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. ( )

This one almost wasn't fair.

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction. The battle of the pass at Thermopylae still stands as one of the most awe inspiring tactical encounters the world has ever seen and proof that often the truth is more incredible than fiction.

The story follows a young man who grows into adult-hood and follows him into the epic battle itself, one of the fight's sole survivors. Asked to retell his life's story to the Persian's after the fight. It's this story when delivered to Xerxes that causes him to lose heart and abandon his invasion of Greece and leave it in lesser hands.

Rarely is a story told that's truly as epic as this and Steven Pressfield does it great justice by keeping it as "real" and believable as possible. He carries you onto the battlefield, puts you at the edge of your seat while you live the fight through his words.

Read it. ( )

When I first started reading this, I must say I wasn't all that into it. The format was a little strange and it took me a few pages just to get my bearings, and then it took me awhile until I really became attached to the main character, Xeones. However, once the ball got rolling, it quickly became one of my favorite historical fiction novels I've ever read.

The author does an excellent job of bringing the Spartans to life. It's one of those books where you look up from the pages and you almost feel like you really were just there, and when you are not reading it you are eager to reenter the setting the first chance you get. The story, despite the fact that you know how it ends, was absolutely addicting. I was at the end of the book, reading through the Battle of Thermopylae, knowing how it was going to end, and I didn't care one bit. I just couldn't put it down.

This isn't just a book with likable characters and a good story though, it also has a terrific amount of insight on the Spartan way of life. From their daily and brutal training sessions and battle formations, to their views on valor and honor and how they overcome fear on the battlefields, by the end of the book I felt like I really knew some of these Spartans.

I was also very much inspired by these people. The camaraderie of the soldiers and the dedication even the squires have for their city is very inspirational. I'd read about their barbaric practices on one page and be glad things are not like that now and then read about their love for their city and neighbors on the next and be envious. Their way of life may have been extreme, but their way of thinking was inspiring.

The book really has everything, and it does it all so well. It's hard not to give it 5 stars. ( )

I enjoyed this book. It was interesting from the start and kept my interest throughout the book. Earlier this year I read the history of this story in The Landmark Herodotus. The importance of the Greco-Persian war contributed to my interest in the book. I am sure my reading made it easier for me to concentrate on the part of the book that describes the life of a Spartan.
It is stated but not emphasized that Sparta was a slave society. That held true for a lot of the world in those times. Xeo, The narrator, is a slave but he is proud of being a Spartan slave.
Uniquely Spartan was the practice of housing men in dormitories beginning at the age of seven when the agoge, a period of military training, begins. This continued through adulthood and was somewhat similar to the way of life portrayed by Plato in the Republic. As the only Greeks who trained for war full time the Spartans were very effective soldiers. They ruled on land while Athens ruled the sea.
Discussion of philosophy is also a big part of the book. Dienekes, the Peer for whom Xeo is a squire, ponders the question; What is the opposite of fear? throughout the book. He does reach the answer. Generally the tenor of discussion is basic and very serious. On the third day of the battle, when everyone knows they will die, the discussion of the situation is as much of the story as the fighting. It would appear from this book that the level of serious thought in Plato's Dialogues was common in ancient Greece.
The battle scenes in the book are every bit as gory as the Iliad. They are told from the point of view of a participant and convey very well the action of hoplite warfare. Much of the battle consisted of getting behind your shield and pushing on the soldier in front of you. When you were on the front you skewered the enemy with your eight footer or sliced him open with a xiphos.
The book is not just about the battles. There are also some personal relationships woven through the story. The author does a good job portraying the role of women in Greek society. In the sphere of the family they were powerful and in a speech at the end of the book the King makes it clear how important they were to Sparta.
This is a good book to learn some of the day to day details of Greek life. It is a very flattering portrayal of Sparta. Personally I prefer the Athenian way of life to the Spartan regimen but in the war between the two many Greeks supported Sparta. Sparta personified the older, simpler and more virtuous way of life. ( )

This fictionalized account of the Battle of Thermopylae is a thoroughly enjoyable treatment of the historical event upon which it is based. Most interesting and educational are the many pages devoted to the training and indoctrination of the Spartan warriors, literally from birth until their preordained death in combat.

The level of dedication, loyalty and sacrifice endured by these men is difficult to comprehend, it is so foreign to our lives today. Certainly, many aspects of such training are utterly barbaric and inhumane, however they must be viewed in the context of their time.

Having read this novel soon after seeing the movie "300", the book gives excellent background to the sights and sounds highlighted in the movie. Anyone with an interest in ancient history or even in human nature will enjoy and benefit from reading this book.

