Rambo: Year One is an unofficial Rambo-prequel saga of multiple novels released for free thanks to character's creator David Morrell permission. They were written by an italian ghost writer under the pen name of Wallace Lee and received critical acclaim from VIPs of different countries (mostly US, UK, Italy) and were translated by fans in English, German and Spanish (coming soon) versions.
Accolades
Rambo: Year One received two literary awards and was critically and publically acclaimed as historically accurate (the GOLDEN BOOKS award), highly detailed, faithfull to the characters and very well written (Lindsay Johns, BBC's writer and broadcaster).
Also worth of mention isthe CALVINO literary award (the most important Italian-language literary award in its category) that while not awarding YEAR ONE, wrote a full lenght review declaring it a 'magnificient book' anyway.
On 27/12/2014, David Morrell authorized the freeshare of RAMBO YEAR ONE as an unofficial and non-profit book. David Morrell's authorization doesn't indicate any endorsement of the story. The first novel of the saga was then released in April 2015 and the second in May 2016.
Being written by an Italian professional ghost writer, RAMBO YEAR ONE offers a higher quality than the average freeshared fanfiction.
As per author's declarations, his saga covers all of the five years Rambo spent in the army, from his training in Fort Bragg to his last ill-fated mission, when Rambo and his team mates are captured, tortured and mostly killed.
Author says that in order to write his Rambo saga, he spent two years in reading everything he could find regarding special forces during the Vietnam war, from history books to military 'field manuals' of the sixties. He also interviewed and received Q&A help from real special forces veterans.
Also interesting, is that the book is largely based on the private and unpublished writinings of a real former POW green beret that spent years as a POW at the hands of the vietcongs.
Description
Rambo prequel novel - teaser 2 - RAMBO YEAR ONE
The prequel fanfiction first appeared as a blog on the website wordpress.com, divided in chapters. After that, the copyright owners used their right to forbid fanfiction even when completly free and shut the blog down.
Now, the only place where you can legally read Rambo Year One is on it's own official website.
Saga Synopsis
- VOLUME 1(released in April 2015) is called Rambo Year One and is set in 1967 in Fort Bragg. It tells the gruesome special forces selection program that created the Baker team, the ill-fated unit in which John Rambo fought for three years, trained and lead by colonel Samuel Trautman. Volume 1 is available in English, Italian and German languages
- VOLUME 2 (released in May 2016) is called Rambo Year One: Baker Team, and tells the year and an half training in Fort Bragg and the first team's mission in Vietnam. It's the first, ever made full-lenght work showing Rambo fighting in Vietnam.
- VOLUME 3 (coming in April 2017) is called Rambo Year One: Point Of No Return and tells the aftermath of the first mission, its consequences on Trautman's career, the first effects of war on the Baker Team and then the first, full lenght, over-the-border, clandestine operation of the Baker team, which is the longest full-action part of the whole saga so far.
Future
RAMBO YEAR ONE - episode 1 with rambo soundtrack
The author says that he will surely freesharing the next volumes of his Rambo-saga in Italian language, but translating all of them depends on the success of the English version of the first volume.
Regarding his work, asked by Rambo Wiki, he said:
"I always thought to the First Blood movie as the sequel of something that was never made. You have no idea about what Rambo did in Vietnam. The reason no one has ever written an official Rambo prequel is that an action hero does not 'fit' inside the most horrible war the US ever fought.
I wrote horror novels all of my life, and write action very well also.
No one has ever put together the two genres before, but I did, and it worked.
My YEAR ONE saga is the best thing I ever written in all of my life.
I wrote five short novels and if I will never get any publishing deal, I am fine. I will freeshare all of them, thanks to David Morrell authorization. I owe him so nuch words are not enough....
Links
- OFFICIAL WEBSITE
- FIRST TWO CHAPTERS REVIEW - by Mat Thomas Marchand
- INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR - by Mat Thomas Marchand
- INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR - at ACTIONELITE.COM
- INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR - (italian language) at CINEBLOG.IT
- REVIEW OF THE NOVEL - (italian language) at recensionelibro.it
- REVIEW OF THE NOVEL - by italian journalist Giuseppe Guarino
- REVIEW OF BAKER TEAM - the second novel of the saga, reviewed in worldwide preview by Giuseppe Guarino
Video
RAMBO UNVEILED - mini documentary, tribute trailer-0
Rambo prequel novel available right now
RAMBO YEAR ONE- BAKER TEAM - first teaser