This is a more accurate depiction of the Battle of Thermopylae, the battle of Greek allied forces against the Persian Empire at Thermopylae.

What got me interested in this story was the movie 300 and while I did find its interpretation of the battle entertaining I still enjoy learning about what really went on.

I would only use this book in a junior high or high school classroom as it was a graphic at times. I would definitely recommend it to any students who may have seen 300 and enjoyed it and use it to aid in a unit teaching about Greek history and mythology. ( )

Never thought I would love historical fiction - especially one about WAR!, but, oh my! ( )

Parts of it were fascinating, parts of it were disgustingly graphic, I had some serious issues with the stylistic approach of the layered flashbacks, but the feel for historical detail was top notch. Also, the publisher should have rethought the format decision to set the narrative-framing flashforwards in italics; I found the lengthy chunks hard to read in that style. Surely it wouldn't have been difficult to set those passages in a legibly distinctive secondary font?

I'm glad I read this book, and I'm just as glad to send it away for someone else to read. ( )

Diennekes the platoon leader said that the opposite of fear is love. If it is, the Spartans truly loved their city and their ideals. It was absolutely unreal the lengths they went to in battle with the Persians. This was about 100 years before Alexander would ultimately crush the Persians. At this time, they were the dominant force on earth, with a territory from India to Asia Minor and Egypt. Because of the Greek city-state in fighting, the Greeks didn’t get their act together for quite a while and squandered valuable men, weapons, food and other resources in the years preceding their war with Persia. It took that threat to bring them together.

For the Persians, the idea of democracy (government by the people) was unheard of and unfathomable. Greek kings were down-to-earth types who literally led their men into battle. The citizens (all men of a certain birth) were active participants in government and war. The Persian king was a sacred personage and most people couldn’t even look directly at him, never mind him leading them into battle. He stayed far away from the battlefield, observing it from his covered dais.

This tale, like the tale of Alexander’s Persian boy, is told from a servant’s perspective. Xeo is so in awe of the Spartans that he somehow gets in with them and becomes the squire of Diennekes, a peer of Sparta. The role of the squire is to do everything for a warrior that will free up the warrior’s time for training and exercises. The squire accompanies the soldier into battle to bear weapons, repair gear, dress and fetch and otherwise support the soldier. They are not paid. Neither are the forced. It’s a strange position, part servant, part dog part soldier.

The unbelievable bravery and staunch conviction of the Spartan warriors is amazing. The descriptions of the battles themselves was gut wrenching. The blood, sweat, mud, noise, pus, snot and sheer brutality is something that I doubt people today could endure. These men were literally battered to death slowly over a period of many battles (if they survived at all). Having to fight standing on the bodies of the slain. Stacking them up in a wall to discourage and frighten the enemy. Diennekes fought with one eye gouged out of his head. Alexandros had his hand lopped off and then cauterized with a sword heated up and held flat against the stump, and still he went on. Another man was shot in both shoulders and he still went on the raiding mission to kill King Xerxes of Persia, crawling up stone escarpments on his belly like a snake.

And the women – what a horrid lot most of them had. Greek women in general were treated worse than dogs, but Spartan women were expected to take it with unwavering fortitude. No tears. No grief. No relief in the outpouring of emotion. They were only valued if they could produce sons. Typical. But in another sense, the men relied on their backbone to fortify the whole community. If the city saw them crying or grieving, they would all lose heart and wouldn’t be able to stand against the enemy. The men asked them to bear their unrelenting sorrow of their men dying, because they could. They saw that as true courage because they contained themselves in the face of their more nurturing and caring natures. It was natural for men to be aggressive and want to fight, so the bravery of the battlefield was somehow less than the bravery of the women because that bravery went against their nature. Someday I would very much like to visit Thermopylae (the Hot Gates) to see for myself. ( )

Great book about Battle of Thermopylae.Great characters and sheer intensity of battle scenes and war waging in the ancient world is what will become Mr. Pressfields trademark in his historical novels.

Recommended. ( )