The first thing* anyone visiting Thermopylae will notice is that it looks nothing like it should. The shore has expanded outwards dramatically and a highway has been plowed through the middle. Visitors to the site spend upwards of five minutes wandering the short distance from the little parking lot to the hill of the last stand before passing by on their way to more inspiring destinations (2.5 millennia later Thermopylae is still the gateway to the north). They could be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss was about. Why was this unimpressive site, of all places, chosen for the Greek stand against the vast armies of Persia? And how could a few thousand men possibly imagine they could block any decently-sized force from coming through? You can see what I mean by watching 300 Spartans, filmed on location at the Hot Gates just before the highway went up. You can’t get closer to real life than that, yet it doesn’t look right. Not anymore. And so we have to turn to literature to bring the place to life. And no account of the battle is more famous than Gates of Fire.

I’ve got to be honest: until about the halfway point I was underwhelmed, suspecting that this book has been massively overrated. It wasn’t bad precisely, but it wasn’t great either. I have issues. To be specific:

The central frame seems a little forced. Xerxes demanding a novel-length account from a Greek survivor? That’s not what this book reads like at all.

There were too many timeline shifts given to us in an unnecessarily complex way. We need to keep three timelines in our head: immediately after the battle of Thermopylae, Xeones’ early childhood after his city was sacked, and his rise to status among the Spartans and eventual journey to Thermopylae. And there are even timejumps within these timejumps, further impeding our ability to understand.

At least partly as a result of this the characterization suffers and it takes us longer than it should to get to know these characters.

To some degree I also think the characters’ backstory is not as engaging as it could be. Greece was a pretty brutal place to grow up, but it still had its pleasures and at no point did there seem much worth living for (as opposed to dying for). I suppose it would be fair to say that I enjoyed the characters but didn’t care much for any of their journeys before the last.

These are significant issues and, although not really ruinous to the book as a whole, they don’t exactly bode well.

But then the buildup to the battle starts and everything develops a purpose. By this point you know, at least, who Xeones is and why he’s found himself there, and you’re familiar with all the other characters as well. Even if the dishing out of their backstory could have been improved all that matters now is where they’re going. And the account of Thermopylae is spectacular. The battle feels real and intimate and bloody. The first day’s fighting alone occupies two chapters and feels like the battlefield memoirs of a survivor.

Pressfield was a Marine and it shows vividly in his writing. There are times when reading ex-soldiers attempting historical fiction where I find myself thinking that these are just transposed Americans/British/whatever soldiers in funny costumes but with their values and fighting styles intact. This was not one of those times. Generally at least. The description of hoplite warfare felt real, particularly the way the scrum oozes through the cracks of the enemy line. Spartan values are not modern values, and even if the training sounds like a more intense version of boot camp it’s very clear that this violence is being directed at literal children. The various elements of the Spartan state (the assembly, the dual monarchy, the krypteia, the agoge...) are present, although it doesn’t really take us in-depth enough for my taste (see The Fox for a better example of that). About the only thing that’s been edited out for the benefit of “modern” sensibilities is the homosexuality. Odd too, since the mentorship between Alexandros and Dienekes seems very much the sort of structured homosexual relationships the Spartans (and Greeks more generally) encouraged. Yet the only reference to gay sex is when the Greeks are mocking the Persians(!) for it.

One element I appreciated was that the book doesn’t read like creepy fascist propaganda the way 300 and so many modern pro-Spartan takes would have it. Xeones is an outsider to Sparta, little more than a slave, and is often abused by those he idolizes. The Spartans are the heroes but they’re also slave-owning aristocrats and are capable of acts of murder and immense cruelty, even leaving aside the child abuse. Outside the bonds of battlefield brotherhood they don’t feel very likable at all. Best of all to my mind was that the book didn’t sugarcoat the ideal of Greek unity in the face of the barbarian horde. The first conflict we see is one of the many minor Greek-on-Greek conflicts as one city-state sought to dominate another. And that is what the Greeks will return to as soon as the Persian War is over.

I was a little surprised that the oncoming Persian invasion was dealt with in such isolation. We get references to Spartan efforts to shore up alliances, but we get little specific and never really find out what obstacles they faced (aside from fear). We also get little to no detail about Marathon, the Ionian Revolt (not even mentioned), the causes of the invasion more generally, or the grand Hellenic council. We don’t even hear about the famous scene of Spartans throwing the Persian ambassadors down a well. I think this was a bit of a missed opportunity to show the tenuous nature of the Greek alliance and what held them together, but I can tell that Pressfield is a bit singleminded in his focus on the experience of war.

