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Gates of Fire

by Steven Pressfield (Goodreads Author)

4.35 of 5 stars 4.35 · rating details · 9,258 ratings · 872 reviews

In 480 B.C., two million Persian invaders come to the mountain pass of Thermopylae in eastern Greece, where they are met by 300 of Sparta's finest warriors. The Greek loyalists battle for six days in a prelude to their ultimate victory.

Paperback, 384 pages

Published September 27th 2005 by Bantam (first published 1998)

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Feb 11, 2008 Randy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: military

Gates of Fire is one of my favorite books...ever. I first read it back when I was in the Marine Corps. It was on the Commandant’s Reading List for a time - required reading for any motivated teufelhund. The author himself is a former Marine, and draws upon his experiences to create a compellingly insightful look at the mental and psychological makeup of a soldier. The concepts of self-sacrifice, service, community, camaraderie, and duty are the thematic core of this historic novel. Steven Pres ...more

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Oct 10, 2007 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those interested in Greek History, Military History, Historical Fiction

Steven Pressfield's first foray into historical fiction is a masterful account of the battle of Themopylae (thermos = hot, warm, fire; pylos = spring or gate; hence "Gates of Fire").

Told from the perspective of a captured, critically wounded Spartan helot (all the Spartans died, after all) who is being questioned by Xerxes (King of Persia) for information about the Greeks, the story presents a sympathetic, insider view of Spartan society and accurately presents the values of Greek civilization i...more Steven Pressfield's first foray into historical fiction is a masterful account of the battle of Themopylae (thermos = hot, warm, fire; pylos = spring or gate; hence "Gates of Fire").

Told from the perspective of a captured, critically wounded Spartan helot (all the Spartans died, after all) who is being questioned by Xerxes (King of Persia) for information about the Greeks, the story presents a sympathetic, insider view of Spartan society and accurately presents the values of Greek civilization in contrast to that of the Persians. Pressfield is intimately familiar with the major historical accounts of the battle and fills in the many gaps with events and conversations that could have, and possibly should have, happened.

Leonidas, one of two kings of Sparta, leads 300 Spartans to Thermopylae in the attempt to delay the Persian army from reaching Greece before the Greeks have time to prepare the resistance. In ancient times, Thermopylae was the site of a narrow pass between the mountains and the sea, only wide enough for a few men to walk shoulder to shoulder. Joined by allies from other Greek cities (Argos and Thespis, as I recall), the total number of fighting men was approximately 1,200 to face Xerxes mighty army, which ancient accounts number in the millions. The Spartans use superior technology (bronze armor and weapons), superior training, and superior tactics (the deadly phalanx) to hold the Persians for three days. Even Persia's elite fighting force, the dreaded Immortals, are unable to defeat the Spartans.

Treachery, however, proves the undoing of the Spartans. Ephialtes (not the misshapen expatriate Spartan of the moview "300") sells information to the Persians, revealing a hidden path through the mountains. Surrounded, the Spartans refuse to surrender, preferring to fight to the death in order to demonstrate their superiority and to strike fear into the hearts of the Persians, who will soon have to face larger Greek armies. The death toll for the Persians is in the high thousands.

(Although not in the book, the sacrifice of the Spartans ultimately pays off. For, after sacking Athens, Xerxes is defeated in two decisive battles: Salamis, in which the Athenian navy destroys the Persian fleet, deprives Xerxes of much needed supplies; Plataea, in which the combined armies of Sparta and other allies defeats the Persian army. Greece, and along with it, Western Civilization is saved from Persian slavery, and the path is paved for the Golden Age of Athens.)

The book is an incredibly good read. I have recommended the book to many different people of various backgrounds and interests. None have been able to put it down.(less)

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Apr 07, 2013 Laurentiu Lazar rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, my-favorites

First of all, I am proud to have visited the spot in Greece where supposedly the battle/drama of Thermopylae took place. Wonderful to be able to interact with history, even if it's in such a small way.

