Las Puertas de Fuego/ The doors of Fire (Best Sellers)

by Steven Pressfield (Goodreads Author)

Las Puertas de Fuego/ The...

by
Steven Pressfield

book data

2,192 ratings, 4.30 average rating, 419 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		50%
4		33%
3		12%
2		2%
1		0%

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published

January 30th 2006 (first published 1998)

details

Paperback, 464 pages

characters

Leonidas, Xerxes

setting

Greece

isbn

8497938321 (isbn13: 9788497938327)

description

Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie.

Thus reads an ancient stone at Thermopylae in northern Greece, th

…more

[close] Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie.

Thus reads an ancient stone at Thermopylae in northern Greece, the site of one of the world's greatest battles for freedom. Here, in 480 B.C., on a narrow mountain pass above the crystalline Aegean, 300 Spartan knights and their allies faced the massive forces of Xerxes, King of Persia. From the start, there was no question but that the Spartans would perish. In Gates of Fire, however, Steven Pressfield makes their courageous defense--and eventual extinction--unbearably suspenseful.

In the tradition of Mary Renault, this historical novel unfolds in flashback. Xeo, the sole Spartan survivor of Thermopylae, has been captured by the Persians, and Xerxes himself presses his young captive to reveal how his tiny cohort kept more than 100,000 Persians at bay for a week. Xeo, however, begins at the beginning, when his childhood home in northern Greece was overrun and he escaped to Sparta. There he is drafted into the elite Spartan guard and rigorously schooled in the art of war--an education brutal enough to destroy half the students, but (oddly enough) not without humor: "The more miserable the conditions, the more convulsing the jokes became, or at least that's how it seems," Xeo recalls. His companions in arms are Alexandros, a gentle boy who turns out to be the most courageous of all, and Rooster, an angry, half-Messenian youth.

Pressfield's descriptions of war are breathtaking in their immediacy. They are also meticulously assembled out of physical detail and crisp, uncluttered metaphor:

The forerank of the enemy collapsed immediately as the first shock hit it; the body-length shields seemed to implode rearward, their anchoring spikes rooted slinging from the earth like tent pins in a gale. The forerank archers were literally bowled off their feet, their wall-like shields caving in upon them like fortress redoubts under the assault of the ram.... The valor of the individual Medes was beyond question, but their light hacking blades were harmless as toys; against the massed wall of Spartan armor, they might as well have been defending themselves with reeds or fennel stalks.

Alas, even this human barrier was bound to collapse, as we knew all along it would. "War is work, not mystery," Xeo laments. But Pressfield's epic seems to make the opposite argument: courage on this scale is not merely inspiring but ultimately mysterious. --Marianne Painter

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Jan 26, 2008

Randy rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

bookshelves: military

Read in January, 1991

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 Pressfield ...more

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Oct 10, 2007

Richard rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in April, 2000

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 o...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)

Like this review? yes (6 people liked it)

1 comment

Jul 20, 2008

Smokey rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Smokey by: Gift from a friend
recommends it for: Service members and those who wish to understand them

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 hol...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)

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

6 comments

Sep 23, 2008

Emily rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in November, 2008

There I've finished it *loud triumphant music.*

I had to read this book for a Global class and the moment Sparta and Thermopylae were mentionesd I could feel the resentment rising in the pit of my stomach. I have nothing personal against the Spartans, except that battle strategies and armorments are not as interesting as they may sound.
I wasn't impressed with the lengthy descriptions of violence in the book. Mind you, I'm a huge Lord of the Rings fan... but no one really needs e...more There I've finished it *loud triumphant music.*

I had to read this book for a Global class and the moment Sparta and Thermopylae were mentionesd I could feel the resentment rising in the pit of my stomach. I have nothing personal against the Spartans, except that battle strategies and armorments are not as interesting as they may sound.
I wasn't impressed with the lengthy descriptions of violence in the book. Mind you, I'm a huge Lord of the Rings fan... but no one really needs entire paragraphs entirely dedicated to the grissly and slightly nauseating deaths of many soldiers. It's a respect thing, those soldiers died admirably... spare us the details of how exactly a soldier's head was cut off.

I also was not impressed with the Spartan commander's choice of..um...language.That may sound childish, being against the "mature" language but I believe that it's immature and rather unnecessary despite the opinions of others. It could have been immensley better if a certain part involving soldiers and trees was left out.

Other things that I found quite unpleasant, were the many confusing (not to mention extremely hard to pronounce) names. I can't keep everyone straight!
My final problem with the book was how it jumped from different points in time and between different narrators.
Despite all of the resentment that is attatched to this novel, there were a few admirable scenes.
1. When Leonidas mentions that the Spartan women have more courage than they themselves. They are forced to handle the pain of seeing their husbands and sons to war, and are forced to go against there nature and conceal all emotion.
2. When Arete saves Rooster's son from the soldiers who are on the brink of murdering him... now that's what I call brave.
3. When Xeones stays in battle although he has the chance to flee.
4. When the reader dicovers the opposite of fear.:)

So, there were several great parts of this book, but they were ultimately drowned out by the swearing, violence, hard to pronounce names and all together cofusing and disorderly plot line.

