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An excellent historical fantasy that tells the story of "300" from the eyes of a servant in the Spartan army.

This is only the first Historical Fiction book that I have read, and given that I liked (but didn't love) the first one I read, I had mixed feelings going into this one. Over the past few years I have been exclusively a fantasy reader, but I am also Greek and have always been fascinated by the Battle of Thermopyle - which this book is about. Ultimately while I do think there were some issues that prevented me from giving this a 5/5, I thought this was a riveting story that was excellently written and would recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind reading books with lots of violence and profanity.

I thought the choices the author made in terms of how this story was told was brilliant. This doesn't take the "300" route and tell the story from the perspective of King Leonidas - but instead tells it from the perspective of a servant in the army. This made the book feel much more alive and gave a richer sense of what the common soldier was going through than would have been otherwise possible. I also loved that this story used a framing narrative, where the story is being told by this Greek servant to the Persian forces after the Persians won the battle. It allowed the author to make frequent jumps from the present push into Greece, as well as spending most the time going back in time to tell the story from the Greek side.

Strangely enough, I actually thought that the strongest parts of this book were the parts leading up to the battle itself. Learning the backstory of this Greek servant, and seeing the training regimes of the Greek soldiers was absolutely wonderful in every way. And while the battle itself was interesting, it's also the part that I already knew so a lot of the sense of wonder was removed and resulted in me just wanting the battle to speed along so I could get back to learning more about the parts I was not clear on.

I did find myself a bit underwhelmed by the ending of this book. The ending of the battle itself is not the end of this overall conflict. There was more too it that involved the Greeks ultimately repelling the Persians later on due to the efforts made at Thermopylae. But these events are very quickly skimmed. And while I'm sure most people that read this are done with the story after the central battle was concluded, I kept wanting more and feeling a bit cheated.

Ultimately though, this is a wonderfully crafted book that is rich on detail - that any fan of history (and likely people that aren't) will get great enjoyment out of what Steven Pressfield has written here.

ΚΑΤΟΠΙΝ ΔΙΑΤΑΓΗΣ ΤΗΣ Μεγαλειότητάς Του, του Ξέρξη, γιου
του Δαρείου, Μεγάλου Βασιλέα της Περσίας και της Μηδίας,
Βασιλέα των Βασιλέων, Βασιλέα των Χωρών κυβερνήτη της
Λιβύης, της Αιγύπτου, της Αραβίας, της Αιθιοπίας, της Βαβυ­
λωνίας, της Χαλδαίας, της Φοινίκης, του Ελάμ, της Συρίας,
της Ασσυρίας και των χωρών της Παλαιστίνης· άρχοντα της
Ιωνίας, της Λυδίας, της Φρυγίας, της Αρμενίας, της Κιλικίας,
της Καππαδοκίας, της Θράκης, της Μακεδονίας και της
Υπερκαυκασίας, της Κύπρου, της Ρόδου, της Σάμου, της Χί­
ου, της Λέσβου και των νήσων του Αιγαίου· ανώτατου άρχο­
ντα της Παρθίας, της Βακτριανής, της Κασπίας, της Σουσια-
νής, της Παφλαγονίας και της Ινδίας· αφέντη όλων των αν­
θρώπων από Ανατολής μέχρι Δύσης, του Αγιοτάτου, Σεβα­
σμιοτάτου και Υψηλοτάτου, του Αήττητου και Αδιάφθορου,
του Ευλογημένου από το θεό Αχούρα Μάζντα και Παντο­
δύναμου μεταξύ των θνητών.

Και ξεκινώντας έτσι την ανάγνωση, καταλαβαίνεις ότι μάλλον θα διαβάσεις κάτι καλό.
Αυτό που δεν καταλαβαίνεις, είναι το ΠΌΣΟ καλό θα είναι αυτό.
Γιατί δεν ανοίγεις ένα βιβλίο.
Ανοίγεις έναν ασκό συναισθημάτων, που ξεχύνονται άπλετα καθόλη την διάρκεια της ανάγνωσης.
Και όχι μόνο αυτό. Οι περιγραφές είναι τόσο ζωντανές, που νομίζεις ότι είσαι σε μια γωνιά και εσύ και παρακολουθείς. Ίσως και για λίγο να νομίσεις ότι ήταν εκεί και ο ίδιος ο συγγραφέας, του οποίου η πένα δεν γράφει. Όχι, όχι! Ζωγραφίζει....
Ο πιο φανατικός αρχαιολάγνος θα ωχριούσε, μπροστά στον τρόπο που μιλάει για του�� Σπαρτιάτες και το πώς φαντάστηκε να δίνεται η μάχη των Θερμοπυλών. Χωρίς ωστόσο να αδικεί και τους Πέρσες.
Μια μάχη για την οποία τόσα και τόσα βιβλία γράφτηκαν, τόσα και τόσα τραγούδια εμπνεύστηκαν.
Από τα βιβλία που τα ανοίγεις και χάνεσαι μέσα τους.

