Rambo 3

Rambo: First Blood #3

by David Morrell, Petr Kettner (Translator), Zdeněk Kettner (Translator)

John Rambo thought he had finally found some measure of peace. No more war. When asked by his former commander, Colonel Trautman, to accompany him on a top-secret mission into Soviet occupied Afghanistan, Rambo refuses. But when he learns that Trautman is captured by the Soviets and is being held prisoner in a hellish medieval prison Rambo once again picks up his guns and goes on a desperate one-man rescue mission. This time Rambo won't be fighting for himself or a government. This time Rambo is fighting for a friend and freedom. John Rambo is coming to Afghanistan and Hell is coming with him!

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Action, War, Military Fiction, Adventure, Audiobook

244 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1988

About the author

David Morrell is a Canadian novelist from Kitchener, Ontario, who has been living in the United States for a number of years. He is best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become a successful film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. More recently, he has been writing the Captain America comic books limited-series The Chosen.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great audiobook. I think the novel adds great detail about Rambo as a character that makes him a very likable hero. I never thought I'll be a Rambo fan after all these years, who knew?

Okay, the movie (which I haven't seen) came out weeks after this novel but "behind the scenes" in the introduction of this audiobook provides a glimpse of how David Morrell repeatedly starts over as often as the movie script changes. Quite fascinating how novelization works from screenplay to novel.

First Blood III takes place in Afghanistan. Rambo is already "retired" when his old commander Trautman asks him to accompany him on a trip, but he declined. Trautman was captured by the Soviets. Rambo attempts to rescue Trautman with the help of local Afghans.

So the story isn't all that original but it's entertaining! Narrated by: Eric G. Dove ~ 6hr 🎧💓

[Thrillers R Us · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hailed as too late to be relevant for the (ending almost 10 year) Russia Afghanistan invasion debacle in 1988, RAMBO III is an important novel after nigh on 20 years of war-footing in Afghanistan following the horrific 9/11 attack on US soil. Afghanistan is a land in which centuries overlap and in which then and now are meaningless distinctions. RAMBO III continues the saga of Vietnam War vet and former Green Beret John Rambo, this time plying his trade in the rugged terrain of Afghanistan, a veritable hotbed of Russian atrocities.

In Afghanistan there are 10 nationalities, eight different languages, 32 dialects. Thus, it appears that there's no such thing as Afghan language. The one unifying tongue that everyone must master, however, is war. And according to lore penned by David Morrell, there is none better who speaks this language than John Rambo. Steeped and contextualized with the four truths of Buddha, tenets of Islam, flavor of Afghanistan, and hardened by the realities of war, RAMBO III is a fascinating story of loss, loyalty, sacrifice and redemption. Differing greatly from what became the movie released in 1988, David Morrell crafted a novelization that holds its own and stands the test of time. As relevant today as 33 years ago, RAMBO III shines in tactics, strategy, and rich characters. Skipping this one would be your worst nightmare.


15th Read-through.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

While better than the film this is still a generic and forgettable action-adventure.

[Димитър Цолов · Rating 3 out of 5]

В едната ръка - лък, в другата - нож, в третата - гранатомет, в четвъртата - пушка. Що е то? Рамбо Три. Нищо няма да го спре, когато любимият му полковник Траутман е отвлечен от лоши руснаци в Афганистан. Имената на лошите руснаци също са брилянтно подбрани - полковник Зайцин и сержант, кхъ-кхъ, Куров... Епично четиво. Имаше и пиче за цвят, пристрастената към никотина докторка Мишел еди-си-кия, незнайно как озовала се в пещерен комплекс в Хиндукуш, за да лекува ранени афганистанци... Дейвид, надявам се, че си взел добър хонорар за тази романизирана версия на филма... Три звезди, не за друго, а щото това е най-ниската оценка в гуудрийдс скалата ми, инак некъде около минус нула, хахахаха :) Но се забавлявах на макс!!!

[Mikepottz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forging bronze in a foundry, living in a monastery, Rambo reflects of his past mistakes, his bad karma, the many killings, he needs peace. All the mediation couldn't hold the rage inside when finds out his ex superior officer Trautman, his father figure and only friend had been captured by the Russians while training freedom fighter in Afghanistan. Trautman captured, knocked unconscious, boots in the teeth, his balls kicked up to his mouth, blood dripping. Rambo will go on a suicide secret mission to find his friend. Rambo will fire a grenade launcher into an attack helicopter. The stench of cordite stinging the nostrils, twisted rotorblades, metal sprayed through the air. He will put arrows through foreheads, destroy tanks, vehicles, blow shit up in a fort and rescue his friend the only way Rambo can.

[Paulrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow- Rambo is back again in yet another movie tie-in. This time he is working in a small fishing village in China where again he is asked by Troutman to help the valiant people of Afghanistan get rid of the lousy Russians. The movie was big US propagansa, because at the time we were enemies with the Commies. In this book, Rambo is fighting along side the Mujahadeen and helping them apply Al qeda ish techniques to rid the the small town of the remaining enemy forces.

[Lloyd Kerns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the movies, book three was a weaker endeavor. However, it was better than the movie and had its moments. The first few pages are likely to bore many but as someone who has spent a decade in Buddhist countries, I rather enjoyed them. I also imagined Morrell had fun researching Buddhism for book II and then the Muslim faith for book III and showing Rambo's growth and understanding of each. 4 stars for crisp writing and a deeper dive into this world famous character.

[itchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

eponymous-ey sentence:
p19: As he meditated upon the first of the Four Truths of Buddha, Rambo gripped the polished bamboo surface of the magnificent ancient bow.

spelling:
p143: Ramnbo nodded.

p201: "...'When Johnnie comes martching...'"

p111: "Michelle Pillar."
p215: "I won't desert a patient!" Michaelle's eyes were as blue as steel, her voice as sharp as Rambo's knife.

I didn't realize that was how novelizations were made until this book. Also why they won't work nowadays.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pure Hollywood, this is a novelization allowed only by changing the end of a true classic, First Blood. The character was then changed completely to sell a couple of action movies. Lots of action & gore, but even worse than #2. I hope Morrell made a lot of money out of it & didn't get screwed like Puzo did on the Godfather sequels.

I reviewed First Blood here. It is a standalone classic, IMO.

[TheGeeksAttic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I talk about this novelization over on Paper Movies: A Novelization Book Club - https://www.youtube.com/live/Psqd9hy-...

[Mike Prewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good and this was the last novelizaton. The story was all about camaraderie and fighting for your friends.

[Sean Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow, the same story that serves as the basis for the most thinly plotted of all the Rambo movies makes for arguably the most richly epic of David Morrell's trilogy of Rambo novels. This might even be, across three books and four films (since the fifth, Rambo: Last Blood, is yet to be released), my favorite Rambo adventure.

Having brought the Vietnam War back to America in First Blood, only to have been sent by America back to Vietnam in Rambo: First Blood, Part II, Rambo III wisely sidelines the Vietnam parallels here (there probably wasn't much blood left to squeeze from that analogy) for a geopolitical adventure set amidst the Soviet–Afghan War, with John Rambo finding himself called out of exile to rescue his former mentor, Col. Sam Trautman, from behind enemy lines. Along the way, he befriends mujahideen rebels who become as integral to his fight as he becomes to theirs, the band of them braving sandstorms and avalanches and Soviet gunships to rescue both Trautman and a group of Afghan children trapped in the heart of the warzone. This story had the potential to take the franchise in a new, sustainable direction, reframing John Rambo as a geopolitical warrior -- a battlefield counterpart, if you like, to James Bond.

In addition to its thrilling narrative, this book improves upon one of the weaknesses of the Rambo: First Blood, Part II novelization in that the prose reads less utilitarian, less rushed; despite working under intense deadline yet again, Morrell was able this time to evoke the more visceral writing style of First Blood. He puts you in the middle of the battle, and of course puts you right in Rambo's head, enriching the characterization beyond the jingoistic superhero seen in the movie.

Lastly, this signed limited edition of Rambo III from Borderlands Press/Gauntlet Press is packed with some truly worthy supplementals, including Morrell's firsthand background on the project, a previously unpublished chapter, a pair of fascinating archival essays from Daily Variety and Entertainment Weekly on the wildly troubled production of the Rambo III movie and eventual bankruptcy of Carolco Pictures, plus an overview of the knives created for Rambo III and IV, as well as a brief history -- and personal appraisal -- of Rambo IV.

If this is, as it appears to be, Morrell's last word on the iconic American character he created -- the last Rambo story penned by the man who conceived him -- then at least he went out guns blazin' (quite literally), on an epic and redemptive scale. Morrell's Rambo III truly earns the nickname the movie's production inspired: "Rambo of Arabia."

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good action novel. The basic plot is the same here as in the movie: Rambo ventures to Afghanistan to rescue Colonel Trautman, his mentor/father figure, who has been imprisoned by the Russians there. But that's about where the similarities between Morrell's book and the movie end. This was a much more well-rounded Rambo, and features lots of characters (and scenes) that didn't get a run on the silver screen. Very enjoyable!

[Alexander Engel-Hodgkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

Like his previous novelization for Rambo: First Blood, Part II, Morrell takes the screenplay for one of First Blood's enjoyable but inferior sequels and makes it the best it can be. In this case, he's changed quite a bit of it, so much so that the finished novelization barely resembles the final film.

