2/75 Ranger Nicholas Moore on the real story of rescuing Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell

Here is another Team House podcast on Moore and what his experiences and thoughts are on Marcus Luttrell and the tall tale of Operation Red Wings…

2/75 Ranger in Afghanistan and Iraq

As some of you know I co-wrote a book, Run to the Sound of the Guns, with Nicholas Moore about his 13 combat deployments and some of the incredible missions he was involved in like the rescue of Private Lynch, shooting dead a suicide bomber protecting the local AQ emir, recoveries of the men and dogs who died on Extortion 17, the Marucs Luttrell rescue and more. The Team House did a podcast with him a little while ago. The link is below.

Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021

Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021

https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 729 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2021. Of the 1597 books that were targeted, here are the most challenged, along with the reasons cited for censoring the books:

1. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
   Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, and because it was considered to have sexually explicit images

2. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit

3. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and because it was considered to be sexually explicit

4. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
   Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for depictions of abuse and because it was considered to be sexually explicit

5. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, violence, and because it was thought to promote an anti-police message and indoctrination of a social agenda

6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
   Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references and use of a derogatory term

7. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
   Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and degrading to women

8. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
   Reasons: Banned and challenged because it depicts child sexual abuse and was considered sexually explicit

9. This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
   Reasons: Banned, challenged, relocated, and restricted for providing sexual education and LGBTQIA+ content.

10. Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin
    Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit. 

ON the Battle of Zama - Locations and Pre-combat Positions, October 202 BC

A great primer on the Second Punic Wars and the last battle pitting Hannibal versus Scipio in North Africa. You can order from the publisher directly: https://ospreypublishing.com/zama-202-bc

THE INVASION OF NORTH AFRICA

The strategic situation of the western Mediterranean by 205 bc was clear cut: Rome had contained Hannibal in the Italian peninsula, driven the Carthaginians out of Iberia and now controlled Sardinia, Corsica and, most importantly, Sicily. The original vision of the elder Scipio – to take the war to the enemy – could now be realised. 

Scipio had been granted permission by the Roman senate to take volunteers and penal legions and mould them into an invasion force based in Sicily. He took his time to recruit and train enough men, to have a logistical system in place and gather enough intelligence while firming up his alliance with Masinissa. Perhaps he knew that invading North Africa would force Hannibal to leave Italy forever and banish the ‘scourge of Rome’ once and for all. 

THE LOCATION

The location of the battle of Zama has not yet been identified. No archaeological evidence exists to confirm any of the proposed sites, and conflicting ancient sources only add to the confusion. Livy’s comments on the location of the battle are as follows: 

Scipio took up his position not far from the city of Naragarra on ground which, in addition to other advantages, afforded a supply of water within range of missiles from the Roman lines. Hannibal selected some rising ground about four miles [6.5km] away, a safe and advantageous position, except that water had to be obtained from a distance. A spot was selected [for the meeting between Hannibal and Scipio] midway between the camps, which, to prevent any possibility of treachery, afforded a view on all sides. (Livy 30.29) 

The historians Gilbert and Colette Picard identify the location as not far from ‘Zama, the Massylian capital, probably in the plain of Siliana, where the road from Hadrumetum (Sousse) to Sicca (El Kef) crossed at a road leading directly from Carthage along the valley of Wadi Miliana’ (Picard and Picard, 1987, p. 265). Lazenby (1998, p. 218) believes it to have been fought near the town of El Kef (ancient Sicca Veneria), 

and places Seba Biar about 13km west of Zanfour. He writes that the battle was fought some distance from there, however, and about 5km from Scipio’s camp. The location of Scipio’s encampment is the key to placing the battlefield. Lazenby believes Naraggarra is too hilly and that Livy may have assimilated Naraggara and Margaron. However, the plain of Draa el Meinan (or Metnam), just south of the modern road P5 from Sidi Youssef to El Kef – about 27km from Sidi Youssef, and near the juncture with the road from Kasserine to El Kef – was suitable for accommodating large armies, in his view (Lazenby, 1998, p. 218.)