"Study the past if you would define the future." by Confucius

"Gates of Fire" is a fictional novel, with very accurate historical facts due to the author's thorough research.

This book was way better than I expected and it made me care for the characters and to some degree raised some inner self que...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Terri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, historical-fiction, favorites, european-history-non-fiction

What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said here on it's review page...ah, not much. :-)
It is a terrific book. Dense, and detailed and clever and, in many places, exhilarating. Sometimes I felt that the author was being too clever. Sacrificing flow for sometimes not so relevant story background. There is quite a lot of too-ing and fro-ing in this book. Jumping backwards and forwards between different times and sometimes it worked for me and sometimes it didn't. That is why I nea...more

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Jul 20, 2008 Smokey rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Service members and those who wish to understand them

Recommended to Smokey by: Gift from a friend

Soldiers are philosophers by trade, as opposed to nature. Whether they are gifted logicians or readers or not, their profession demands a close association with death and life, fear and courage, love and hate, joy and sorrow. A soldier gets acquainted with these, not as abstract ideas, but as intimate realities which are a part of the day-to-day environment.

When faced with such larger-than-life concepts, though, words often fail, no matter how important or meaningful a place they hold in every d...more Soldiers are philosophers by trade, as opposed to nature. Whether they are gifted logicians or readers or not, their profession demands a close association with death and life, fear and courage, love and hate, joy and sorrow. A soldier gets acquainted with these, not as abstract ideas, but as intimate realities which are a part of the day-to-day environment.

When faced with such larger-than-life concepts, though, words often fail, no matter how important or meaningful a place they hold in every day life. I've tried once or twice to put some of this/these into words myself, because I felt a need to share with people outside my line of work just what it is that goes through our heads. We service-folk aren't mythical or demonic, we aren't legendary or infamous, we are neither "The Greatest Generation," nor the worst. But having tried to communicate something of what I've seen and felt, I realize now just why so many who served so honorably chose to remain so silent as to their experiences.

This book, Gates of Fire, says all of those things I couldn't say.

As you may guess, the book centers upon the Battle of Thermopylae, the same subject as the movie 300. As you read through the book, you will see why that movie treated it the way it did. The heroism on display at that time in that place makes any comic book superhero look silly by comparison; it's only natural that Leonidas & Co. should have their own line of action figures. Seriously.

But the book goes further than just the names, dates, and places; it is not "history" in the strictest sense, though it strives for such accuracy as historical records can offer. More so Gates of Fire delves into the why and the wherefore: why did these men go, knowing they would die? how were they able to stand and fight knowing that eventually they would be butchered where they stood? what could possibly have motivated the greatest "Alamo" the world has ever known? The book excels in this effort, bringing the concepts of the heroic into terms that the average reader can immediately grasp, or at least imagine.

The book also shows quite graphically the scenes of warfare. As one seasoned veteran asks a shaken youngster "What did you expect? What sort of wounds did you suppose the sword and spear would cause?" But it also shows in painful detail the moments of poignancy: the moments spent at home with loved ones, carved indelibly into the soldiers' hearts; the moments after the battle when soldiers realize they have survived the carnage to live once again; the unbelievable courage of the families they leave behind.

I have never marched in a phalanx with spear and shield. I have never truly closed with the enemy, or grappled with him in anger. But if you want to know what a soldier thinks, lives, and feels, read this book. The times and technologies have changed, but the principles have really not. Thank you, Mr. Pressfield for writing this.(less)

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Feb 24, 2013 Jason Golomb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: war, military, historical-fiction, fiction, action

"Gates of Fire" is a majestic novel focused on the actions of 300 Spartans defending Hellas from the vast invading Persian hordes. It's story is large, the characters heroic. It's not, however, epic. At least not in its claustrophobic feel. The epic-ness resides in the well-travelled deeds of the Spartans then, just not in this book.