In my opinion, also like his previous novelization, Morrell's novelization for Rambo III is the superior version of the story. It's surprisingly lacking in continuous violence that the film had a huge abundance of (not to say isn't brutal or violent, as it still is), depth is applied to virtually everything, and the Soviets are still caricatures--but smarter ones.

I would recommend anyone who enjoyed the sequels or even didn't enjoy them to give the novelizations of II and III a shot, as both make the stories much more dramatic, with a lot less idiotic humour and a more in-depth portrayal of Rambo himself, and his bond with Trautman. There are many positive aspects in both that the film versions fail to deliver. While these are still pulpy, silly action yarns, they are at least done with actual skill and passion for the source material. It was a very smart move to hire Morrell to write the novelizations for these movies, as who else would understand the characters better than the one who created them to begin with?

Good stuff.

[Trevor McGuire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A substantial improvement over the second book (first novelization). Approximately half of the material in the book is augmented significantly from the book. Some highlights include a dramatic humanization of Rambo; he is helped extensively, he is urged to receive medical care, to eat, and to drink, and he does all these things.

[Victor Orozco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. Not as great as the last adaptation but I really enjoy Morrell's writing. I didn't like the ending was different from the movie, but maybe this was Morrell's working on the initial script. B

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rambo is back when he learns that his old sergeant, Trautman is captured by the Soviets. Rambo is the one man whocan help as he grabs his guns and heads on a one man rescue mission.

[Артюхин Алексей · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book about Rambo became a novelization of the recently released triquel about the famous and much revered John Rambo. What is in the film, what is in the book, classic techniques are used to hold the viewer's/ reader's attention with an increasing amount of what was in previous works: shootings, murders, fights and the like.
However, the book describes Rambo's thoughts very interestingly, his commitment to the Buddhist worldview, the search for himself and a peaceful life. All this, however, collapses abruptly when John again engages in battle with the enemies. His motives are shown well — he wants to save his comrade-in-arms and mentor, but at the same time he is fighting with himself, with his now well-established beliefs. But the war does not let Rambo go in any way, and the author makes it clear between the lines that this is the fate of the main character, and he cannot escape from it anywhere.
The work smells quite strongly of "cranberries". In my opinion, there is clearly an order for the work here. It was necessary to show the terrible Russians in Afghanistan and practically the messiah Rambo, who was called upon to defeat everyone and everything only on his own. I was especially amused by how John alone dealt with entire special forces units. Well... an artwork is an artwork.
It feels like the writer shows the opposing sides in different ways. And for that, I don't like this piece very much. Afghans everywhere suffer from the brutality of Russian murderers, who here are like animals ready to rape women, kill old people, crush everyone with tanks. There is no mention of how the Americans supplied stingers to the rebels, supported them, and trained them. Such were the realities of the Cold War. Since you're showing this, it's worth highlighting the events from all sides.
Morrell writes quite interestingly, successfully weaving flashbacks and references to previous works into the narrative. This makes the book seem more saturated, and the story avoids some kind of raggedness. Rambo is presented skillfully and looks like a man, not just a fighter, who mows down everyone and everything right and left. The author is well done. It conveys the character's character, his feelings and motivation well.
The third part about Rambo's adventures has become the weakest for me personally. In my opinion, this order is felt. A rather one-sided world of good and bad, where John acts as a savior. Yes, he saves, yes, he fights, yes, the author describes his experiences well, but perhaps I am too biased a reader, so for me the work turned out to be not the most interesting from the point of view of political truth.
4 out of 10

[Paperbackbooks86 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read the same reviews over and over for this book, “It’s nothing like the movie, and the book is much better than the movie!”

I would say these reviews are half right. The book and the movie have similar plot lines, and some scenes from the movie do happen in the book. This is the third and final book in the rambo trilogy, and to be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to reading this one.

I think the third movie is the weakest of the whole franchise, so going into the novel, felt like it would be a chore. But this is where I was wrong! The early part of the book gives a great backstory to Rambo after the events of Rambo 2, and how he ended up with the monks.

You see his struggle with PTSD and his inner monologue. Before I knew it I was halfway through the novel! In the movie, there was a child who helped Rambo along the way, and in my opinion, was one of the main reasons I disliked the third movie.

However; the novel does away with the child and puts a great twist on the story! I won’t spoil what happens but the movie should have followed this path.

With that being said, the ending is where the book starts to take a dive. It really starts to drag on at the end. It goes from a HUGE action scene to a large section of just dragging.

The ending is very bleh, and left me feeling that the Novel should have taken the movies path. Had the book ended similar to the movie, I would have easily gave this 4 maybe even 5 stars. It’s a shame because is book was on path to being my favorite.

