Johnny Rico

Who is Johnny Rico?

Johnny Rico, born Stephen Hites, is a U.S.-born freelance journalist currently living in the U.K. His works include two non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles. He graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with a master's degree in criminal justice in 2001 and worked as a probation officer before enlisting in the U. S. Army following the September 11th terrorist attacks. Rico served in the Army for 3 years, including a year in Afghanistan with the 25th Infantry Division.

Rico published his first book, Blood Makes the Grass Grow Green: A Year in the Desert with Team America, based on his experiences as a U.S. Army Infantryman deployed to Afghanistan from 2004-2005. Critically acclaimed, Publishers Weekly hailed this work as "a timeless story of confounded youth and its eternal struggle for meaning, this book may well signal the birth of a titanic new voice".

Rico's second non-fiction book Border Crosser was published on June 23, 2009 by Ballantine Books.

Johnny Rico has been asked to speak about his book, Blood Makes the Grass Grow Green: A Year in the Desert with Team America, on multiple occasions.