Honor is a most valued trait. Long Homeric speeches bolster mens' bravery. And within this glory-driven, very testosterone-heavy vibe, we see only glimpses of the hu...more

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May 07, 2012 Ezra Hood rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: western-civ

Intense, and to an incredible degree, accurate. Pressfield seems to have made himself something of a Hellenist to write this. He's got as much gift for storytelling as has Bernard Cornwell.

I'm kinda sure that he made up the night raid on Xerxes's tent; and he tactfully steers clear of the Spartans' (and other Greeks') bisexuality. But otherwise, this seems like a great way to immerse oneself in a large and accurate dose of classical Greek culture and history. (My guess also is that Spartan women...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Marina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, favorites

In 480 B.C., an invading Persian army, two-million strong, came to the mountain pass of Thermopylae in eastern Greece. Led by King Xerxes, they were met by the finest three hundred Spartan warriors where the rocky confines were so narrow that the Persian multitudes and their cavalry would be at least partially neutralized. Here, the Greek loyalists hoped, the elite force could hold off, at least for a short while, the invading millions.

The well-known story of the 300 Spartans lies in the base of...more

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Nov 08, 2011 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-fiction

I read this entertaining 1998 historical novel, which glorifies the ancient military dictatorship of Sparta, in part because it cost only $7.99 for a Kindle download. Then I realized that I couldn't write a coherent review of it, because I still, in spite of the intervening years, am an incandescent tower of blistering but impotent rage at the senseless loss of life and treasure which resulted from the blunderings of the George W. Bush administration in the Middle East in the first decade of thi...more I read this entertaining 1998 historical novel, which glorifies the ancient military dictatorship of Sparta, in part because it cost only $7.99 for a Kindle download. Then I realized that I couldn't write a coherent review of it, because I still, in spite of the intervening years, am an incandescent tower of blistering but impotent rage at the senseless loss of life and treasure which resulted from the blunderings of the George W. Bush administration in the Middle East in the first decade of this century. This rage colored my every word and thought. It's not the book's fault that some people seemed to view it as a justification of the U.S.A.'s bumbling militarism. I'll try to write a review of this book sometime when I've calmed down, maybe in 20 years.

later

OK, I've taken some medication and had a nice lie down.

Why bother to read books? After all, there's no money in reading, and it will not help you to obtain a fashionably well-developed musculature. I don't understand why other people read books, but then again, I don't understand why people do pretty much everything, including but not limited to going to flea markets, voting for defenders of the rights of the well-to-do, and having interest in the lives of movie stars, to name just a few.

I read books because my mental picture of myself is a piece of meat in a cage. I am a prisoner, stuck like a bug in amber in a class, time, space, nationality, residence, psychology, and function. I often flatter myself that my place in the world is of my own choosing but it is really the result of forces which were in motion long before I was born and will continue to influence the world long after everyone's forgotten that I ever lived. Animated with that cheerful thought, I wonder if life appears this way to everyone else. Many people seem to be acting and behaving very differently from me, most relevantly, in this case, soldiers. Since it is not yet possible to engage in Matrix-like entry into soldiers' consciousnesses, the closest that I can get to understanding why soldiers act so completely different from me is to read books about them.

It's still difficult for me to understand why anyone would willingly ignore the pointless bullying, the tedious machismo, the cynical grasping and snatching after pathetic shreds of power, and the sheer unadulterated lunacy (all adequately portrayed in this novel) that seem to invariably accompany military life. However, I think that I caught while reading this book certain glimpses of a rationale, if something mostly disconnected from reason can still be called a “rationale”.

Why get up in the morning? Why take one route to work and not the other? Why order a croissant and not a banana nut muffin? Why do a good job at work when a crummy job will suffice? Why sit? Why stand? Why write a review for Goodreads that three people may read instead of, say, listening to Alma Cogan sing “Never Do a Tango With an Eskimo” on Youtube for the umptee-umpth time?