Hoyos arrives at a different conclusion:

[Hannibal’s] march went by Zama, one of several towns so named in the hinterland: probably the one later called Zama Regia (today a site called Seba Biar, fifteen miles south-east of El Kef). Zama, though only an encampment on the march, gave its name to the battle through a careless mistake by his biographer Nepos two centuries later. (Dexter, 2008, p. 107)

The German historian Johannes Kromayer and Austrian artillery officer Georg Veith expended considerable energy examining the various theories regarding the location of the battlefield. Their conclusion – accepted by many modern scholars – is that Scipio established his camp, or position, near Margaron (Henchir el Chemmam) and more precisely in the direction of the Sicca Veneria–Naraggara route west towards Numidia. Hannibal, they conclude, left Hadrumetum and force-marched his army either via Sidi Abd el Djedidi or Kairouan until he reached Zama (Seba Biar). Here, they argue, Hannibal sent out reconnoitering parties and subsequently moved toward Scipio’s consular army. The two armies probably faced one another across the plain of Draa el Meinan. Scipio’s camp was therefore located on the hill called Koudiat el Beheima, which also had access to water from the stream called Qued Ras el Ogla. Hannibal established his camp about 5.5km away on the waterless hill known as Koudiat Bongrine (Kromayer and Veith, 1903, p. 38)

ORDER OF BATTLE AT ZAMA

CARTHAGINIAN AND ALLIED (HANNIBAL BARCA)

The first line and elephants (c.10,000–12,000)

A large number of elephants were lined up in front of Hannibal’s infantry. The elephants were small and without towers.

Alongside the elephants were skirmishers from Hannibal’s first line composed of light and line infantry mercenaries. Their purpose was to protect the elephants against velites and to exploit any gaps the elephants might create. The rest of the first rank would be close by to join the penetration and provide protection for the skirmishers once the hastati advanced and clashed with the spearmen of the first line. 

The second line (c. 10,000–12,000)

Composed of Carthaginian citizen volunteers and conscripts, as well as Liby-Phoenician spearmen. 

The third line (c. 8,000)

The ‘old guard’ comprised Bruttian swordsmen and other veteran campaigners knowledgable in the martial arts of the Roman soldier. 

The left cavalry wing (Tychaeus)

2,000 Numidian horsemen.

The right cavalry wing 

Between 1,600 and 2,000 Carthaginian horse.

ROMAN AND ALLIED (PUBLIUS CORNELIUS SCIPIO)

Roman legions V and VI

These legions, together with two allied ones, occupied the centre of the Roman line. 

Velites to the front as skirmishers (c.4,800). Their primary purpose was to eliminate the elephant threat.

Hastati in the front line (c.4,800).

Principes in the second line (c.4,800). Possiblly used to reinforce the front line and as a manoevre element when required.

Triarii in the third line (c.2,400). The last line of defence or a manoevre element during the climax of the battle.

Numidian infantry (c. 6,000)

The Numidian light and line infantry was positioned to the right of the legions. Some may have supported the cavalry. Appian tells us they suffered more casualties (4,000, including 2,500 dead) than the Romans.

Numidian cavalry (Masinissa)

The Numidian cavalry under Masinissa anchored the far right of the Roman army, with 4,000–6,000 horsemen.

Roman and allied cavalry (Laelius)

Laelius’s cavalry was on the far right (1,600–2,400 horesemen). They may have been supported by 1,600 Numidians led by Prince Dacamas.

THE OPENING PHASE OF THE BATTLE: DAYBREAK, 19 OCTOBER

The opposing armies marched out at daybreak ready to give battle. The opposing Numidian cavalry forces engaged first and skirmished for a while before Hannibal ordered the advance of his elephants. Some of the young and untrained elephants became unmanageable, fleeing headlong into the Carthaginian and Numidian lines. At this point, Massinissa seized the opportunity to drive off Hannibal’s loyal Numdians.

