Saving Private Ryan. Poster of the 1998 movie and cover of the book novelization
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Saving Private Ryan
Max Allan Collins, 1998
movie vs book   [NOVELIZATION]
Steven Spielberg, 1998

On the morning of June 6, 1944, American soldiers land at Omaha Beach as part of the Normandy invasion. Captain John H. Miller of the 2nd Ranger Battalion leads a breakout from the beach. Three days after D-Day, Miller receives orders to go behind enemy lines to retrieve James Francis Ryan, from the 101st Airborne Division, whose brothers have been killed in action.


Black Hawk Down. Poster of the 2001 movie and cover of the 1999 book, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War
VS3
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War
Mark Bowden, 1999
movie vs book
Ridley Scott, 2001

Following the ousting of the central government in 1993 amid the civil war in Somalia, the United Nations Security Council authorizes a military operation with a peacekeeping mandate. Outside Mogadishu, Rangers and Delta Force capture Osman Ali Atto, a faction leader selling arms to Aidid’s militia.


Shooter. Poster of the 2016 TV series and cover of the 1993 book, Point of Impact
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Point of Impact
Stephen Hunter, 1993
TV series vs book
John Hlavin, 2016-2018

Bob Lee Swagger, a highly-decorated veteran is coaxed back into action to prevent a plot to kill the President. When Swagger’s former commanding officer Isaac Johnson solicits his expertise in a clandestine operation, Swagger discovers that he has been framed and must do everything in his power to protect his family and clear his name.


Natural Born Killers. Poster of the 1994 movie and cover of the book novelization
VS3
Natural Born Killers
Leslie Stout, 1994
movie vs book   [NOVELIZATION]
Oliver Stone, 1994

Mickey Knox and his wife Mallory stop at a diner in the New Mexico desert. The couple camp in the desert, and Mallory reminisces about how she met Mickey, a meat deliveryman who serviced her family’s household. Following the Knoxes murder spree is a self-serving tabloid journalist, Wayne Gale, who profiles them on his show, American Maniacs, soon elevating them to cult hero status.


Born on the Fourth of July. Poster of the 1989 movie and cover of the 1976 book
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Born on the Fourth of July
Ron Kovic, 1976
movie vs book
Oliver Stone, 1989

In October 1967, Ron Kovic is a Marine sergeant on a reconnaissance mission in Vietnam, during his second tour of duty. In January 1968, Ron is critically wounded during a firefight, but is rescued by a fellow Marine. Against his doctors’ requests, Ron desperately tries to walk again with the use of braces and crutches, only to damage his legs and confine himself permanently to a wheelchair.


Red. Poster of the 2008 movie and cover of the 1996 book
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Red
Jack Ketchum, 1996
movie vs book
Trygve Allister Diesen, Lucky McKee, 2008

Avery, an elderly and solitary man, shares a special bond with his faithful dog, Red. After three teenagers brutally kill Red for no apparent reason, Avery seeks justice and closure by initially attempting to follow legal procedures. However, when the legal system proves to be ineffective and the father of the perpetrators asserts his own moral code, Avery is forced to resort to any means necessary to achieve his objectives.


Bringing Out the Dead. Poster of the 1999 movie and cover of the 1998 book
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Bringing Out the Dead
Joe Connelly, 1998
movie vs book
Martin Scorsese, 1999

In Manhattan during the early 1990s, Frank Pierce is a burned-out hospital paramedic who works the graveyard shift in a two-man ambulance team with various partners. Frank discovers Mary was childhood friends with Noel, a brain-damaged drug addict and delinquent who is frequently sent to the hospital.


Devil in a Blue Dress. Poster of the 1995 movie and cover of the 1990 book
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Devil in a Blue Dress
Walter Mosley, 1990
movie vs book
Carl Franklin, 1995

In late 1940s Los Angeles, Easy Rawlins is an unemployed black World War II veteran with few job prospects. At a bar, Easy meets DeWitt Albright, a mysterious white man looking for someone to investigate the disappearance of a missing white woman named Daphne Monet, who he suspects is hiding out in one of the city’s black jazz clubs. Strapped for money and facing house payments, Easy takes the job, but soon finds himself in over his head.


A Chance in the World. Poster of the 2017 movie and cover of the 2012 book
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A Chance in the World
Steve Pemberton, 2012
movie vs book
Mark Vadik, 2017

The true-life tale of Steve, a boy left wounded and shattered, unfolds as he endures mental and physical torment from his foster mother. Driven by the desire for connection and healing, he embarks on a search for his biological parents.


Big Trouble. Poster of the 2002 movie and cover of the 1999 book
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Big Trouble
Dave Barry, 1999
movie vs book
Barry Sonnenfeld, 2002

In Miami, the paths of various individuals intertwine, including ad agents, gunrunners, street thugs, law enforcement officials, and schoolchildren, leading to both comical and perilous outcomes.


Pearl Harbor. Poster of the 2001 movie and cover of the book novelization
VS3
Pearl Harbor
Randall Wallace, 2001
movie vs book   [NOVELIZATION]
Michael Bay, 2001

The lifelong friendship between Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is put to the ultimate test when the two ace fighter pilots become entangled in a love triangle with beautiful Naval nurse Evelyn Johnson. But the rivalry between the friends-turned-foes is immediately put on hold when they find themselves at the center of Japan’s devastating attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.


The Relic. Poster of the 1997 movie and cover of the 1995 book, Relic
VS3
Relic
Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, 1995
movie vs book
Peter Hyams, 1997

When a lizard-like god from South America embarks on a carnivorous rampage at the Chicago Natural History Museum, the responsibility falls on homicide detective Vincent and biologist Margo to hunt down the creature before the museum’s grand opening gala.