Rating: 
Summary: Stretches credibility, but has its occasional virtues
Review: "Gates of Fire" undoubtedly believes in its subject matter, which gives this account of the Spartans and their stand Thermopylae some vigor and sincerity, but I was troubled by the inconsistent narrative style (it veers between modern and a studied archaism that I found jarring and awkward) and the level of grotesque violence and language, which seems over the top to me. From my studies (intensive and spanning three decades), I don't think ancient Sparta was run as much like a casually sadistic, Zen Marine boot camp as the book depicts -- I can't imagine that such a setting would truly produce such a stable society or such superb soldiers and commanders as it did for so long, and it all seems too "modern" from my perspective. The odd addition of "Kung Fu"-like philosophizing (I almost expected the senior Spartan characters to start calling their proteges "Grasshopper" after
awhile) on top of this was also a bit strange. That said, the book does have a certain power and sweep; it's no "The Killer Angels" but its Thermopylae battle is among the most realistic and gripping yet committed to print. (This was read by Stephen Harrigan in his research for his far superior Alamo novel, "Gates of the Alamo", as a guide for how to make a doomed last stand engaging.) The author has obviously done a lot of study, even where I don't agree with his conclusions. An "okay" effort at best, but very contemporary, and I wouldn't be so quick to call it a classic as some. Others have noted a disturbing lack of conscience to this book (pro-war, silent on issues like Spartan slavery), and I echo these reservations.
Rating: 
Summary: Rich and Magnificent
Review: Being both an ancient history buff and an avid reader, I was more or less obligated to read this book. As it turns out, I am immensely glad I did.
The first thing I noticed was that, even though the author is from modern America (a place which has produced the blandest literature ever conceived) his style is excellent. The book is written in much the same way I believe an ancient Greek would have written it. The writer's language is slightly arcane and succinctly descriptive; the speech is elegant, a throwback to the days when the ability to speak eloquently was considered paramount to a man's character.
I did not get into the story immediately, but when I persevered a little I was soon wholly immersed. I read for hours a day until I finished (it helped, of course, that the book involves the Battle of Thermopylae, one of my favorite episodes in all of history even before I read it). The brutally disciplinarian nature of Spartan culture is communicated clearly, but though we see its savagery, Pressfield makes us see its good side as well. From this discipline there came honor, duty, loyalty, bravery; at times while I was reading I couldn't help but think, whether rightly or not, that perhaps our society should be more like theirs. Especially poignant is when it is explained that a soldier may cast away his helmet without fear of punishment, even in combat, because it is for his own protection only; if he drops his shield, however, the punishment is severe, because by doing so he has endangered the entire line.
This, and many other aspects of Spartan culture, are portrayed strongly in the book; the use of solid information is painstaking, every detail shaped carefully for historical accuracy. Through his diligent research, Pressfield has created an experience of astonishing richness and starkly savage beauty; he has given us a chance to live with the Spartans for a time. Much of historical fiction (though especially that written for children) feels contrived, with too many ancillary details, clumsily trying to insert more "educational" material into the book than the story warrants. There is no trace of that in "Gates of Fire." The information given sounds convincingly like Xeones telling a foreigner about his home country, to provide background for his tale, not some author living hundreds of years after the events about which he is telling, sprinkling bread crumbs of information messily about to prevent the density of his readers from rendering his story useless as an educational tool. This book was not written to be read in classrooms, to breathe a dim spark of life into an insipid Social Studies class; it was written to keep alive the memory of brave warriors and a mighty civilization. Pressfield's motivation is similar to what that of Xeones would be, which I imagine is why it's so convincing. In this book, you are there; at times you more than sympathize with the characters- you share their experience. In this way, "Gates of Fire" is one of the best books I have ever read, and a triumph of historical fiction.