ROMANS AND ALLIES

1.  Numidian cavalry and light foot under Masinissa (4,000–6,000)

2. Numidian infantry (6,000)

3.  Allied Legion I

4. Roman Legion V

5.  Roman Legion VI

6. Allied Legion II

7.  Roman and allied cavalry under Laelius (1,600–2,400)

8. Numidian cavalry under Prince Dacamas (1,600)

CARTHAGINIANS AND ALLIES

A. Numidian cavalry under Tychaeus (2,000)

B. Hannibal’s veterans (6,000–8,000)

C. Libyan and Carthaginian infantry (Macedonians) (8,000–10,000)

D. Ligurian and Celtic mercenaries

E. Skirmishers and mercenaries (10,000–12,000)

F. Elephants (80)

G. Carthaginian cavalry (1,600–2,000)

Events

1.                               Hannibal’s elephants hit the main Roman battle line. 

2.                               Polybius writes: ‘But as they heard the horns and trumpets braying all around them, some of the elephants became unmanageable and rushed back upon the Numidian contingents of the Carthaginian army.’

3.                               The fleeing elephants allow Masinissa to advance quickly and deprive the Carthaginian left wing of its cavalry support.

4.                               The remaining elephants charge the Roman velites in the spaces between the maniples of the line. Although they inflict much damage on the enemy, they suffer heavily themselves. Some of the frightened elephants flee between the vacant spaces in the Roman lines, ‘the Romans letting them pass harmlessly along, according to Scipio’s orders.’

5.                               Other elephants flee to the right under a shower of missiles from the Roman and allied cavalry, until finally being driven clear from the field. 

6.                               As the elephants stampede, Laelius and Prince Dacamas advance, and force the Carthaginian cavalry into headlong flight. Masinissa joins in the pursuit on the Roman right flank. 

On Our Heritage - fighting Nazis and fascists

I thought I’d post the opening speech given in the film Patton to remind ourselves that we are not white nationalists seeking to put non-whites in camps and/or murder them or to tell them how they have to live. Our fight is against the very far right terror groups that are working on behest of the GOP, intimidating anyone opposing a dictatorship or any form of authoritarian-type government as we are witnessing today in the White House. We fight NAZIS, not support them, we are ANTIFA. As a former Ranger I want to remind the Army Ranger community of that - our Rangers fought since 1942 to defeat those kinds of shit-bags. And the rest of our military, active, reserve, retired, whatever - we are subordinate to the will of the people. The PEOPLE, not the fascist-leaning GOP and Trump. It does not mean you have to support the Democrats, it means stop supporting domestic white terror groups, which some of you do. Stop supporting them in any shape or form. What if democratic-leaning ‘militias’ had gone with gun in hand to Florida in 2000 when Bush and his cronies elected themselves? Stop, take a step back and reflect on what this country stands for – or at least should stand for – human rights for all.

On Sniping - Embedding with Canadian Snipers a little while ago

I spent a few weeks amongst the finest snipers in the world - Canadians. World record holders and overall some of the finest professional soldiers I have met. They contributed greatly especially in Operation Enduring Freedom during GWOT. Working with some of them on a book. Hope to have it out 2021.

Canadians are the best snipers in the world - bar none.

On QAnon Stupidity regarding SEAL Team 6 (Extortion 1-7) and the 'fake news' Obama conspiracy

Dumb, dumb, knuckleheads

Marching down the avenue

If you want to know about the relationships between Rangers and SEALs, notably SEAL Team 6, and the supposed Obama conspiracy to get every fucking SEAL killed in the known universe and beyond, read Chapter 13 in our book Run to the Sound of the Guns, which details 13 combat deployments of Ranger NCO Nicholas Moore. He took part in rescuing Marcus Luttrell (also in the book) and he was the most senior Ranger NCO on the ground when Extortion 1-7 got shot down with all those SEALs who now are forever tainted by stupid QAnon morons. 

We cover the tragedy in great detail in our book and even refused to make some changes to remove some of the gore. It was a shitty day for all involved (and their families and friends). And no, the SEALs were not in the area to help the Rangers – another misconception living on.