One thing that did disappoint me though was the acceptance of Herodotus’ statement that there were two million men in the Persian army. Only an absolute idiot would believe this claim (which didn’t stop several older Classicists from making it) and I never thought Pressfield an idiot. Let me put it another way: despite the populations of modern Greece and Germany being triple those of ancient Greece and Persia, when the Nazis invaded in 1941 their amy was only a bit over a quarter the size. Even adding in the Italians only gives us half that size. And the two armies came in from a different direction, which was a luxury the Persians didn’t have. The Nazis, using one of the most effective conscription campaigns in history, managed to mobilize about 16% of their population. Can anyone honestly claim that Persia was able to militarize a similar portion of their population despite the absence of detailed censuses, mass-produced paper, or even modest levels of literacy? And that they could keep them supplied in enemy teritories without access to trains, trucks, motorized ships, or any of the various types of farm equipment and fertilizer available to modern man? Yeah right. A British army officer stationed in the region once did the math and determined that for such an army even draining the rivers dry would not stop it dying of thirst if it tried to invade Greece. If Pressfield’d just limited the claim of such an immense army to the Greeks (who were used to small armies and couldn’t contextualize the army’s true scale) it would have been fine, but he has Persians claim it too. Gah!

This is probably the best account of Thermopylae out there. The battle comes to life in a way only the best novels can achieve. The brotherhood formed by combat is really pushed here and characters who seem unlikable at first become more so over time. The book’s small-scale focus on a minor player means that we don’t get any real considerations of the broader organization or issues (really, Persia’s decision to invade is never explained), so if you want to see that I’d recommend a book like Farewell, Great King. This tells the story of Themistocles and his leadership of Athens during and after the war and can provide a useful counterpoint to the more gung-ho account in this book. Alas, I haven’t seen any naval officers try to do for Salamis what Pressfield does for Thermopylae here. Naval warfare is truly underdeveloped in historical fiction for this period.


* The second thing you notice is the horrible modern memorial with “heroic” nudes reclining daintily on couches. We do not speak of the modern memorial.

Remarkably engaging, and remarkably bloody!

While I happily delve into historical fiction on an occasionally regular basis and also enjoy some rousing battles in the more speculative genres, I've never found historical military fiction to be particularly entertaining. This buddy-read turned out to be an outlier. I found Gates of Fire to be nuanced and thoughtfully appealing.

This is the battle of Thermopyle (think 300) recounted by Xeones – a servant of the Spartan army – to the invading Persian emperor Xerxes. Xeones is the only survivor found among the many Greek corpses after the notorious battle, and he is saved from death so that the Persians can get a better idea of the spirit behind the incredible valor and skill of the incredibly efficient Spartans. Xeones' perspective is an interesting one: after being driven from his own home and losing most of his family in a more localized territorial battle, the young boy Xeones ultimately chooses to place himself into servitude in Sparta for the opportunity to learn to fight and model himself after the renowned warriors of that land. His narrative spans many years prior to the big battle at the titular gates, and gives great context about the politics and fighting that precede it. Approaching the story from this angle is great for a reader like me, who is about as far away from a military mindset as a person can be. It also gives observational insight into Spartan ideologies that form the foundation of the unity of their brotherhood.

And ultimately that is what this book is about, though the battle at the Gates of Fire is given gruesome spotlight for the final third-ish of the story. It is about patriotic urges, the philosophies of heroics and fear, and the incredible bond that ties the defending army together. This is powerfully conveyed in Pressfield's writing. It is little wonder that this novel is cited as a favourite of many a Serviceman.

Overall, a moving book to read, though the field of battle is horrific and gory and sad. There are a few slow moments in the middle which still add to the characterizations that are vital for this story to be as affecting as it is.

Having stepped away from the immediate experience, I can feel myself start poking at it with my own ideals and questions and curiosities, but the writing is good, and the tale is both gripping and anthemic enough that I didn't stop to be my own objectionable and critical self while I was reading. I think that is a pretty strong achievement by the author.

If I allow myself to pick away at it in the back of my mind then an eventual reread might fare differently, but I really appreciated Gates of Fire and would absolutely recommend it to any fan of Historical War Fiction.