Finally, I’m not sure if the author intended to be “preachy” no pun intended about Muslim religion, but it really gets a lot of focus in the Novel. I understand why it was included, but at times it felt a bit much. And before anyone says, “well it’s because it’s Muslim religion” I would have had a problem with any religion being discussed this much for this type of novel.

Unfortunately, Rambo 3 falls to being the weakest of the trilogy, but still a very fun read. If you read the first two, definitely read the third!

[Cosovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trzecia i równie świetna część, nie ma co porównywać filmów do książek, ponieważ nie mają filny tutaj bez podjazdu. John to bardzo inteligentny komandos, który ma nerwy i ciało ze stali, wytrzymuje najgorsze warunki siła woli i człowiek czytając to lub słuchając jest w stanie uwierzyć w takiego ducha walki... Nic, tylko przeczytać / przesłuchać! Jedyne co dla mnie w tym tytule jest minusem to takie szybkie zakończenie, tym bardziej, że nie ma już kolejnych części i nie wiemy co się wydarzyło dalej... Autor zawsze w kolejnej opisywał po krotce co się działo dalej (po danej części) na wstępie, ale może była w planach IV... Chętnie bym i ja przeczytał /przesłuchał! Niesamowite jak mnie te książki wciągnęły, że z dnia na dzień wszystkie części pochłonąłem!

[Freddie the Know-it-all · Rating 1 out of 5]

Allahu Akbar

Amazing. Rambo goes Muslim and even the Russians go Muslim. The Religion of Peace was very, very popular in 1988. The Stone-age Islamists are set up as the Greatest Fucking Guys who ever walked the earth.

Natch, there's some gung-ho Woman in it who almost never goes shopping. All Diversity Lessons have to make it look like bizarre outliers are ackchyually the norm.

I shouldn't have really read it during Gay Month though: because the only thing in it that's Gay is Rambo's bow-and-arrow.

This thing can barely be called a book. It's like watching The Office -- the only difference is that this has funny parts.

I'd put Morrell's IQ at about 40.

You Diversity Hounds will love it.

[Joshua Welch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely a step down from the first two, a huge shift in character personalities from the previous stories really made this one a bit too disconnected and dull. Rambo is trying to live a peaceful life and that’s fine but it just doesn’t jive with everything we’ve learned about him so far. He’s off grid living in Bangkok until the need for violence lures him back into a fighting ring. Trautman has been keeping an eye on him just in case and finally needs his help, but is denied!

Trautman comes across much weaker than we’ve grown to expect. Rambo has to overcome his new nonviolent ways. And the slow build of the story quickly ends in a blaze of glory. Long live Rambo I guess.

[Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I read this book (or more likely just skip around reading my favorite parts) it makes me all the more disheartened that the movie version turned out the way it did. Like we were so close! It could’ve been good! Nothing great or anything, certainly not as good as First Blood, but it would’ve been so much better than what we got. It’s more of a 3.5 than a 4 but I’ll round up in this case.

Also every time someone sees Rambo for the first time they’re always like “wow…he’s so muscular…so powerful…look at his long hair flowing in the wind and his bulging arms…” and it really cracks me up.

[kesseljunkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this had been the movie, it would have been one of the greatest action movies ever made. Instead we got what we got, but at least we have this. Page turner, one of the briskest and most satisfying leisure reads of recent memory. Couldn’t put it down.

And frankly, sadly ironic in how Morrell understood the Afghan society better than both the Russians of the 1980s and the Americans of the 2000s.

[Andrew Shapter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite different to the movie, (probably adapted from an early script draft that would prove to be unfilmable) and of course doesn't work as well.
Dialogue is often clunky, and pure exposition.
Might have worked well as a graphic novel, however.
Still, it stays on my shelf as a valued member of my well-worn action paperback collection..

[vlado stojcevski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Afghanistan has suffered enough throughout history

Quickly finished reading Rambo 3 - this time Rambo goes to the mountains into Afghanistan to rescue colonel Trautman who has been kidnapped and held hostage and tortured inside an old fort during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in the 1990's

[Tami Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Morrell Does It Again!

David adds more to the characters and makes the movie deeper. Watch the movie, read the book, and then rewatch the movie! It is like seeing a different and better movie!!!

[Gangleri]

It was my first book, read it when I was in primary school. It starts with a scene of Rambo mediating on the four noble truths of Buddha, by shooting a bow. What can I say, literature does not get any better than this.

[James McHenry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this is based on the movie screenplay, but for some reason enjoyed this much more than the movie. Never pictured Sylvester Stallone as the
Rambo character. Unbelievable since I've seen it several times. Definitely a tribute to Morrell.
Well done!

[Scott Delgado · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it has more depth than the film, I think Rambo II surpassed its movie counterpart more than this one did. Still a fine book and better than the movie. It's nice seeing the character of Rambo get fleshed out more.