Below is a PREVIEW of the opening pages to Chapter 13 in Run to the Sound of the Guns, which details 13 combat deployments of Ranger NCO Nicholas Moore. You should definitely buy the book if you want a proper historical perspective of the mission and of how combat changed for the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan and Iraq over more than a decade. https://www.mirbahmanyar.com/run-sound-guns and you can buy the book here so you don’t have to use Amazon - https://bookshop.org/books/run-to-the-sound-of-the-guns-the-true-story-of-an-american-ranger-at-war-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/9781472827098

But especially, you should buy and read this book to put those stupid conspiracy thugs and their theories to bed.

This is the true story of that mission and here are the first few pages of the TRUTH…

On Navy SEALs - Operation Just Cause 1989

In case someone thinks I hate everything Navy SEALs - I do not. Here is a classic frogman story of the destruction of Manuel Noriega’s yacht during Operation Just Cause from our book SEALs: The US Navy’s Elite Fighting Force, co-authored with Chris Osman, a former Marine and SEAL from ST3. Published by Osprey Publishing in 2008 - right during the fucking economic meltdown - thanks Wall Street! It was the first book, I think, on SEAL Teams at war during the Global War on Terrorism and also some chapters covering the 80s. It is a great book about the guys and Chris Osman did an amazing job making this happen - without him this book would not have existed. It is about the teams, not the individuals unlike so many of the SEAL books out there. When I knew Chris he was a stand-up guy and I think he still is but we parted ways over Chris Kyle (American Sniper) and also Brandon Webb (Red Circle) - but those are other stories. Here is the US cover and the Japanese version below - excellent - followed by the great frogmen mission! You can still buy the book https://ospreypublishing.com/seals

I am not condoning wars but I have written about individuals at war.

Those guys are wearing masks - take a hint people… Masks save lives.

Cool

On Writing on the battle of Zama - the most decisive battle of the Second Punic War and why losing sucks

The battle of Zama, fought in North Africa around 202 BC, was the defining battle of the Second Punic War (218-201 BC) – it ended the war leaving Carthage defeated and destitute because of egregious Roman war reparation. Hannibal and his mostly inexperienced and undertrained army was defeated by a well-drilled Roman army under Scipio, along with large numbers of local Numidian horsemen seeking independence from Carthage, who proved crucial toward the end of the battle. I suggested that the Numidians may very well have been the reason Rome won the battle. But the battle was a close-run thing and could have been won by Hannibal were it not for the timely arrival of the Roman allied Numidian horsemen in the back of Hannibal’s last and most experienced veteran line. The Romans nearly broke again to the genius of the great Carthaginian. But alas not this time. The Roman war machine marched on for centuries… 

I had stopped writing books around 2008 or 2009 and focused on scripts… there were some mild successes but nothing that garnered a sale or an agent – no surprise there. My wife in the meanwhile started her career and excelled at it, allowing me the luxury to return to non-fiction writing. 

Around 2015, I approached Marcus Cowper who had returned to Osprey Publishing and he approved a Campaign Series book on Zama – that was my first book after about six to seven years. Nikolai Bogdanovic was my editor and it was a happy reunion – at least for me – ha! Marcus also picked the magnificent artist Peter Dennis to illustrate the book with three amazing color plates spread throughout https://peterspaperboys.com/pages/about . Zama became a 96-page monograph with about 40K words of original work and rewrites – Nikolai did a fine job and it ended with around 31-33K words for the final text.

The great little book I wrote in 2016 COpyright: Osprey Publishing

Additionally, I had to secure image rights and present Peter Dennis all the art references – although he really did not need them since he is a world class military artist - but importantly, I had to articulate what I wanted the paintings to show. I was so happy with Peter’s work that I asked my wife to buy all three originals which now adorn my small office. They are great. I stare at them daily, imaging, perhaps even reliving, the great tragedy unfolding in those lovely three prints. The fear, the sweat, toil, blood and horror of ancient butchery – man-on-man… the killing and maiming of elephants and horses… terrible to ponder really.

I am including the image of the opening sequence of the battle, the Carthaginian far right looking at the far left Roman line, in which young and untrained Carthaginian elephants (one of the greatest cruelties inflicted by man on animal) are turned back onto their own lines. Significantly, it shows the Roman lines forming tunnels, instead of checkerboard pattern always associated with Republican Legions, to make the elephants run through a gauntlet of Roman troops intend on killing them, thereby negating a possible collision with the small-sized elephants. 