For Those in global:
Liked the "Clan" much better. (less)

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17 comments

Mar 08, 2008

Cranky rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in April, 2008

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 outco...more

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Jul 16, 2007

Max Stone rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in July, 2007

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...more

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Apr 19, 2007

Wægmunding rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in May, 2007

It's not "300' and that's a good thing. Steven Pressfield's "Gates" follows the events of the Battle of Thermopylae as described by Herodotus closely. He provides a landscape of Spartan daily life through the recollections of a squire, mortally wounded in the battle. The depictions of Spartan life made in the book are mostly accurate, though Pressfield largely overlooks the extent of state-sponsored pederasty, which was a staple of Spartan society, something that Miller ignore...more

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Jan 10, 2009

Roland rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in March, 2008

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 ba...more

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Jan 18, 2008

Matt rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

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 ...more

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Sep 15, 2009

Mukesh rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in September, 2009

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 ...more

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Jul 27, 2009

Roy rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in June, 2009

recommended to Roy by: Kirby

I must admit that I became interested in the topic of the Battle of Thermopylae after seeing the movie 300, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. I know, not the most gloriously intellectual path to take to a historic novel.

Pressfield’s book does a good job of rendering ancient Greece, not just military practices, but society and daily life. Though the Spartans don’t have any great technology past the sword and the plow, theirs is a socie...more I must admit that I became interested in the topic of the Battle of Thermopylae after seeing the movie 300, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. I know, not the most gloriously intellectual path to take to a historic novel.

Pressfield’s book does a good job of rendering ancient Greece, not just military practices, but society and daily life. Though the Spartans don’t have any great technology past the sword and the plow, theirs is a society that is organized and predictable in a modern sort of way. I could never be a Spartan peer (has no discipline, cowers under attack, really likes showers, etc) but I could be a merchant in the protected city. One area that the book spends a great deal of time in is describing the drilling, practicing camaraderie of soldiers. At times I felt there was a little too much idolized, back-slapping, jocularity, but as a sports fan I know it is easy to idealize the clubhouse of a championship team, (the Spartans certainly were the cream of the crop) so they probably did enjoy themselves a bit while on tour.

As a writing device, I also appreciate one of the more believable narrator contrivances I’ve come across in a historic novel. Xeo has been taken captive, and is being mined by the Persian’s for military and sociological information. Perfect! Believable and it makes sense why anyone would be recording a common man’s account of daily life in ancient Greece. It even allows for some historical explanations after the fact – even after Xeo dies (spoiler alert, lots of people die), there is a historian that finishes the story for us. Pressfield does an adequate job with the battles (I kept thinking of the movie and the generally stunning visuals during these parts – not a fair comparison) and if this were more of a fictional tale, I would have been disappointed, but for purposes of a historical novel they are well done.

The strength of this book is how much information is packed into the story without it collapsing the tale.
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Jun 13, 2009

Trevor rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

recommended to Trevor by: Richard

This was an interesting book. I wasn’t sure what to expect from it and had thought it would be a book of history, but was actually a work of historical fiction. It was well told and, from what I know, an accurate enough telling of the story of the 300. Herodotus also tells this story in his histories and it is hardly surprising that a tale of so few holding off an army of so many should be remembered as one of the great military stories of all time. This one is told through the eyes of a c...more This was an interesting book. I wasn’t sure what to expect from it and had thought it would be a book of history, but was actually a work of historical fiction. It was well told and, from what I know, an accurate enough telling of the story of the 300. Herodotus also tells this story in his histories and it is hardly surprising that a tale of so few holding off an army of so many should be remembered as one of the great military stories of all time. This one is told through the eyes of a captured assistant to the Spartans who is asked by the Persian king to tell his story and who does so in quite some depth and detail.

The odd thing was that this story is told really by an historian of the Persians, and normally this would, within the context of the novel, raise concerns over the accuracy of the story as told and translated from the Greek and into Persian for the king. I guess I’m too aware of concerns for such distortions as this wasn’t something that was really played with at all by the author. The convoluted process involved in the telling of the story was not really to get the reader to question the accuracy of what was being told, but rather to find a way to get many of the threads in the story to all line up.

This book is apparently taught at West Point http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gates_of_Fi... and I found that very interesting. This is a story about bravery and what it takes to be brave, and I guess that is exactly the sort of thing people in the army would expect to learn. I couldn’t help reflect while reading this book how often when America is involved in military adventures overseas they are much more likely to see themselves as the 300, and therefore acting to defend their homeland, rather than as the Persian invaders. This is interesting, as it does involve some fascinating mental gymnastics.

This is a remarkable story and well told here in a way a modern audience would be much more likely to enjoy. Many of the famous lines are all here, from fighting in the shade (due to the number of arrows the Persians would be able to fire) to telling the emissary of the Persians 'to come and get them' referring to the Greek weapons after being asked to hand them over. Boy’s own stuff this. I kept thinking that it was odd that it was mostly told in first person, as generally these stories are told in omniscient narration, and this made me think that perhaps modern tellings of stories like this are much more likely to be told through the eyes of an individual.