Ότι και να πω για αυτό το βιβλίο είναι πραγματικά λίγο.
Ένα σύγχρονο έπος για το οποίο ο Ηρόδοτος, ο Όμηρος και ο Θουκυδίδης θα ήταν περήφανοι.
Μία σκληρή αλλά άκρως ρεαλιστική ιστορία για τη τιμή, τη δόξα, τη φιλία, τον θάνατο και τη ζωή, αλλά και το θάρρος.

Αυτό το βιβλίο θα έπρεπε να διδάσκεται στα σχολεία.

Το καλύτερο βιβλίο που εδώ διαβάσει μέχρι σήμερα. Θα κάνω πολύ καιρό να το ξεχάσω.!

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... 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.

Easily in my Top 3 of his-fic.

Undoubtedly one of the greatest books ever written. Every page, every word feels as if it is a part of something truly special. The history, the characters, the philosophy and the heartbreak amounted to the perfect book.

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.

2.7⭐
Originally posted August 8, 2020.
Edited for clarity January 23, 2024.
I don't know how accurate Steve Pressfield's vision of ancient Greece and the Battle of Thermopolye is. But it has enough of the feel of accuracy, of verisimilitude, to make his setting and characters believable, if not exactly likeable. Not all online critics agree. One claims that the battle tactics Pressfield uses come from a later period in Greek history (since the story takes place about 2500 years ago, I'm willing to cut him the 70 years slack, in this case). Another says the author's description of war wounds is unrealistic as it doesn't include the effects of gangrene and similar infections. For that I thank Mr. Pressfield, as his battles are quite gory enough.

My issues are with the story telling. I think he does a decent job creating a credible if brutal, society. I just have trouble with his frequent, long winded expositions extolling the supposed virtues of that society (and with the disjointed manner in which he tells his tale). The Greek city state we call Sparta was a militaristic oligarcy of slave holders, who extolled war over all other endeavors. The reason for that was mainly so it could keep its captive population under control. It banned most art, poetry and philosopy as effeminate. Pressfield hides none of that, to his credit, but he tries to excuse it with verbose, almost mystical ramblings about soldierly life and the brotherhood of warriors. He's not the first, the imperialist powers of 18th and 19th century Europe did the same. It just seems odd that a modern American would do it. And it takes away from what otherwise is a not bad adventure story. I doubt I'll read Pressfield's other novels as I simply don't appreciate his style (took a very long time to finish). You might want to look at it simply to see what the fuss is about.

One of the two best standalone books that I’ve ever read so far; this is truly historical fiction at its finest.

Lancelot by Giles Kristian was an amazing standalone and now, I’ve found Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. I’m starting to feel that historical fiction is the right genre to visit when I’m looking for amazing standalone books. In my opinion, both Lancelot and Gates of Fire achieved what I think at this point is impossible to find in SFF (my favorite genre) books: a standalone masterpiece. With fiery temerity, I’m not even afraid to claim these two as the best standalone books out of every genre I’ve ever read so far.

I could try to tell you all the incredible building blocks that make up this book and warrant these high praises but believe me that I will fail. Let me instead try to constrict my review to two factors: the philosophical content and the prose.

n  n   

“The hardship of the exercises is intended less to strengthen the back than to toughen the mind. The Spartans say that any army may win while it still has its legs under it; the real test comes when all strength is fled and the men must produce victory on will alone.”

n  n

If I’m not mistaken, Gates of Fire is on the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ Reading list. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because the philosophical content in this book is simply a jaw-dropping, resonating masterpiece. I’ve never been a soldier or marine, and I sure as hell don’t want to become one; the fear that would come with enlisting would probably make me shit myself to death. I’m always disgusted at the atrocities that humans can do to each other in the times of war. Ironically, wars also bring into focus how amazing and inspiring humanity can be. This book counters the fear and terror of war with perseverance, strength, and flaming resilience. Despite not being a soldier, I do believe that there are tons of incredibly positive messages you can get from reading this book. For example, the Spartans’ valorous attitude in the face of dominance and tyranny is something that's truly worth adapting to your life.

These results were possible only because of Pressfield’s usage of language. The prose was evocative and powerful, capable of igniting a variety of emotions. Pressfield also truly dived into the philosophy and psychology of the Spartans extremely well. Every word—even when they were info dumping—is imbued with a savage gravitational pull that utterly gripped me. Every scene was important in order to reach the culmination found in the final sections of the book, which was awe-inspiring.

