Rating: 
Summary: A great read
Review: To read this, you must first clear your mind of the 'Rambo' movies. In the book, his name is just Rambo, no John. Just Rambo. Also, he's no Stallone-in the book, I estimate Rambo is 21-23. He has a long beard and long hair, scraggly-think Osama style. In the movie, he's going to find an old war buddy. In the book, Rambo has no friends, no job, and basically no life. Finally, win the movie, Rambo kills maybe three-five people. In the book, Rambo kills just about everybody. I think one of the greatest scenes is when the original cop search party splits up into two groups, one of three (with Teasle) and one of four. They go off in two directions, and Teasle's group hear in the distance five rifle shots-Rambo killing the other group.Speaking of Teasle, he's not the redneck he's made out to be in the movie. In here, he's an ex-Marine and a Korean War hero, just going through a divorce, and with a set of morals and standards he feels he needs to live up to. Colonel Trautman is different also, especially in the very end, which I thought was sorta sad. All in all, I think the worst part about the book was when Rambo was remembering his Special Forces training. The description was highly unorthodox, and sounds nothing like the Special Forces training that I've heard of, and that some of my family members went through during their time in the Army. Also, don't read the intro,, as it gives away the ending. Or rather, read the intro after you've finished reading the whole book. And then see the movies, and see how much they ... in comparison.
Rating:
Summary: Makes the movie look like a Disney film.
Review: You know this is going to be very different from the movie when the first paragraph describes Rambo as "a skinny kid with a long beard." If the movie of First Blood had been a faithful adaptation we'd possibly have a film masterpiece of action and the philosophy of violence in the style of Akira Kurosawa instead of the symbol of 1980's jingoism that Rambo has become a household name for. This is one mean book that seems to have been written while Morrell was on an adrenaline high. Morrell forsakes the usual conventions of thriller novels by abandoning the typical romantic interest and even clearly defined heros and villains and leaves us with a story that is simpler but much more riveting. We have two characters, Rambo and Teasle, neither particularly "good guys" but not really "bad guys" either. One is a fat conservitive on the side of law and order and the other is a poor, grungy fellow who just wants to be left to his own business. Both of these characters are too prideful to give an inch and the result of their pride is massive bloodshed, could this be a parable to the Vietnam war? Maybe, but more importantly its a rough, tough, superbly intense thriller that will keep you on the edge of the seat from start to finish. By all means check it out.
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