Far more than simply a blood and guts war novel, it says a lot about the complex emotions and human behavior elicited by a fight for survival, both personal survival and the survival of a way of life. ( )

If you liked the movie "300," read this book. Highly recommended. ( )

This book is amazing and left me wanting more. Although you know how the battle concludes (anyone who knows of this historic battle knows it doesn't end happy), you can't help but hope that the characters you come to know will be victorious and live to tell the tale. The author makes ancient Greece, in particular the famed Spartans, come alive on the pages.

This story is narrated through the eyes of a freeborn Spartan squire, Xeones, captured after the battle at Thermopylae, and brought forth to the Persian king Xerxes. Xerxes, wanting to know more about these fearsome Lacedaemonian warriors, commands the Greek to tell him about how this small band of warriors, and their small allied contingent, could last as long as they did against the might of his empire and army. What kind of people are these Spartans, that they could keep on fighting in the face of futility?

Thus, we are privy to Xeones' story, in which he explains through flash-backs and slowly given a glimpse into the society and culture of Sparta. He is a refugee from a city-state destroyed and left homeless as a child. Hearing of heroic and fierce Sparta, he makes the decision to adopt this city as his home, as he still burns with vengeance against the Argos that killed his family and destroyed his home.

The first half of the book describes in meticulous detail the life of a Spartan, in particular the men, and the mentality behind such a strict way of life. You get glimpses into the rigid hierarchy of Sparta, from those with full citizenships the Peers, to the lowest classes those of the slaves, the helots who are the backbone of Spartan society. It was quite fascinating to read, and it's apparent that the author did his homework.

The action doesn't really pick up the pace until the second half of the book at the famed battle of Thermopylae, but when it does occur, the battle scenes were described so well I felt I was right there. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, it was gripping and so engrossing, I felt Pressfield did a superb job of describing the chaos, terror, and bloodshed that ultimately surrounds such a battle.

I did find one quibble with the book, and that was the flash-back style of telling the tale. The story isn't told chronologically, it leaps back and forth between different times of Xeones' life, so it was a bit disconcerting for me to suddenly be jerked back (or forward) in time, whether it was a year or three. Xeones will recall some bit of information in the midst of his story-telling, and proceed to go into more detail on that one point, afterwards going back to where he was when he went off on this tangent. These side-trips could become frustrating at times, and I found myself having to re-orient myself back to the story and where and when it was taking place, before I could continue reading.

If you can get over this negative, the book overall is still very enjoyable to read and I felt it was a great fictional account of this famous ancient military battle. If you're interested in learning more about ancient Greece, I suggest starting with The Histories by Herodotus or The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides. ( )

Herodotus and Plutarch let us know the history; Pressfield lets us feel like we were there. ( )

What a fantastic book! I would have given it six stars or more, if possible! It gives you a much more realistic look at the battle than the movie 300. While it's a great movie, don't expect it to be anything like the book. The author did his research, and this was a great story! It's not written like a non-fiction, but that of a fictional story. Some of the names and locations were a tad hard for me to pronounce, but I gained a much better understanding of the Spartan culture and the battle. The story itself was first-rate. ( )

Gave up 200 pages into the book. I can't believe a tree had to die for this.

Plot: What plot was there moved at snail speed, with a tendency to jump back and forth between plotlines. A third into the book, you could not tell what the point of it all was.

Characters: Characterization is an alien concept. Why bother with character development if you can just as well put them through one gruesome event after another, without them reacting to it in any way?

Style: Stilted prose is not mandatory in a historical novel, especially when you cannot maintain it and keep slipping into normal speech. One scene of bloodshed - impact. Two scenes - more impact. Thirty scenes - the reader gets bored and wonders what the point is. Same with random Ancient Greek words. One or two per chapter, preferably repeated ones, are nice to see. One or two per page do nothing but show off that you've tried to do your research. Emphasis on tried because if you'd done it, you'd have figured out that references to God are not fitting when you're writing about a polytheistic society.

Plus: At least it didn't have the completely skewed narration structure of Tides of War.

Minus: The plot didn't go anywhere. The characters didn't go anywhere. The writing style is awful, and you keep getting yanked from Ancient Greece to the Middle Ages whenever God Almighty is mentioned.

Summary: A complete and utter waste of time. ( )

This is an incredibly intense book. Steven Pressfield effectively transports the reader into ancient Greece. He doesn't pull any punches when it comes to portraying the violence of this era and particularly the battle of the Thermopylae, where 300 highly trained Spartan warriors held off tens-of-thousands of invading Persian troops for more than a week. The reader is right there on the battle field, a witness to the all horror that is hand-to-hand combat. ( )

A highly inspirational book - showing the value of hope, teamwork, leadership, and perseverance. ( )

4238 Gates of Fire An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae, by Steven Pressfield (read 28 Nov 2006) This is a 1998 novel woven out of the events culminating in the battle, where the Spartans and Greek allies fought Xerxes and the Persians, resulting in a loss due to the traitorous disclosure of a way to bypass the pass. The story of Xeones, the narrator of the story, is quite interesting, but so much of the book is devoted to telling in lengthy gory detail of the fighting--which I found was not very interesting. So the book was often non-interest-holding, even though some episodes were highly dramatic and well-narrated. ( )