Pressfield’s portrayal on The Battle of Thermopylae captured the power and strength of the Spartans. Told in vivid details that seems to transport all your senses into the book, you’ll feel the battle, tragedy, doom, and hope unfolding right in front of your eyes. You won’t be able to stop reading about the savage nature of humanity as it inflicts devastation and the counter method employed by the Spartans. I’m serious, these Spartans in a phalanx formation were a combination of almost literal demigods; functioning together with the same beating heart to become a windmill of death and defending their compatriots while killing anyone who approached them. A kindling ember of hope was lit by the 300 Spartans from the battle that results in a deluge of blood in the gates of fire, turning flesh and blood into gifts for Hades. This battle eventually would become the turning point for a future victory against the Persians and I enjoyed every moment of reading this book.

Picture: The Battle of Thermopylae



Suffice it to say that Gates of Fire has become one of the best escapism experiences I’ve ever had in my life. Don’t let the tragedy stop you from reading this book, because beneath the gores and battle, the nature of this book was hopeful and inspiring. There were myriads of incredibly positive messages in this book and I’ll definitely let them become a part of me as I move forward in my life.

Read this book and adapt the Spartans’ unconquerable strength and wisdom. Read this book at the risk of being invigorated, and adapt the Spartans’ valorous attitude. Read this book when you want to defeat Phobos (fear) and know in the end that strength in camaraderie, love, and good leadership always have a lot of power to pull you out of tough situations. I’m closing this review with one quote about leadership, it’s a bit long but trust me that you won’t regret reading it.

n  n   

“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.”

n  n

You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest

DNF @ 100 pages.

Like...I don't know what happened here. It's the freaking Spartans. It's ancient Greek historical fiction. Why didn't I love this?

I did not enjoy myself at all. I never even made it to Thermopylae. I was just so...tedious to me. It's littered with the Greek terminology for things to a degree that seems almost comical and I was just. so. bored. I put it down the first time when we get a montage of Spartan boys training and their overseer is basically the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket. That's just not my bag. When I picked it back up, I read two more chapters and was just so bored. Literally, the history book I have covering this time period was more interesting to me than this fiction book.

I am now 0 for 2 in Greek historical fiction. I weep. Fed by my tears, the floodwaters rise. Farms are destroyed. Livelihoods lost. The land lies fallow. Darkness comes.

«Ξένε ανήγγειλε στους Λακαιδομόνιους πως κειτόμεθα εδώ, πιστοί στους νόμους τους». Έτσι λιτά και… λακωνικά τίμησαν οι αρχαίοι τους πεσόντες στις Θερμοπύλες.

Η άποψη μου για το βιβλίο θα είναι εξίσου λακωνική, όπως του αρμόζει.
Μακάρι η «αναγνωστική» χρονιά να συνεχιστεί με τέτοιου επιπέδου βιβλία!! Μόνο αυτό…

The Battle of Thermopylae is nothing short of a turning point in history that decided if there would be a western world. This is a good and interesting dramatization.

Told through the eyes of Xeones a young man who's become a Helot (a type of slave). Having been enslaved by the Spartans as a young man he becomes in Gate of Fire the only Hellenistic survivor of the Battle of Thermopylae.

This book is one of the best fictional or fictionalized accounts of the battle. This historical fiction is used by members of the military and I've read is on the Commandant of the Marine Corps' reading list and has been taught at West Point (though I have no first hand knowledge of this).

Good book, good read.

Δεν είμαι ιδιαίτερα φαν βιβλίων με θέμα μάχες και πόλεμο αλλά μου άρεσε αρκετά η ιστορία αυτή! Άνετα τη προτείνω σε αναγνώστες που θέλουν αναλυτική περιγραφή μιας μάχης και να μάθουν για την εκπαίδευση των Σπαρτιατών αλλά και τι τους ενέπνεε για να πολεμήσουν!
Μου άρεσε πιο πολύ η ιστορία και ο χαρακτήρας του Διηνέκη και η σύζυγος του Αρέτη έθεσε κάποια ερωτήματα περί θανάτου που ομολογώ έχω σκεφτεί και εγώ έχοντας χάσει αγαπημένο μου πρόσωπο! Επίσης πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα η στάση και ο χαρακτήρας των γυναικών που έστελναν τους συζύγους και τα παιδιά τους στον πόλεμο και πως αντιμετώπιζαν την πιθανότητα του χαμού τους!
Μια γενικά πολύ καλή ιστορία!