Additionally, I had to secure image rights and present Peter Dennis all the art references – although he really did not need them since he is a world class military artist - but importantly, I had to articulate what I wanted the paintings to show. I was so happy with Peter’s work that I asked my wife to buy all three originals which now adorn my small office. They are great. I stare at them daily, imaging, perhaps even reliving, the great tragedy unfolding in those three prints. The fear, the sweat, toil, blood and horror of ancient butchery – man-on-man… the killing and maiming of elephants and horses… terrible to ponder really.

I am including the image of the opening sequence of the battle, the Carthaginian far right looking at the far left Roman line, in which young and untrained Carthaginian elephants (one of the greatest cruelties inflicted by man on animal) are turned back onto their own lines. Significantly, it shows the Roman lines forming tunnels, instead of checkerboard pattern always associated with Republican Legions, to force the elephants through a gauntlet of Roman light troops intend on killing them, thereby negating collisions with the small elephants. 

Opening of the battle. Copyright: Osprey Publishing Artist: Peter Dennis

The North African forest elephant was rather small actually but is often shown as one of those great Indian elephants carrying towers on their backs. Arguably the greatest (and saddest) scene ever in film is captured in Oliver Stone’s Alexander – an incredible, and coincidental simultaneous rearing of Alexander’s horse and the Indian King Porus’s elephant. I believe the Indian elephant used in the film was killed by a poacher a few years ago. Typical.

The image shows the four distinct Roman units – velites (light skirmishers) who usually initiate battle but are in this case retreating and reforming along the backs of the now front-rank line troops called hastati (meaning spearmen even though they use pila) as they harass, capture or kill the elephants through the tunnels.  Behind the hastati are more seasoned troops named principes, and the final line is composed of veteran and heavily armored troops, the triarii, armed with long, classical spears instead of pila. These four types composed the manipular legion. A maniple is a tactical unit. Each legion was, on paper, composed of 1,200 men each except for the last line of veterans who were half that size. Roman cavalry was virtually non-existent, about 300 per legion, hence the crucial need to ally with the greatest horsemen of their time the Numidian light cavalry. Peter Dennis captures the moment when the Roman and allied cavalry will exploit the elephants turning into their own cavalry and foot. We see just the beginning of it. Despite this early set back the Romans were almost annihilated by Hannibal’s three lines facing Scipio’s army. 

Another point of note is that in my opinion and as depicted here - and there is no proof of how the maniples actually deployed forward into battle other than the checkerboard pattern before battle ensued, called the triple acies – the Romans are deploying forward and outward from a maniple formation to fill in the gaps between each maniple in a fan-like manner. Kind of like from a fist (the maniple) to a spread-out hand with the front growing in width with each maniple covering half of the gap between the standard deployment of the maniples. 

There were three great wars. Ultimately Rome prevailed and ‘canceled’ out the great culture and civilization of Carthage. Something like 50,000 survivors out of maybe 250,000-300,000 were sold into slavery, the rest killed and the city of Carthage was laid to waste – a Roman city was built in its stead.

Overall, I think Zama turned out to be a great little book on the decisive battle of the Second Punic War. Buy the book it is a very good primer on the conflict and provides a detailed account of the armies and battle - and no I do not make royalties from it - work-for-hire. So it is not a shameless plug – this time. https://ospreypublishing.com/zama-202-bc

Algerian artist Hocine Ziani’s magnificent painting of a Numidian cavalryman captures the essence of the ancient North African horsemen. I originally believed this to have been a representation of Hannibal but Hocine clarified that it was indeed a Numidian horseman. For more wonderful art see his website https://www.ziani.eu/en-gb/galerie Copyright: Hocine Ziani

On Writing - or I how fell into it

This is a blog by an author so I should have something about writing. I never considered writing as a career - I was too obsessed with Hollywood and oddly that is how I got my start as a professional writer. Amateurs are people who write for free - I have been there and will never do it again unless it is something I want to do.