When you are a part of a team, any team, it helps everything else to make sense. If you are part of a fighting team, life not only makes sense, but you have a purpose as well. You get up in the morning, you have a place to go. It makes a difference whether you shine your shoes. There's a right way to lay your shield on the ground, and a wrong way. You have friends and colleagues to admire, and to be admired by. You can't let them down by staying home on the couch and watching reruns of “America's Next Top Model”, because you promised to be at hoplite formation drills. You are a nobly small part of a fine upstanding tradition, without which the Persians would overrun civilization, leaving us to wallow in our own filth while listening to goateed Brooklyn hipsters complain about the deficit of adequate post-apocalyptic arugula.

I guess it's just about time for another dose of medication.

Before I join the line at the nurse's window, I'd like to say that reading this book about people with a purpose was a worthwhile use of time, but I'm not sure that present-day people who read this book and see their purpose reflected in the life and achievements of the Spartans actually understand the Spartans, or themselves.(less)

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Apr 30, 2008 Cranky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks

I chose this book reluctantly from my library's audiobook shelf. I thought I should read it because my knowledge of ancient history was pretty gap-filled, and because at some point I'm planning to rent "300" and this would be good background. I always pick up books I "should" read with grudging feelings.

Well. I was foolish to have hesitated over it, because this book is excellent. I'm just a few tracks from the end, and I feel wrecked by it. Knowing the outcome makes no difference--and even thos...more

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Jul 16, 2007 Max Stone rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are few subjects more naturally interesting than the contrasting / co-existing / conflicting (most of the time) societies of Athens and Sparta.

Athens, having all the good authors, good architects, good artists, good philosophers, etc. has tended to get portrayed pretty well.

Maybe it is just my ignorance, but this is the first thing I read which dealt at length and basically lovingly (in a violent sort of way; this is Sparta after all) with Sparta. I thought the best parts of the book wer...more

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Jan 10, 2009 Ross rated it 5 of 5 stars

The action is a pulse-pounding, intense-type awesome whirlwind that will make history rise from the ashes of ages past, grab you by the throat, and shake the hell out of you. But it is much more than that. This novel is epic in a real sense, in that sense of choosing to be swept up into a world much larger than the selfishness of personal endeavors. It inspires thought.
The graphic novel/movie 300 was based heavily on this book and they were more about telling the myth that became of the battle o...more

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Jan 18, 2008 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone/especially military

Everyone should read this book in order to gain an understanding of what it really means to love and be committed to ones country. All military leaders should read it and pay attention to the Leadership of the Spartan Army. Technology has not changed the necessity for strong leaders in the modern Army. The Spartan officers put their Soldiers first and led from the front. They suffered with their Soldiers, receiving no special preference for their rank, only more responsibility. The Spartan Plato...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Anthony Bellaleigh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another book I read a long time ago... Goodness knows when...!

This is a longhand rendition of the story of the Spartan battle to defend the narrow pass at Thermopylae and personally I thought that Steven Pressfield handled it magnificently. Sometime after I read this book the film "300" was released based on a graphic novel of the same theme. Whilst I'm also a big fan of this film (mainly for its spectacular cinematography) Gates of Fire is much more 'real' and does not, as far as I remember, su...more

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Apr 17, 2013 k.wing rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: historical fiction lovers/lovers of ridiculous cuss words

Recommended to k.wing by: Nic

***Review from April 2013***

I liked Gates of Fire quite a bit more this time around. I'm able to appreciate Pressfield's writing and choice of characterization better. He chose the perfect character to tell the story through, and appreciated the format in which he decided to tell the story.