Review of Kindle edition
Publisher: Bantam
January 30, 2007
ASIN: B000NJL7QO
531 pages

Like G.K. Holloway's 1066: What Fates Impose, this novel by Steven Pressfield is what historical fiction should be. Well researched story of Thermopylae, true to the time and place, informative, excellent character development and a well written, engrossing story.

Historical fiction at its finest, this novel recounts the fames Battle of Thermopylae, when a vastly outnumbered group of Greek soldiers took a heroic stand against the powerful Persian Army.

One of the best book I've read lately. With ease, I was drawn into the story of Spartans. In my head, I imagined each piece of equipment and felt the anticipation of oncoming battles that have become legends. No one can remain indifferent to the heroism of the Spartans who opposed the massive Persian army.

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 those who know nothing of Thermopylae will know the ending, because the book is told looking back in time.

The story is told my one survivor found by the Persians after the fateful battle. On the Persian king's orders, he tells not only the tale of the battle from the Spartan side, but also the culture, training, and beliefs of the Spartans and some of their Greek allies. It's the latter topics which take up most of the book, and which draw the reader in. Despite knowing how it comes out, the book is suspenseful as well as dramatic and moving. It's quite funny, in parts, as well.

I find myself wishing the author had written a book twice as long. I highly recommend it.

If you like your historical novels on the bloody side, this one’s for you. (The gore begin in earnest in chapter 24.) Apparently the book is a favorite of people in the military -- although I suspect if Pressfield had covered the Spartan man/apprentice “mentoring” program in a bit more depth the military might not be as crazy about the book. That said, it hits many of the points they try to instill in people in the various leadership schools.

Along with battle tactics and weapons, Pressfield did a very good job describing Spartan women but, I would have liked to have seen a bit more about Diomache. I wasn’t clear on how she ended up where she did.

It’s an extensively researched book, written by a first-rate storyteller. It’s well worth your time if you don’t mind buckets of blood and guts. As with many historical novels, I think it’s too long. I like books around 300 pages or shorter. Although I suspect most readers of historical fiction will disagree with me on this point.

One final thought: What is the opposite of fear? If you want the answer it’s the last sentence of chapter 31.

„Ne preziri rat, mladi moj prijatelju, niti zavaravaj sebe da su milosrđe i sažaljenje vrline uzvišenije nego andreia, muško junaštvo“

Od istorijske fikcije se ne može poželeti mnogo više od onoga što Presfild nudi u Ognjenoj kapiji. U pitanju je detaljna ispovest zarobljenog Spartanskog štitonoše koji je svedočio o legendarnom okršaju Grka i Persijanaca kod Termopilskog klanca. Ostavljajući po strani činjenice, kao i odsustvo činjenica (ni istorijski izvori njima ne barataju), koje se tiču samog istorijskog zbitija, ratničke i uopšte, univerzalne vrednosti, ovde su verno prikazane, ako ne tačnošću podataka (što se od romana nužno i ne očekuje), onda zamašnošću podviga i snagom duha koja će dok je sveta i veka biti ideal.

Spartanci hrabrost ne nalaze i ne podstiču halabukom – to je pseudoandreia, trenutno „veštačko“ kuražje – već suprostavljanjem strahu od smrti strah od obeščašćivanja. Oni se pre svega bore za čoveka u neposrednoj blizini, za svoje saborce, i požrtvovano sledeći ovu maksimu, usaglašeni, uvežbani, u stanju su da se odupru brojčano i materijalno nadmoćnijoj sili.

Ratnik nosi kalpak i oklop radi sopstvene zaštite, a štit radi bezbednosti cele bojne vrste.

Samosavlađivanje je veština koju ovi ratnici uče i vežbaju jer se po svaku cenu mora izbeći gubitak kontrole usled besa ili straha (katalepsis). Jedna od vrednih pouka koja se može izvući je značaj telesne discipline i rutine jer je rat (a ovo se, verujem, može primeniti i na druge životne oblasti gde je stres faktor) „ispunjavanje uobičajenog pod neuobičajenim okolnostima“ te proces koji stvara fizičku čvrstinu armira i duhovnu.

Imajući ovo na umu, jasno je zašto se Ognjena kapija obrađuje u zapadnjačkim vojnim školama i zašto je priča relevantana čak i danas kada je andreia na udaru. Iako se na „muci poznaju junaci“ nije nužno pohrliti na dva miliona čeličnih oštrica; kako stvari stoje, dovoljno će junaštvo jednoga dana biti, umesto Grčke i Termopila, braniti same vrline, muževnost i viteštvo, od hordi koje bi da ih obesmisle.

