https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1305.Gates_of_Fire
I enjoyed the brief break in professional reading over the Christmas holiday to read an actual novel. It made a nice change!
As you might guess, Gates of Fire is set at the Battle of Thermopylae but told in a different format. In fact it isn't really about Thermopylae at all but about the Spartan culture as recounted by a squire of the one of the 300 Spartan peers.
As opposed to the recent movies, Pressfield's novel is very much based in historical fact. It follows the education and building of a Spartan warrior, the social demands upon him and his family, and the Spartan society as a whole and how it functions. Pressfield also puts the allied contingents at Thermopylae into the spotlight, highlighting their contributions until their withdrawal was ordered, leaving only the small Spartan contingent.
This is not a faced paced, action packed book but I quite enjoyed it nonetheless. It was quite engaging and left one wondering how the action would progress at the Hot Gates, even though you know how that battle concludes. My only gripe is that Pressfield seemed overly determined to prove he had done a bunch of research and loved throwing in Greek words and terms in the book. In many places in was quite right and added theme, but he overdid it in my opinion and I was left trying to remember what that word was. Not a big gripe overall, but there it is.
If you like ancients, hoplites, phalanxes and the like then this book is for you. I really enjoyed it and, inevitably, it had me scrolling through the lovely 6mm offerings at places like this.
A great read! I've read a few of his others and, though entertaining enough, they don't come up to the standard of Gates of Fire.
ReplyDeleteGood to know, thanks Gordon!
DeleteThanks for the review! Gates of Fire is currently sitting in the 'Tower of To-Read' I have, and this bumped it up to the top.
ReplyDeleteYou won't regret it Brian. In a rare feat this book was delivered to me by Amazon and was finished within two weeks!
DeleteI thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and had thought that it would make an excellent movie, given its strong characterisations and unusual choice of narrator.
ReplyDeleteOf course, then the movie of Frank Miller's '300' came along and put the kybosh on any such project for the foreseeable future!
I agree on both points Evan.
DeleteI think '300' has put the kybosh on any ancient Greek movies for some time to come
I might have to have a little look at this myself.
ReplyDeleteBe warned Michael - this will likely lead you to creating some sort of Spartan diorama!
DeleteI quite enjoyed this a few years back - I understand he also wrote at least one novel on the Pelopenesian (sp?) War which I should check out at some point.
ReplyDelete"Tides of War" perhaps Michael?
Deletehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1317.Tides_of_War
The Afghan Campaign is another good book of his. It really gives you a good feeling for the despair that anyone not of that region feels dealing with them.
ReplyDeletei loved this book and was hoping that this version would've been better on the screen rather than the graphic novel version '300'. oh well, maybe one day... btw, have you read his other book: tides of war? i recommend it!
ReplyDelete