Gates Of Fire
One of history’s most epic battles is brought to life in this enthralling and moving novel
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4.8 • 62 Ratings
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
In the Sunday Times bestseller Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield tells the breathtaking story of the legendary Spartans: the men and women who helped shaped our history and have themselves become as immortal as their gods.
'Breathtakingly brilliant . . . this is a work of rare genius. Savour it!' DAVID GEMMELL
'A tale worthy of Homer, a timeless epic of man and war, exquisitely researched and boldy written. Pressfield has created a new classic' STEPHEN COONTS
'A really impressive book - imaginatively framed, historically detailed and a really gripping narrative' ***** Reader review
'Beautifully written and a great joy to read' ***** Reader review
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Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie.
480 BC: At a bleak pass in a far-flung corner of eastern Greece, three hundred Spartan warriors faced the army of King Xerxes of Persia, a massive force rumoured to be over a million strong.
Their orders were simple: to delay the enemy for as long as possible in order to buy time for the main Greek armies to mobilize. For six days the Spartans held the invaders at bay. In the final hours - their shields broken, swords and spears shattered - they fought with their bare hands before being overwhelmed . . .
It was battle that would become synonymous with extraordinary courage, heroism and self-sacrifice.
It was a battle called Thermopylae.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Pressfield's first novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance, was about golf, but here he puts aside his putter and picks up sword and shield as he cleverly and convincingly portrays the clash between Greek hoplites and Persian heavy infantry in the most heroic confrontation of the Hellenic Age: the battle of Thermopylae ("the Hot Gates") in 480 B.C. The terrifying spectacle of classical infantry battle becomes vividly clear in his epic treatment of the Greeks' magnificent last stand against the invading Persians. Driven to understand the courage and sacrifice of his Greek foes, the Persian king, Xerxes, compels Xeones, a captured Greek slave, to explain why the Greeks would give their lives to fight against overwhelming odds. Xeones' tale covers his years of training and adventure as the loyal and devoted servant of Dienekes, a noble Spartan soldier, and he describes the six-day ordeal during which a few hundred Greeks held off thousands of Persian spears and arrows, until a Greek traitor led the Persians to an alternate route. Rich with historical detail, hot action and crafty storytelling, Pressfield's riveting story reveals the social and political framework of Spartan life--ending with the hysteria and brutality of the spear-thrusting, shield-bashing clamor that defined a Spartan's relationship with his family, community, country and fellow warriors. Literary Guild and Military Book Club selections; film rights sold to Universal Studios for George Clooney and Robert Lawrence's Maysville Pictures; UK rights to Bantam, Spanish rights to Grijalbo Mondadori, Italian rights to Rizzoli.
Customer Reviews
Excellent
One of the best novels I’ve read in the historical fiction genre.
The Spartans Defy…
.. any modern comparison. This story, is so visceral, engaging and endearing, it cannot fail to be inspirational.
The sacrifices made by those who fought at the gates, did correctly pre-sage the spirit in which the whole of Greece fought the mighty Persians.
The occupation of Europe-major was in all likelihood prevented by the act of oblation made at those gates. It bears thinking about.
How different may the world have been had the thousands who perished at the gates stayed home, not bothered? My goodness, I shiver!
The author is without any doubts one of the best in this genre. His writing skills alone are exemplary. The research work too, outstanding.
Any time there’s a pre-order, I order without reading the synopsis. I don’t care what he’s writing about, I’ll read it regardless, that good!
Rollercoaster and masterpiece
Read in one stroke. Like a movie.
Fascinating rediscovery of one of the most legendary battles in history. With interesting insights about the Spartans and their ways of life.