-Increased rating from 2 stars to 3 stars-

***Review from July 2007***

Jam-packed with action, ridiculous cuss-word combos, and some love for womens' courage. Not the best thing I've ever read, but certainly no...more

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May 23, 2013 Darcy added it · review of another edition

Shelves: ancient-history, historical-fiction, a-m-hist-fic, spartans

Who would have thought that three hundred men equipped with long spears, shields and big knives could hold off a Persian army hell bent on making Sparta and Athens pay for their defeat at Marathan. Darius (of Persia) planned this retribution for a decade, catching the Greeks off guard-ish. Sparta, taking a decisive stand sent their toughest dudes to delay the Persian forces as means of getting their own poop in one pile...so to speak. With complete knowledge of their fate, Leonidas strode to The...more Who would have thought that three hundred men equipped with long spears, shields and big knives could hold off a Persian army hell bent on making Sparta and Athens pay for their defeat at Marathan. Darius (of Persia) planned this retribution for a decade, catching the Greeks off guard-ish. Sparta, taking a decisive stand sent their toughest dudes to delay the Persian forces as means of getting their own poop in one pile...so to speak. With complete knowledge of their fate, Leonidas strode to Thermopylae with his fellow Spartans and defended their lands for three days, killing more than their own number.

Having enjoyed The Virtues of War by Pressfield a few months prior to reading this work, and having always been interested in the Spartans, I set high expectations for this book. The author did not disappoint, but I was surprised, in a good way, by the approach.

Books that end with a character other than the one that had originally been narrating a tale is something that has always bothered me. Mainly because I feel like it's meant to be a fireside chat and suddenly, the storyteller falls dead and someone else finishes the tale, as if they shared the one mind. I don't know what this is really called, but I use the 'double jeopardy', because it feels like the author didn't think it through and wrote themselves into a corner. Or, they did think it through, but thought it would be an great way to introduce a new narrator for a follow-up, or as a clever device. I just find it annoying, and feel duped. Why am I going through this? Well, because while Pressfield did just that with Alexander, he avoided it with Leonidas. And I say Bravo!

The story is presented by a youth, who knowing his heritage prevented him from becoming a Spartan soldier, did not preclude him from becoming an aid to the fighters. What better perspective could there ever be? A young, enthusiastic man, watching, learning, and listening while the injured and the tired who are sharing tales by a campfire meal. He would have access to everything and everyone, especially in a situation where the only hope is a slow attrition of troops.

There are no surprises in this novel. The battle of Thermopylae ends as it should with the required heroics and plenty of drama. Thus, the captivation is Pressfield's prose. It is poetic without being flowery, it is large in its subtlety and sucks the reader in without his/her knowledge until a loved one passes a tissue over as the final pages are turned. Yes, even über macho men have admitted to shedding a tear during the final passages. That is how a story is told.(less)

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Mar 17, 2013 Maryrose Zavaro rated it 5 of 5 stars

What did you like about this book and what could have been better?
I like how Gates of Fire had so much suspense, intensity, and when describing battle scenes he went into such detail creating an upbeat pace while reading. The author’s use of history in the plot, in my opinion, contributed greatly to what made the book more interesting. Loved how he was so descriptive during the blood filled battle scenes. I also really like the way he fit honor and brotherhood in the book, it really sent out a p...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Iceman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Em 480 a.C., no estreito das Termópilas, Grécia, segundo o historiador Heródoto de Halicarnasso, um destacamento de trezentos espartanos, sob o comando do seu rei Leónidas, tendo como aliados pouco mais de 7.000 homens de outras cidades estado helénicas, tentaram impedir o colossal exército persa composto, segundo a tradição, por mais de um milhão de homens vindos de todos os cantos do vasto império Persa que tentavam, desse modo, invadir e conquistar a Grécia.

Na altura, Esparta era tida como mo...more Em 480 a.C., no estreito das Termópilas, Grécia, segundo o historiador Heródoto de Halicarnasso, um destacamento de trezentos espartanos, sob o comando do seu rei Leónidas, tendo como aliados pouco mais de 7.000 homens de outras cidades estado helénicas, tentaram impedir o colossal exército persa composto, segundo a tradição, por mais de um milhão de homens vindos de todos os cantos do vasto império Persa que tentavam, desse modo, invadir e conquistar a Grécia.

Na altura, Esparta era tida como modelo militar, sendo os seus guerreiros temíveis em todo o lado devido à sua disciplina militar que lhe era incutida desde criança. Ou seja, eram homens cuja única profissão era ser militar e, para além de estarem muito bem preparados ao nível físico, eram também preparados a nível mental. Homens cujo destino era de combater e morrer por Esparta.

