Gates of Fire - by Steven Pressfield (Paperback)

About the Book

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. "Pressfield brings the battle of Thermopylae to brilliant life, and he does for that war what Charles Frazier did for the Civil War in "Cold Mountain.""--Pat Conroy.

Book Synopsis

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - In this "powerful, historically accurate novel" (The New Yorker), the sole Spartan survivor recounts the bloody and epic battle of Thermopylae that decimated his fearsome society.

"Vivid and exciting . . . Pressfield gives the reader a perspective no ancient historian offers: a soldier's-eye view."--The New York Times Book Review

At Thermopylae, a rocky mountain pass in northern Greece, the feared and admired Spartan soldiers stood three hundred strong. Theirs was a suicide mission, to hold the pass against the invading millions of the mighty Persian army.

Day after bloody day they withstood the terrible onslaught, buying time for the Greeks to rally their forces. Born into a cult of spiritual courage, physical endurance, and unmatched battle skill, the Spartans would be remembered for the greatest military stand in history--one that would not end until the rocks were awash with blood, leaving only one gravely injured Spartan squire to tell the tale. . . .

From the Back Cover

At Thermopylae, a rocky mountain pass in northern Greece, the feared and admired Spartan soldiers stood three hundred strong. Theirs was a suicide mission, to hold the pass against the invading millions of the mighty Persian army. Day after bloody day they withstood the terrible onslaught, buying time for the Greeks to rally their forces. Born into a cult of spiritual courage, physical endurance, and unmatched battle skill, the Spartans would be remembered for the greatest military stand in history -- one that would not end until the rocks were awash with blood, leaving only one gravely injured Spartan squire to tell the tale....

Review Quotes

"Vivid and exciting . . . Pressfield gives the reader a perspective no ancient historian offers, a soldier's-eye view . . . remarkable."--The New York Times Book Review

"Pressfield's powerful, historically accurate novel explores Spartan society and the nature of courage without ever losing its narrative momentum."--New Yorker

"Impressive . . . vivid."--USA Today

"Majestic . . . monumental . . . epic. . . . A novel that is intricate and arresting and, once begun, almost impossible to put down."--New York Daily News

"Gates of Fire lives up to its billing as an epic novel. . . . [Pressfield's] Greeks and Persians come across as the real thing."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Riveting . . . rich with historical detail, hot action and crafty storytelling."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Steven Pressfield brings the battle of Thermopylae to brilliant life, and he does for that war what Charles Frazier did for the Civil War in Cold Mountain."--Pat Conroy

"An incredibly gripping, moving, and literate work of art. Rarely does an author manage to re-create a moment in history with such mastery, authority, and psychological insights."--Nelson DeMille

"A timeless epic of man and war . . . Pressfield has created a new classic deserving of a place beside the very best of the old."--Stephen Coonts

About the Author

Steven Pressfield is the author of the hugely successful historical novels Gates of Fire, Tides of War, and Last of the Amazons. His debut novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance, was made into a movie starring Matt Damon and Will Smith in 2000. He lives in California.