Presfildovi junaci su dopadljivi, a čak i oni koji isprva deluju nedostojni naklonosti, pod pritiskom dokazuju – očekivano ali uprkos tome dobrodošlo – da su dorasli svojoj sabraći. Horor borbe je prikazan iscrpno i na način koji ne ostavlja suviše naporima mašte, te je čitalac sa lakoćom prenesen na bojno polje, u falangu, međ’ planine naslaganih leševa, u reke krvi.

Postojanje se pretvorilo u prokop čije je zidove činila smrt i u kome nije preostala nada u spas ili izbavljenje. Neba više nije bilo, ni sunca ni zvezda. Preostala je jedino zemlja, izdrobljena, izrivena zemlja koja kao da je pod svakim čovekom čekala na njegovu prosutu utrobu, smrskane kosti, na krv, na život.

Si pongo como floja esta novela, me lapidan.

A ver, no es que sea floja, pero estoy un poco hasta el moño de la narración larga de batallas deonde nos muestran lo mala que es la guerra, los intestinos al aire, las heces, la orina, el dolor, el miedo, etc, etc, etc.

Como narrador me gustan más otros autores (Posteguillo, tirando de orgullo patrio, me gusta más).
Como interés en los personajes, pues el mismo Abercrombie no tiene nada que envidiarle al Presfield. Nada.
Los personajes femeninos apuntan algo pero se quedan en eso, en algo.
Y para colmo la historia está mas vista que el TBO (comic, de Fran Miller, igual era más exacto).

Lo mejor, para mi, los palabros griegos que se ven son las raices de mogollón de palabras en español. Estaba deseando que saliera un palabro griego nuevo para ver las similares en español.

Y si eso del griego es lo que más me ha gustado, pues eso, que no me dice demasiado de lo que he encontrado.

Por cierto, que la exaltación del valor, la superación a través de la mortificación de la carne, la camaradería y la disciplina espartana (sobre la que pasa por sus aspectos más oscuros de puntillas o directamente no pasa) no me dicen nada de nada.

Me leo y me dan ganas de dejarle en tres estrellas. Bueno, no, que me linchan.

To be fair, this book is exactly what the title sells it as. But it is nothing more than that. It is basically one long Brandon Sanderson fight scene. Epic? Maybe, but self-consciously epic, unbelievably epic; and therefore I found it powerless. And the writing is terrible.

"The more miserable the conditions, the more convulsing the jokes become, or at least that's how it seems. I have witnessed venerable Peers of fifty years or more, with thick gray in their beards and countenances as distinguished as Zeus', dropping helpless with mirth onto hands and knees, toppling onto their backs and practically pissing down their legs they were laughing so hard. Once on an errand I saw Leonidas himself, unable to get to his feet for a minute or more, so doubled over was he from some otherwise untranslatable wisecrack."

Good thing the joke was untranslatable, because otherwise Pressfield might have had to write it, and dialog is beyond him.

Not a spoiler: They all die in the end. As you already know, thanks to history or pop culture (“300”). 
 
This is the historically accurate version of the Battle of Thermopylae, i.e. not 300 Spartans with bare abs against two million degenerate Persians. But rather a few thousand Greeks led by 300 Spartan knights – with armor – against some hundred thousand Persian soldiers.
 
The battle is recounted by Xeones, a lone survivor and Spartan squire, to the Persian emperor Xerxes. Xeones’ narrative spans many years and provides the backstory of the characters fighting the Battle of Thermopylae, as well as insights into the Spartan way of life.
 
Gates of Fires is rich in historical detail. The writing style is somewhat stilted, combined with profane soliders’ banter. But then, that is soldiers of all eras for you (the author is a former Marine). Taken together this works quite well as an immersive reading experience.
 
Writing a gripping account of a several-days-long battle already known to the reader takes skill. Pressfield manages this admirably well. The descriptions of the battles are visceral.
 
This is also a book about what people fight for and what they are willing to die for, about fear and how to overcome it, and good leadership. It is not surprising that this is a favorite book for many soldiers. Gates of Fire contains some powerful messages regarding these topics, and is therefore not as bleak as you might think.
 
"‘Here is what you do, friends. Forget country. Forget king. Forget wife and children and freedom. Forget every concept, however noble, that you imagine you fight for here today. Act for this alone: for the man who stands at your shoulder. He is everything, and everything is contained within him. That’s all I know. That’s all I can tell you.’"
 
"‘The opposite of fear,’ Dienekes said, ‘is love."

Una descripción espectacularmente épica de la batalla de las Termópilas (unas 100 páginas). El resto del libro (unas 300 páginas) totalmente prescindible.
En la traducción española, en el capítulo 36 se salta la mitad del contenido y se inventa un trozo (verificado con la edición inglesa). ¿Por qué hacen este tipo de cosas?