Gates of Fire
An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
Random House Publishing Group · Print & ebook · September 27, 2005
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 . . .
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- Who it’s for
- Thermopylae’s famous stand comes into focus through the testimony of its sole Spartan survivor.
- Themes
- Military sacrifice, Courage and endurance, Battle and survival
- Genres
- War Fiction, Historical Fiction
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Start with this bookAbout this book
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.
Continue reading
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. . . .
A Soldier’s-Eye View
Thermopylae’s famous stand comes into focus through the testimony of its sole Spartan survivor.
Come here for
- A vivid, ground-level perspective on an ancient battle
- Spartan courage and endurance under relentless pressure
Expect
- A bloody, immersive historical novel
- One wounded survivor left to tell the tale
Where it sits
| Historical Fiction | 98% |
|---|---|
| War Fiction | 53% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Historical Fiction
- Military Thrillers
- War Fiction
- Authors
- Steven Pressfield
- Publisher
- Random House Publishing Group
- Published
- September 27, 2005
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Military sacrifice · Courage and endurance · Battle and survival
- Reading lane
- Historical Fiction