Sabe-se que o Rei Persa, Xerxes, organizou um vasto exército com a finalidade de invadir a Grécia. Ele sabia do valor de Esparta, por isso tentou reconstruir um exército monstruoso que lhe garantisse, por muitas baixas que pudesse vir a ter, a conquista da Grécia.

“Portas de Fogo” narra esses acontecimentos e a forma feroz e heróica como os espartanos e os seus aliados resistiram às hordas persas.

Sabendo da intenção persa, o Rei Leónidas decide convocar 300 homens da elite de Esparta com o sentido de impedir o avanço dessa força persa.

Estando sob o festival religioso de Carneia, que impedia os gregos de pegar em armas, Leónidas percebe que esperar pelo fim desses festival acarreta uma aproximação perigosa dos persas. É necessário atrasá-los até ao fim do festival e contra os mandamentos do concelho, convoca 300 soldados da elite espartana e, com alguns aliados, decide pôr-se a caminho, marchando até ao estreito de Termópilas, local onde, sabia, o exército persa desembarcaria.

Esse local, que significa “Portas Quentes”, era, e é, um local inóspito, encravado entre as cadeias montanhosas do Eta e do Calídromo que, obrigatoriamente, impediria o movimento de muitos homens, ou seja, por muito grande que fosse o exército persa, não lhes era possível ter uma grande frente de batalha.

Toda a descrição do antes, durante e depois, é-nos narrada brilhantemente por Steven Pressfield que tem nesta obra mais um excelente tributo à Antiguidade e sobretudo à coragem e ao carácter de Esparta que, como civilização, não deixou monumentos grandiosos, nem obras de arte vistosas, mas deixou histórias de coragem e bravura.

As descrições das batalhas são terríveis. A barbaridade e insanidade que transforma os homens em bestas, é descrita de uma forma nua e crua, quase que ouvimos os gritos e o odor do sangue.

Um livro fantástico e de uma utilidade extrema para quem quer conhecer a Antiguidade e um dos seus principais episódios.

(less)

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Oct 12, 2012 Dustin Hammit rated it 5 of 5 stars

In Gates of Fire, Pressfield captures the band of brothers feeling and e spirit de corps of the Spartan culture. It is no wonder why this book has become a cult classic in the Marine Corps. Marines identify strongly with the warrior-romantic, stoic ideals of the Spartans. They also identify with the story of the Battle of Thermopylae where said warrior culture engages a much larger foe in an act of self-sacrifice for the greater good. If you want to get into the mind of how Marines think and fee...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Jeremy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This has to be, by far, one of my favorite reads done by Steven Pressfield. Not only does he give us an excellent historical fiction that resonates with what Spartan culture was all about (even the bad parts), but it feels like you are there with the Spartans as they make their brave stand against the tyrannical army led by Xerxes.

It's easy to see that Steven Pressfield did his homework and even embedded himself so deep in Spartan/Greek culture, enough so that you feel as if he's pulling back th...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Rhonda Waller rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recently just devoured (slowly, of course), my copy of The Last of the Amazons. At the last page I had to have more, so I ran to the library and got Gates of Fire. I was up til all hours of this morning reading it. Knowing the end of it all, so to speak, I was getting sad at the last chapters not wanting it to be over. I didn't want to witness the death of the 300 Spartans or any of their allies. (Because reading your novels is like being an eye-witness to the events) The writing is so vivid a...more

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May 31, 2012 Brittany rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

"War, not peace, produces virtue. War, not peace, purges vice. War, and preparation for war, call forth all that is noble and honorable in a man. It unites him with his brothers and binds them in selfless love, eradicating in the crucible of necessity all which is base and ignoble. There in the holy mill of murder the meanest of men may seek find that part of himself, concealed beneath the corrupt, which shines forth brilliant and virtuous, worthy of honor before the gods. Do not despise war, my

...more

"War, not peace, produces virtue. War, not peace, purges vice. War, and preparation for war, call forth all that is noble and honorable in a man. It unites him with his brothers and binds them in selfless love, eradicating in the crucible of necessity all which is base and ignoble. There in the holy mill of murder the meanest of men may seek find that part of himself, concealed beneath the corrupt, which shines forth brilliant and virtuous, worthy of honor before the gods. Do not despise war, my young friend, nor delude yourself that mercy and compassion are virtues superior to audreia, to manly valor."