Anyway, I enjoyed this more than I thought I might.

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May 27, 2009

James rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in November, 2008

Gates Of Fire was a great book by Steven Pressfiled about the few Spartans that fought off a million Persians in the battle of Thermopylae in ancient Greece. What I really liked about this book was how vividly Pressfiled described the battle sequences throught the novel and how he seemed to be able to bring them to life right out of the pages. The main reason I was atrracted to this book was after watching and loving the movie 300 I wanted to explore the life of Greece,Spartans, and the legendar...more Gates Of Fire was a great book by Steven Pressfiled about the few Spartans that fought off a million Persians in the battle of Thermopylae in ancient Greece. What I really liked about this book was how vividly Pressfiled described the battle sequences throught the novel and how he seemed to be able to bring them to life right out of the pages. The main reason I was atrracted to this book was after watching and loving the movie 300 I wanted to explore the life of Greece,Spartans, and the legendary battle of Thermoplyae. Yes, some of it is pretty gory and bloody but it almost needs to be if it is to seem truly realistic. The book was a little slow at first but it soon picks up pace and flows well all the way to the end (which was spectacular). Any fans of the film 300 or war buffs would love the book but it's definatly not for everyone. The book is similar to the movie 300 but different in how the Persians are portrayed. In 300 they are seen in quite a negative point of view, but in Gates Of Fire they are simply an enemy or a threat that must be removed. After reading the book it encouraged me to go out and learn more about the battle of Thermopylae and the Spartans that fought it. I went online and read some various articles about it and learned quite a bit. While I was researching it I found that the book was quite accurate to the actual events which made me appreciate it even more knowing that it was true and acurate to the real life event. One thing about the book that I disliked was that I wish the author had allowed the readers to get to know the characters a bit better. I felt somehow disconnected from them and what they looked like in the novel. I think that area of the book could have been improved, thats one of the things that I really liked about the Harry Potter series was how well you felt you knew all the characters and what they were like. Thats the only reason Gates Of Fire recieved four stars from me, a lack of character development. Overall however it was a great novel that I would reccomend to people for its great creativity of the battle sequences and how well described the events are.(less)

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Sep 13, 2009

David Jones rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in January, 2005

This is a marvelous piece of historical fiction about the Spartans, with particular attention given to their extraordinary battle at Thermopylae. The book has fantastic character development and gives great insight into the "Spartan mindset". One such gem was the Spartan conception of Kingship: "I will tell His Majesty what a king is. 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 ...more

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Feb 15, 2010

Stan rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Highly recommended to me, but highly disappointing. This is a romanticized historical fictional account of the Spartans' stand at Thermopylae against the massively superior forces of Xerxes. It does offer a depiction of the warrior culture of Sparta. But the writing: trite, tedious, melodramatic, sometimes overly flowery faux archaic, and at others base sixth grade genital/excrement humor. One of the major humor touchstones was a character whose catchphrase was "Wake up to this", whic...more

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Nov 15, 2008

Tad rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in November, 2008

My reason for helping launch a "book club for men" in my neighborhood was to find books I would love but wouldn't stumble across on my own.
Bingo. "Gates of Fire" is a fantastic book, but it's not something I ever would have picked up without the prodding of our group. I haven't previously embraced historical fiction, but this account of the subject matter of the recent movie "300," the Battle of Thermopylae, is much, much more than the story of how 300 S...more

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May 15, 2008

Marcelle rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

This book is so moving, so inspiring. It is about more then sacrafice and honor, it is about what it means to be a part of something. A city, a country.
No only men who fight are charactized as brave, but the women who give birth, raise, then send off to war are considered brave, tough, virtous for the role they play in society.

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Dec 12, 2009

Micheal rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in August, 2009

Having strayed from novels in recent years, GATES OF FIRE has brought me back to fiction. I was inspired to study ancient Sparta as I read and found Steven Pressfields interpretation in sync with what little is actually known about these elite warriors. As a former Service member I am a proponent of the concept of honorable soldiering and aspiring to the highest ideals of brotherhood under duress.

I also liked the whole setup, with the two young characters preceding the appear...more

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Jan 11, 2010

Trevor Davis rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

bookshelves: historical-fiction

This is a fascinating read. The story-telling is excellent. It's from the perspective of a Spartan slave who fought with the 300 Spartans and survived the Battle of Thermopylae, though very injured. He is captured by the Persians and tells the tale from his boyhood through the entire battle. Great read. I highly recommend it.

Caution: This book has some very rough language. It is written from a warriors perspective and you will find some R rated language as well as violent/cru...more

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Dec 31, 2009

Jess rated it:

(review of isbn 055338368X)

Read in December, 2009

For all those skeptical of historical fiction, do not let the unfortunate genre label stop you from picking up this book. To those that hated 300, do not let the loose comparisions to this book stop you from reading. For all of you that don't quite understand why your loved one volunteered for service, this is a must read.
This is a great book that explores the psychlogy of the warrior better than anything I've read to date. Fear,courage, sacrifice, military leadership, and community suppor...more

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