Steven Pressfield truly managed to capture lightning in a bottle with Gates of Fire. It must be a daunting thing to tackle a story when the conclusion is so obviously foregone, but Pressfield channels the laconic spirit to really make his Spartans live, breathe, and of course, die. I'm endlessly fascinated by the looming sense of doom and the Spartans' shining, sheer, mythic courage in the face of it. If I could nominate one novel for a film adaptation, this would be it. ( )

I always enjoy the reading of the book to the movie before the movie is out in theaters. So over the last week i have reread the graphic novel that the movie 300 is based on and thought to myself this looks great. Just this week i went as far as tracking down the Original novel that set the stage for 300 by novelist Steven Pressfield who previously wrote legend of Bagger Vance. It was fucking incredible ride about an introduction to the spartan way of life and daily ideals that moved throughout Sparta. The writer heavily invests research into the ideas behind spartan warfare and training. The book is written from an historians perspective as he heres about the Spartans from a man captured alive after the battle of Thermoplyae. The man himself was a squire to one of the three hundred and lived through most of the battle at the side of his master. It deals mostly with his life and how he gets involved with the Spartan and learns how to fight alongside them. You get several in depth looks at various characters that represent the ideal of a Spartan warrior, The perfect specimen, the sage warior, and the young unproven man of war who each story interacts to create a personal journey that reaches a conclusion right at the heart of the battle. The battle scenes are vividly described and hold nothing back about the vulgarity and grime that was an ancient battlefield. This book is more about the training and evolution of a Spartan warrior from a child to his first battle. It is also an exploraion for a warriors perspective about love, fear, and life. A great book well worth the read for fans of action novels and philosophy.

Told from a foot-soldier's point of view, this is an essentially human look a the Battle of Thermopylae. There are no inhuman bad guys, just the absolute horror, honor, sacrifice and determination that go with being humans at war. There is a lot to admire and despise about the people in this story, and that is the book's great strength.

On the technical side, the language and craft of the story are uneven, sometimes undercutting the content, and the switch from frame story to Thermopylae didn't always work well. Still a great read. ( )

If you liked 300 read this book. A great historical novel set in Ancient Greece. ( )

Why didn't they base the movie '300' on this superbly-imagined novel? It's vivid, well-constructed and and moving. Also, those Spartans were badasses.

The only black mark: Pressfield wants to mix faux-epic and down-home dictions in his characters' dialog; sometimes it works, sometimes it really doesn't. ( )

I went to see the movie "300" on opening weekend. I thought it was very well done. I left craving more Spartan bad-assery, and seeing how Steven Pressfield's epic novel had been sitting in my to be read pile for awhile, I thought it was the perfect time to read Gates of Fire.

Both "300" and Gates of Fire are based on the Battle of Thermopylae, the now legendary battle where a force of 300 Spartans and their Greek allies are said to have held off the entire Persian army. Both are fiction. Gates of Fire is much less fantastical than "300" and hits much closer to the truth of the battle. Gates tells its tale from the viewpoint of the lone Greek survivor of the battle, a squire named Xeones.

Xeones is rescued from the rubble of the battlefield and taken before the Persian King Xerxes, who wishes to learn more of these Spartans, who numbering only 300 had managed to hold off his army of hundreds of thousands. Treated by the royal surgeons, Xeones says in order to truly understand the Spartans, he must start at the beginning. The narrative repeatedly jumps around in time, as new points in the tale are related to other events from Xeo's past. Xeo eventually becomes the squire to the Spartan officer Dienekes, who Heredotus credits with responding the the claim that the Persian arrows will blot out the sun replying "Then we shall have our battle in the shade."

Being historical fiction, we know how the story ends. The Spartans are killed to a man, but their courage inspired the rest of Greece to unite and defeat the Persian army.

Gates of Fire is a wonderful novel. Pressfield retells a well known tale with style and flair. I felt like I knew the characters. He gives us a knowing look into the workings of Spartan society, and the warrior psyche. Even though I knew they were all doomed, I kept hoping that Xeo, and Dienekes, and Alexandros, and Leonides, would achieve victory. By their sacrifice, they did indeed.

8.5 out of 10 ( )

Great read all the way through. Gives you an amazing visual of how the wars of the ancient Spartans were fought, and how these magnificent warriors proved that there is glory to be won in death. ( )

This book captured my attention from the beginning. It reminded me why I loved Greek history so much. It's definitely renewed my interest in studying the period again. ( )

I find this book to be an excellent example of both historical and military fiction. Not only are the battles drawn in excellent detail, Pressfield manages to also capture the cultures and the people who make up the story in detail. ( )