"The supreme accomplishment of the warrior: to perform the commonplace under far-from-commonplace conditions. Not only to achieve this for oneself alone, as Achilles or the solo champions of yore, but to do it as part of a unit, to feel about oneself one's brothers-in-arms."

"When a warrior fights not for himself, but for his brothers, when his most passionately sought goal is neither glory nor his own life’s preservation, but to spend his substance for them, his comrades, not to abandon them, not to prove unworthy of them, then his heart truly has achieved contempt for death, and with that he transcends himself and his actions touch the sublime. That is why the true warrior cannot speak of battle save to his brothers who have been there with him. This truth is too holy, too sacred, for words."

"A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, not sleep when they stand at watch upon a wall. A king does not command his men’s loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them. He serves them, not they him….A king does not expend his substance to enslave men, but by his conduct and example makes them free. I set down my life with gladness, and would do it again a hundred times….I and every man there were never more free than when we gave freely obedience to those harsh laws which take life and give it back again."

“Do you hate them, Dienekies?“ The king asked…
Dienekes answered at once that he did not. “I see faces of gentle and noble bearing. More than a few, I think, whom one would welcome with a clap and a laugh to any table of friends.”
Leonidas clearly approved my master’s answer. His eyes seemed, however, darkened with sorrow. “I am sorry for them,” he avowed, indicating the valiant foeman who stood so proximately across. “What wouldn’t they give, the noblest among them, to stand here with us now?”

I LOVED this book. I have never been to war, but this may be the closest I could come without going... I am in awe of the author and his ability to provide such amazing insight into these men without that introspection undermining the masculinity being conveyed.

The battle of Thermopylae not only but also the battle within men's hearts, against phobos or fear. Honor and nobility, self-sacrifice, discipline, love and death. Knowing how the book was going to end only enhanced the reading and respect for these real live men! My first thoughts when I finished this book was a desire to see the monument that stands to mark this historical battle...then, a desire for my sons to read it when they are old enough.

*Not for young readers* due to language, general coarseness, and the brutality of war.
That being said- I highly recommend this book!(less)

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May 07, 2012 Robin Carter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I quite honestly defy anyone not to see the true genius of this book, it is probably the best book in the historical fiction genre, it ticks every box, it educates without being dull and preachy, it entertains without being frivolous, it has characters that live on the page and a setting that you can truly feel. If you don't feel like one of the 300 by the end of the book then you have read the wrong book

I can give no higher recommendation for a book than i do for this one...a real must read for...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Φειδίας Μπουρλάς rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: Μυθ-Ιστορικό

Εξαιρετικό βιβλίο, συναρπαστικό, συγκινητικό συχνά, ενθουσιαστικό άλλοτε, μάς κάνει πραγματικά να νιώσουμε τις αξίες και την κληρονομιά των προγόνων μας, και ειδικώς του δωρικού, σπαρτιατικού ήθους και τρόπου ζωής (ανδρεία, φιλοπατρία, φιλοτιμία, φιλία και συντροφικότης, πίστη στην πόλη, πειθαρχία, καρτερία, αυτοκυριαρχία, μετριοφροσύνη, δωρική λιτότης και απλότης, ευγένεια, αγάπη για τον άνθρωπο και την ζωή (όσο και αν για τα τελευταία πολλοί προσπαθούν, όσον αφορά στην Σπάρτη, να μάς πείσουν γ...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Ensiform rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, war, historical

