths Armstrong was willing to go to prove himself and to witness a truth he couldn’t have prepared himself to receive. At once daring, dark, and hilarious, this memoir of Armstrong’s journey pulls no punches and lifts the veil on the lies we tell each other and the ones we tell ourselves. The Mysteries of Haditha is a coming-of-age story and an unprecedented glimpse into the heart of the war on terror.

©2020 M.C. Armstrong (P)2023 M.C. Armstrong

Poetic and Insightful

A story well told, incorporating, and honoring voices that humanize strangers and sometimes challenge dominant narratives. Armstrong gives a simple honest account of what is real, He follows where his curiosity leads, establishes the rapport and goodwill necessary for his sources to be able to open up.

An insightful story brought to life through dynamic writing and performance

The Mysteries of Haditha not only opens the audiences eyes to the realities of Americas “War on Terror” but also takes us into the eyes of Armstrong, vividly reliving the moments that lead to his expedition and the experiences that opened his eyes in the Middle-East. If you are looking for a glimpse into the hidden truths of the War on Terror, or are curious how an English professor pushed himself into the heart of this war and came out the other side a changed man, then I would highly recommend listening through The Mysteries of Haditha!

Liberal Propaganda

The author's liberalism is rampant, though he has clearly written with intent to seem thoughtful and introspective, he is full of bs and false attempts of self depreciation. His excruciating attempts to make his prose are so overdone to be nails on a chalkboard. He ventures into challenging election results for John Kerry😂 vs Bush and mentions Kerry's real war record. I wanted to like it, but the mispronounced words in the reading hurt more than the chalkboard nails afore mentioned. Perfunctory in particular stands out like a person emphasizing the ing in any ing ending word. I had to go and check the pronunciation to make certain I had not been mispronuncing the word for 35 years. I wasn't, narration was just bad! Several other screeching and egregious examples abound. I was shocked the rating was so high and am guessing that only liberals have listened to this. I paid for this one with much regret. Oh, and the authors constant trope of quoting Chuck Norris jokes at the beginning of a chapter just hurt. It was, to use a word correctly and pronounce it correctly too, PERFUNCTORY. Writer is a stretch, with the exception everyone who writes is a writer, but this guy works at it like the artist that made the cross with Jesus with piss. The concept and general story is worthwhile. He's just so overdone and liberal that his presentation makes it unpalatable to most people except gluttons like me and artsy liberal sheep.