When I first tried reading this book about the Battle of Thermopylae, after a while I just had to put it down. I didn't know if it was because I just didn't like it, or if it was because it wasn't the right time to read it. So I tried again.

Forgive me for saying something like this, but it's clear the book is written by a man. There is way too much detail, but absolutely no emotional foundation. I think one of the reviewers captured it best when he/she commented on Pressfield's ability in writing a "military novel." Need I say more?

I am betting my husband would love this. But for me, just when it gets good, Pressfield derails into too much boring, needless detail. I stuck it out pretty far, but after about 2/3, I've decided that there are too many other books in the world to spend any more time on this one.

I'm definitely going to see what my hubby thinks, though. When I find out, I'll update my review!

Written with passion, and with a clear intention to present the experience of soldiers, whenever they lived. The result isn't anachronism but a reality lent to ancient Greece, along with a timelessness.

The highs and lows of the soldier's life are here. I say lows because those Spartans were mad as a cut snake, in my eyes. Highs: you know of the self-sacrifice at Thermopylae.

Few books can transport you so convincingly to an ancient world, in this case, Greece. It makes you believe you understand how someone lived and fought in another time and place. Fantastic!

One of the most enjoyable books I've ever come across! Pressfield is a fantastic writer. I could hear, feel, and see the events taking place in my mind as I followed the story. I can't outright recommend this book for Christian readers because of some graphic language and violence, but if you can look past that, "Gates of Fire" is an excellent novel. Pressfield delves deeply into the philosophy and mindset of the soldier as well, and has probably the best description of servant leadership that I've ever seen.

Should've been the source material for 300.

This book is about the Battle of Thermopylae in ancient Greece, where 300 Spartans fought to the death. The main character of the book is a slave who is captured by the Spartans. Even though he is a slave of the Spartans, he begins to admire their bravery and courage.

During the course of the book, we see the slave’s hometown get destroyed, we find out how he becomes a slave, and why he admires the Spartans’ courage. We also see the slave become a warrior who fights next to the Spartans. This was a surprising book for me. I wasn't expecting to like it and ended up loving it. This is also probably one of the better books on war that has ever been written.

-Potencia y tensión combativa.-

Género. Novela Histórica.

Lo que nos cuenta. Un superviviente de la batalla de las Termópilas recuerda su infancia en Esparta, su formación y los eventos que le llevaron a formar parte de los soldados que intentaron detener al gran ejército de Xerxes en su invasión de la Antigua Grecia.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....

«Οι πύλες της φωτιάς»

Μια ωραία προσέγγιση που αφορά στην επική μάχη των Θερμοπυλών! Ενώ κυλάει γρήγορα σε δυσκολεύουν τα ονόματα και οι ιδιότητές τους. Επίσης, κάποια κεφάλαια μου άρεσαν αρκετά κ σε κάποια χάθηκα, κουράστηκα! Περίμενα βέβαια, κ οι περιγραφές κ οι αφηγήσεις της μάχης να είναι πιο λεπτομερείς.

Παρ’ όλα αυτά είναι ένα βιβλίο που προτείνω να διαβαστεί από αναγνώστες που αγαπούν τα ιστορικά μυθιστορήματα! Θα το απολαύσουν!

Bitka kod Termopila bila je jedna od onih koje su promenile zapadnu civilizaciju - istoričari tvrde da je zbog tog poraza helenskih državica od Persijanaca, kasnije sačuvana antička kultura, evropski začeci demokratije i onoga što je kasnije nastalo u Evropi.

Ognjene kapije predstavljaju priču na realističniji način od stripovskog 300 - branilaca naravno nije bilo samo 300, već preko 4,000 - ali Presfild i dalje temelji delove svog istraživanja na Heroditu, koji tvrdi da je Persijanaca bilo preko dva miliona (noviji izvori smatraju da je Grka bilo nekoliko desetina hiljada, a Persijanaca ne više od 300,000.

Osim same bitke, Ognjene kapije nam predstavljaju romantičku verziju Sparte, društva koje temelji na surovom vojnom treningu, ali pre svega na časti. Spartanci su idealizovani do te mere da čovek poželi da nastavi da čita o njima, pa i postane deo takve kulture. Iako ovo nema bliže veze sa istorijskom realnošću, kao deo fikcije je potpuno na mestu i meni kao čitaocu koji se potpuno prepustio autoru, dalo ne uzvišen osećaj ponosa, a neki od likova ostaće mi među omiljenim likovima Antike.

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.

3.5

Having just finished all the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, this was a strong change of perspective and tone. I was initially disturbed by the depictions of war and life in ancient Greece. Whether I adjusted over the first hundred pages or it's simply that the most disturbing material is in the beginning, I can't say. I do know that I quickly became engrossed in both the story and setting.

Now I want to see the armor and weapons from the time period so I can better understand the phalanx fighting style of the Greeks. I want to learn more about the Persian military to understand why their weapons and armor differed so greatly. I am fascinated by the descriptions of Spartan psychology (though I certainly lack the physical attributes, perhaps mentally I might've made a good Spartan!).

This being the first Steven Pressfield book I've read, I can only hope this isn't his one hit wonder. Even if that is the case, it's brilliant enough for me to consider him an amazing author of historical fiction.