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“I had to travel seven thousand miles away from home to find out the history of my own backyard.” – MC ArmstrongA Review of Mysteries of Haditha: A Memoir by MC Armstrong by Jake StephensonMysteries of Haditha: A Memoir is an adventure for the soul. It is an inner journey as much as it is an outward one and fills that hole where adventure once happened in places like Kesey’s bus, “Furthur.” Although Armstrong's band of “Merry Pranksters,” actually face up to reality. Nonetheless it’s still a tr...
Armstrong writes about his experience being embedded with a military unit in Iraq. An American college professor and journalist, Armstrong sets out to discover the truth about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and whether or not the United States was justified in entering Iraq. Armstrong also weaves stories of his own childhood, family, and past relationships into this book. At times I found the novel to be an intriguing look into the United State’s involvement in the War, but other times foun...
I absolutely loved this book! This is a timely and important book that you should share with anyone wanting to learn more about The War on Terror. The author folds in personal stories at just the right moments and is one of the most relatable people I have ever read.
I have been a fan of Armstrong's writing for years, particularly his Missouri Review piece "Between the Sailor and the Sail: The Faith of Ken Kesey," his pitch-perfect tribute to Delillo's "Libra" in "The Spotlight Trial," and, most recently, "Axe," the short story that became Chapter 1 of this memoir."The Mysteries of Haditha" delivers on the promise of "Axe," as we follow Armstrong's descent from the ivory tower into a literal war zone, as perhaps the only 'self-embedded' journalist of the U.S...
MC Armstrong works hard at his craft and that work pays off with this first book. This is the memoir of a writer whose chaotic life had little direction but he found one goal: to see what being in a war meant to the people involved. And by achieving that goal -- no easy feat -- the writer found his way and formed his craft. While only embedded for a short time, that experience provides direction for his work and he finds purpose; on his return he does some great reporting. The embedded experienc...
I grew up watching my country's 'war on terror' on the television from age 11 onward. Simply put, I learned more about 'the war' from this book than I did from over a decade of other medias. Highly recommended.
Full disclosure, I've known the author for 20 years.This is a book about war. Just not the Iraq war.
Full disclosure....the author is a friend. Most of the stories presented in his memoir, The Mysteries of Haditha, I had heard before, over beers, long walks, dinners or at baseball games. When told that his book was to be published, I couldn’t wait to get my copy. When I did, I devoured it. Those stories now have a life of their own and they glow on the page. M.C. is a storyteller at heart and his first book is as engaging, intelligent and wide ranging as he is in real life. This book is a job w...
I read this book because I am acquainted with the author. It's a quick, enjoyable read.
Judging by its cover, The Mysteries of Haditha, is a book about war.But don't judge the book by its cover. M.C. Armstrong's memoir is a poignant love story whose characters are remembered long after the book is read. Much of the tale is told through the eyes of Eat Boy, Armstrong's nickname bestowed by his childhood friend, Diet. They are a study in opposites until they aren’t. Something ties them together. The plot begins with Eat Boy's obsession to see the Iraq war up close and personal. Diet,...
interesting account of a non military person's experience in Iraq during the war.
I purchased this book when I saw it posted on a friend (and author)'s page. Armstrong is a college professor and writer who wants to imbed with a Navy Seal Team in Iraq for a few weeks. His childhood friend is part of that team. Before he left, Armstrong's father asked him to tell the story of the Iraqi's, posing the question of "what about them, who is the good guy" The memoir intertwines the authors relationships with his childhood friend, father, and fiance with his ardent desire to find out
A first book from Greensboro-based writer, teacher, and musician, Matt Armstrong. It's a record of his time as an embedded journalist with a Navy SEAL team in Haditha, Iraq. It is also a beautifully written memoir of a life on the edge of turmoil. At times funny, irreverent, and searingly honest, it leave you with as many questions as it answers, like all good nonfiction should do. Armstrong writes with refreshing humility, covering as much about what he doesn't know as what he discovers. He doe...
Powerful storytelling by MC Armstrong. The Mysteries of Haditha illustrates what is often missing in war stories, the knowledge that those stories began long before deployment and are ongoing stories long after the return. Perhaps what gives this story its credibility is the ability to tell the story with a strong dose of humility, acknowledging limitations while taking the reader along with the author as the layers are peeled away. Armstrong shares an experience in Al Anbar province that goes f...
