Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield
Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield
3 Rating(s)
List: $15.00 | Sale: $10.50
Club: $7.50

Gates of Fire

Author: Steven Pressfield

Narrator: Derek Jacobi

Abridged: 6 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/05/2000


Synopsis

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. 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. . . .

About The Author

Steven Pressfield is author of the international bestseller Gates of Fire, an epic novel of the battle of Thermopylae, and The Legend of Bagger Vance. He lives in Los Angeles.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Petrik on December 10, 2022

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......more

Goodreads review by Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews on November 18, 2022

Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions upon finishing reading fantasy books. 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......more

Goodreads review by Randy on October 22, 2013

Gates of Fire is one of my favorite books...ever. I first read it back when I was in the Marine Corps. It was on the Commandant’s Reading List for a time - required reading for any motivated teufelhund. The author himself is a former Marine, and draws upon his experiences to create a compellingly i......more

Goodreads review by William on February 27, 2024

BookTube channel with my awesome brother, Ed - The Brothers Gwynne My personal BookTube channel - William Gwynne Gates of Fire is one of the most extraordinary books I have ever read. This is a book about friendship, camaraderie, purpose, sacrifice, fear and love. It is a book that examines th......more

Goodreads review by Michelle F on February 17, 2022

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......more


Quotes

“Vivid and exciting . . . Pressfield gives the reader a perspective no ancient historian offers, a soldier’s-eye view . . . remarkable.”The New York Times Book Review

“Pressfield’s powerful, historically accurate novel explores Spartan society and the nature of courage without ever losing its narrative momentum.”New Yorker

“Impressive . . . vivid.”USA Today

“Majestic . . . monumental . . . epic. . . . A novel that is intricate and arresting and, once begun, almost impossible to put down.”—New York Daily News

Gates of Fire lives up to its billing as an epic novel. . . . [Pressfield’s] Greeks and Persians come across as the real thing.”San Francisco Chronicle

“Riveting . . . rich with historical detail, hot action and crafty storytelling.”Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Steven Pressfield brings the battle of Thermopylae to brilliant life, and he does for that war what Charles Frazier did for the Civil War in Cold Mountain.”—Pat Conroy

“An incredibly gripping, moving, and literate work of art. Rarely does an author manage to re-create a moment in history with such mastery, authority, and psychological insights.”—Nelson DeMille

“A timeless epic of man and war . . . Pressfield has created a new classic deserving of a place beside the very best of the old.”—Stephen Coonts