After the battle of Thermopylae, a foreign-born Spartan squire named Xeones is found by the Persians, gravely wounded but alive. Xerxes, wishing to know what kind of people the Spartans might be, who at hundreds strong could slay thousands of enemies in a valiant suicide mission, has the squire try to explain this. Xeones tells this tale, but a more personal one as well: the sacking of his town, his unrequited love for his cousin, his rise up the Spartan ranks, the cruelty of the Spartan school...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Dawn (& Ron) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: ancient history, Greece & historical fiction readers

Shelves: ancient-egypt-rome-greece, books-owned-tbr, favorites, historical-fiction, two-fer-read

One of our favorite reads! It is one we often loan out and it always seems to strike a chord with everyone we have lent it to. So much so, our original copy never made it back home to us forcing us to pick up another one recently. After all we have to have it on hand to loan out, don't we? Our friend's 13 year old son is next.

We can't say why is it such a popular read, only that it is compelling, gut wrenching, mind searing battle scenes and simply, moving. It is moving in how it shows the frien...more

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Nov 06, 2011 John Nevola rated it 5 of 5 stars

Pressfield's Gates of Fire is one the best historical novels of ancient Greece and the Battle of Thermopylae ever written! Told through the eyes of the sole Spartan survivor (squire) of the battle to King Xerxes of Persia after the fact, it describes the unique Spartan sense of values that resulted in 300 of its elite hoplites to stand and die against half a million Persians. Xerxes was anxious to find out what motivated such men to perish rather than surrender and Xeones, the slave-squire, desc...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Gates of Fire is an historical fiction novel that recounts the Battle of Thermopylae through Xeones, a Spartan Helot and the sole Greek survivor of the battle. At Thermopylae, the allied Greek nations deployed a small force of between four and seven thousand Greek heavy infantry against the invading Persian army of two million. Leading the Greeks was a force of three hundred Spartans.
Thermopylae was the only way into Greece for the Persian army, and presented the perfect choke point — a narrow p...more

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Mar 22, 2010 Tyson Strauser rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, process, strategy, culture

Pressfield's fictionalized re-telling of the Battle of Thermopylae is an inspiring read if you are facing a large, insurmountable challenge.

Also, Gates of Fire goes much deeper than the Hollywood version re-told in "300." The book captures much more of the Spartan cultural elements and a broader look at the polis, an early precursor to republican government.

The training, discipline, and skill developed by the Spartan warriors from an early childhood and the selflessness they exhibited in their...more

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Sep 16, 2009 Mukesh rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is amazing. I highly reccomend it to anyone. To me, it really clarifies what suffering means. People complain about how they have too much homework, or how their favorite show is canceled. I'm guilty of things like this too. However, the warriors in this book take spear wounds through both shoulders, and they keep fighting, they lose an eye, and they don't stop to treat it or see how bad it is until the battle is over. War sucks, and these people live and breathe war. These are real me...more

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About Steven Pressfield

I was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in 1943 to a Navy father and mother.

I graduated from Duke University in 1965.

In January of 1966, when I was on the bus leaving Parris Island as a freshly-minted Marine, I looked back and thought there was at least one good thing about this departure. "No matter what happens to me for the rest of my life, no one can ever send me back to this freakin' place a...more

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Books by Steven Pressfield

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles

The Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander the Great

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Quotes from Gates of Fire

“Nothing fires the warrior’s heart more with courage than to find himself and his comrades at the point of annihilation, at the brink of being routed and overrun, and then to dredge not merely from one’s own bowels or guts but from one’s discipline and training the presence of mind not to panic, not to yield to the possession of despair, but instead to complete those homely acts of order which Dienekes had ever declared the supreme accomplishment of the warrior: to perform the commonplace under far-from-commonplace conditions.” — 16 people liked it

“A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall. A king does not command his men's loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them...A king does not expend his substance to enslave men, but by his conduct and example makes them free.” — 16 people liked it

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