From New York Times bestselling author, David Morrell, comes a classic thriller that introduced the character of Rambo, one of the most iconic action heroes of the twentieth century. Called “the father of the modern action novel,” FIRST BLOOD changed the genre. Although the book and the film adaptation have similarities, they are very different, especially its unexpected ending and its greater … unexpected ending and its greater intensity.If you’ve only experienced the film, you’re in for a surprise.
Once they were soldiers. Rambo, the ragged kid whose presence in town is considered a threat. And Teasle, the Chief of Police of Madison, Kentucky. Both have been trained to kill: Rambo in Vietnam, Teasle in Korea. They learned different military tactics, different ways of death and survival in two different wars.
Now, without warning, they are enemies in a civilian combat that becomes a chase through the woods and mountains and caves above the town. As we follow them, we understand that once a man has been trained as a killer, perhaps he is changed forever.
Award-winning FIRST BLOOD was published in 1972, was translated into 26 languages, and has never been out of print. It was one of the first novels to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder.
David’s novelizations for RAMBO (FIRST BLOOD PART II) and RAMBO III are available as e-books. They’re quite different from the films and include revealing introductions. See also David’s RAMBO AND ME: THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY.
Critical reactions:
“A fine novel. . . . When Johnny comes marching home this time, watch out.”
—The New York Times Sunday Book Review
“A first-rate thriller.”
—Newsweek
“One of the finest chase novels you will ever read.”
—Minneapolis Tribune
“A terrific thriller.”
—Saturday Review
“One hell of a hard, fast novel.”
—John D. MacDonald
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A different story, theme and ending than the movie. In fact, the two might be considered diametrically opposed once you absorb the messages. It is perhaps ironic that a novel that covers the effect of war on the psyche turns into the buzz word for militarism. As a Special Forces veteran I found the treatment of SF interesting. We are not all who we appear to be.
I’ll admit that I was never a big fan of the Sylvester Stallone film, First Blood. It wasn’t bad, but, in the eighties, it wasn’t really a favorite. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet David Morrell at ThrillerFest. For those who are not aware, Morrell wrote the novel First Blood in 1972. It went on to be a bestseller, and Morrell has often been credited as the inventor of the action thriller. I decided to take the plunge and read First Blood.
First Blood tells the tale of John Rambo, a long haired wanderer in a military fatigue coat who wanders into a small Kentucky town looking for a simple meal. A run-in with the local police chief, who has his own prejudices, escalates into a rural war between Rambo and the town entire police force, Kentucky’s State Police, and the National Guard. No one knows how far Rambo will go in a life-and-death struggle in the hills, woods, and caves of rural Kentucky.
First, let me say that I was not at all disappointed. Unlike the film, there is a much richer history with the two main characters, John Rambo and Police Chief Wilfred Teasle. Morrell wrote the book in such a way that it is difficult to truly see who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. Rambo and Teasle are both portrayed is such a light that you find yourself being sympathetic to both throughout the story.
First Blood is fast-paced, so much so that once the action starts (about twenty or so pages in), it doesn’t stop until the end. It quickly becomes difficult to put the book down. No matter which character you are rooting for through the book, the tragic ending (which is very different from the movie) leaves you with mixed feelings, making you question your own judgment.
This book is a classic thriller in its most basic terms. I couldn’t put the book down because I feared I would miss something. It was engrossing, entertaining, and thought-provoking. If you have seen the movie, you will be shocked at the differences. The motivations and brutality of both Rambo and Teasle were never captured in the film. The book was well worth the two days it took to read. First Blood is a must read.
A perfectly unrelenting gritty pulp classic. It’s as brutal as it is humane. Morrell takes the time to give us insights into the characters while maintaining a breakneck propulsive energy. He creates an immersive experience. You smell the woods, the rain, and the blood. I celebrate every moment.
David Morrell’s action thriller, First Blood, is considered the grand daddy of the modern action thriller. Better known as the first Rambo story, First Blood is the story of a homeless Vietnam vet who, pushed to the brink by harassment from southern small town cops, erupts into a murderous rampage.
I never cared much for the Rambo movie starring Sylvester Stallone. But having served in the American south at the end of the Vietnam War, I was well acquainted with the harassment service members endured at the hands of southern cops and other rednecks (I remember signs warning: “Sailors and dogs, keep off the grass”), and since I am a great fan of Morrell’s writing, I decided to try the book.
Though based on Morrell’s novel, Stallone’s movie is in no way the same story. Where the movie is a typical shoot-’em-up action flick, Morrell’s creation is a complex character study of two war heroes – Rambo of Vietnam and Sheriff Teasle of Korea – and the strength and flaws that drive each of them. Where the movie is a MacDonald’s burger and fries, the book a five course feast.
Morrell has written that his writing is greatly influenced by the fact he lost his father in WWII and that his step-father was abusive. You clearly see that influence in First Blood. Teasle lost his father at an early age, and Rambo’s father was abusive. Teasle’s marriage is breaking up over his desire to have children, particularly a boy. The imagery circulates through the book until, in the end, Teasle and Rambo are more estranged father and son then cop and fugitive.
This is a worthy book well deserving of its place in literature. But one warning: Do not read the author’s introduction explaining the history of the book until after you’ve read the book. The intro contains spoilers.
Brilliant!
Awesome action, with great characters
I read this novel an average of once a year, and consider it one of Morrell’s best. Unlike the popular movie adaptation, “First Blood” has no bad guys. It has no good guys. Only two opposing forces and a central conflict that easily could have been avoided if only either side had done the unthinkable and… *listened* to the other person.
Morrell makes a lot of intentional style choices here. The first and most noteworthy is that he frequently changes the story’s point of view: One section will be from Rambo’s perspective, the next from Teasle’s. Back and forth it goes, until the reader has a tough time deciding who to root for–a risky move in the world of fiction. Mr. Morrell makes good use of run-on sentences with occasional staccato sentence fragments, which serve to unbalance the narrative yet keep the action moving. In lesser hands, this novel could easily have been an embarrassment. In Morrell’s hands, it is nothing short of masterful.
That is not to say that “First Blood” is a perfect book, despite its craftsmanship–but it never set out to be, and what it intends to do it does extremely well. It’s a fast read, but one that lingers after finishing. Even if the subjects of the Vietnam War and terms like “hippie” have fallen to time, the underlying themes are just as relevant today as they were when Mr. Morrell finished his first draft.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys fast action, yet find some works to be overly descriptive–there’s very little fat to be trimmed here. I also shove it in the face of readers who find the movies embarrassing. This story, despite its years and association with mullets and muscles, still has a lot to say. It’s a message that is worth hearing.
It’s hard to review FIRST BLOOD without talking about the RAMBO movie franchise. But the book more than stands on its own – in terms of quality and depth, only the first (pre-RAMBO) movie gets anywhere close. This book is that rare gem: an all-out page-turning action novel that is also genuinely moving.
“His name was Rambo, and he was just some nothing kid for all anybody knew, standing by the pump of a gas station at the outskirts of Madison, Kentucky.”
This is one of my favorite first lines of all time. It is packed with foreboding, and screams in a whisper that something big and bad is about to happen.
This is an excellent book, and it is very different from the movie. It is not for the faint of heart; things get bloody quickly and it only gets worse. It is basically a study of two men, both war veterans, who become involved in a steadily escalating confrontation that erupts into appalling violence.
You’ll be torn between those two characters, and may switch sides more than once as the tale unfolds. A super read.