Around 2000 or 2001 I worked on the film Black Hawk Down researching all things Ranger. I called and emailed veterans and tried my best to keep them all in the loop - although some guys were ungrateful dicks - the me-syndrome does hit Rangers just to a far smaller degree than most. In any event, a lot of them were very helpful and I assembled a ton of pictures for production - by the way for free! Eventually a 3rd Battboy (a Ranger from the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment) Mogadishu vet joined production and we worked together for a short while. I also hooked the official military tech advisor up with a prop house (uniforms, gear, weapons) - again for no money though usually some form of kickback does happen. I was too much of a team player and not motivated by money - WTF?

I was paid for maybe one or two weeks? eventually but was not taken to Morocco for filming - I found out later because the tech advisor’s wife thought I would badger the producer and director with my own projects - I was trying to become a producer back then. As if I would have been that unprofessional. I was highly annoyed, well pissed actually, but nothing I could do about it.

But I had a ton of pics, was habitually broke, and cold-emailed Osprey Publishing. Marcus Cowper commissioned me for an article on the relief effort of the Rangers. A 10th Mountain Division medic had provided a lot of photos and information. The article was never published as the magazine folded. But I had an in and wrote several smaller monographs for Osprey. But my focus remained on Hollywood. I wrote Shadow Warriors a history of American Rangers around 2003/4. Way too big a book as a first effort but overall it is solid. To date my best seller.

I produced an independent film called Soldier of God in 2005 which I did some rewrites on because of financial constraints. The DVD market tanked that year and next - of course, why wouldn’t it? Eventually, I decided that most people struggling in Hollywood suck, and the successful ones live in a bubble (I too wish I could live in that bubble) and it was time to pursue proper writing while still hanging on for that hopeful Hollywood career. SEALs came out, co-written with SEAL Chris Osman, and was one of the first books on modern SEAL combat in Afghanistan and Iraq but we got hammered by the 2008 economic collapse. The book did well enough but not well enough - if you know what I mean. I also ghost-wrote scripts and received reasonably decent pay for them and even revived a relationship for the original writer with the studio who had commissioned it. Great to make some money but that was never going to help me succeed in a tough nepotistic industry. I wrote another book, Vanquished, but I had an unhappy experience with a new editor (other authors also complained but were equally ignored) and I shifted my focus to screenwriting again for a number of years. I also co-wrote a few things with a few different people- not always a good thing to do - and came very close to proper agency representation and a sale but alas, not. My co-author couldn’t handle the rejections and flaked.

My common-law wife on the other hand began a very successful career as a TV writer in Canada and I returned to book writing in 2015/16 with a small book on the ancient battle of Zama during the Second Punic War fought in North Africa. It was important to start with something smallish - I think I wrote 40K words including rewrites and sections that were cut. Again Marcus Cowper had commissioned me and Nikolai Bogdanovic was my editor - I really enjoyed the experience and am very happy with the monograph. But it was a work for hire - so no royalties!

Subsequently I co-authored Run to the Sound of the Guns with Nicholas Moore about his Ranger combat experience in Afghanistan and Iraq but the Pentagon’s clearance section took eight months instead of 8-10 weeks promised. The book got bumped twice before getting published in 2018. I am proud of the book in that it captures the voice of Nick very well. It also got some spiffy review from Rangers. Yes Marcus Cowper commissioned it.

The book also landed me agent Alec Shane at Writers House who negotiated the offer. I love Alec and can speak to him unfiltered! This is crucial.

I have some proposals out there, am working way too slowly on another non-commissioned book, and am tinkering with some other proposals as well as a comic book. I don’t make a living writing - my wife enables me… she also paid for my MA at King’s College London. She must like me.

Hollywood… that harsh mistress - well I have a pilot out there co-written with director W.D. Hogan based on a comic by Jim Starlin - people love it we are told, and CAA was looking for showrunners but crickets…

Half? my book collection. Once I owned 7 book stores and newsstands. That’s another story.

My script outline for a TV pilot. WTF? But it works for me.