Rating:
Summary: reponse to Piper909
Review: This is not so much a review of Gates of Fire; so much as it is a response to Piper909's review of the book. I will say however, that Gates of Fire is a great novel and should be on the shelf of any enthusiast of History, or Historical Fiction. That being said I will now proceed with my criticism of Piper909's review.Piper909 is not an expert on ancient Greece. He may have studied something intensively for three decades, but it certainly didn't have anything to do with ancient Greece. This is shown to be quite obvious when he says, "I can't imagine such a Waffen-SS setting would truly produce such a stable society." The Spartan society was anything but stable. They were constantly afraid of an uprising by the Helot (slave) population, who vastly outnumbered the Spartan citizens. Indeed this is the main reason why the Spartans were often so reluctant to go to war outside the Peloponnese. I also do not understand how he thinks the book was too modern because the military training described in the book is so rigorous. This statement truly amazes me. The Spartan military training (along with the stand at Thermopilai, of course) is what has made the Spartan society so famous today. There is in fact no scholarly debate over the extreme harshness of Spartan military training. Piper909's assertion that there is some kind "kung fu philosophizing" also demonstrates his utter lack of knowledge of the time period. As he doesn't even give an example of what he considers to be "kung Fu" about the book I must speculate. He is probably referring to one of the two main themes of the book: that of honor, and of freedom. Honor was very important to the ancient Spartans. Sparta did not print money (money was illegal inside Sparta). They did not have lavish homes, or build famous architectural masterpieces. Indeed if one goes to Sparta today, the reminders of the ancient Spartan culture will be things that were recently built (such as the statue of Lycurgus, the building of which was funded by Greek-Americans of Spartan descent). So the accumulation of honor was the principle motivational force for the people of ancient Sparta, as the accumulation of wealth is today. It could be that Piper909 was criticizing the theme of freedom, but this would also be fallacy, even in the non-democratic Sparta. Freedom, and the desire to maintain a uniquely Greek culture, was what the whole Persian war was all about. Indeed, the Greco-Persian war is considered to be the first ideological war in history. So Pressfield's inclusion of these two themes is both accurate and necessary to fully understand the war. I find it ironic (and somewhat humorous) that Piper909 criticizes the book because it is "silent on issues of Spartan slavery" for two reasons. First, slavery was a part of every day life in ancient times, and was accepted without question by the Spartan elite. Having a moral discussion on slavery included in the novel would be inaccurate, and too modern (something that piper909 himself accuses of the book). Second, Pressfield is not silent on the issue of slavery. One of the main characters of the book is half Spartiate, and half Helot (did Piper909 even read this book?).There is an entire section of the book dealing with how this character feels about his place in the society, and how others react to him. I find nothing wrong if someone does not like this book and writes a bad review of it. What I do have a problem with is someone passing themselves off as experts and then trashing the book because of mistaken assumptions of the time period
Rating: 
Summary: Deep insights into warrior psyche; vivid battle recreation
Review: The story of the Spartans' stand at Thermopylae is one of the great heroic legends of all time. How, then, does one tell a well known story with sufficient "freshness" to entice the modern reader? In Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield uses a very sensible approach. 1) He Introduces elements of Ancient Greek culture to give modern readers (many of whom were shorted on ancient history by the modern educational system) familiarity with the historical and cultural context of the novel. 2) He digs deeply into the psychology of creating a social bonding unique to competitive sports and military groups: small unit cohesion. This exposition is crucial when trying to paint a sympathetic picture of men striving to kill one another at arm's length. (Or at any distance, for that matter.) 3) He paints a vivid "spearman's-eye-view" of battle by sword, shield, and spear. The requirement for vivid imagery should not be taken lightly. Today's reader is brought up in a very visual environment, what with TV and the superb directing, cinematography, and special effects of Hollywood productions. Evoking bold images with the written word is often necessary to sustain the interest of the video generation (this includes far too many Baby Boomers, in which demographic, alas, this reviewer falls.) 4) He builds an emotional bridge between the characters and the reader. The difficulty in creating this bridge, between a modern reader and an authentic ancient person, is that the "modern" viewpoint is frequently overwritten onto the ancient character(s). Most of the non-historical characters in Gates of Fire are too modern for my taste, however the linkage works well enough for the story to retain coherence. 5) Above all, Pressfield delves deeply into the "military mind," or more correctly, the warrior's psyche. An eerie reflection of the different temperaments adopted by fighting units at Thermopylae, as illustrated by Pressfield, can be found in a modern non-fiction work, __Blackhawk Down__. (A primary source based account of the firefight in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993.) The contrast between the Thespians(emotional) and Spartans(calmly grim) is echoed by the observed/reported behaviors of Regular Army soldiers, Rangers, and Special Forces(Delta) soldiers. One could argue that Mr Pressfield modeled his ancient warriors on modern soldiers-- perhaps because they do the same job as the ancient hoplites with different equipment and tactics. Whether or not he did so, the author presents a profound male archetype with considerable skill. Pressfield's prose and his sensible approach makes this legendary battle accessible to the modern reader within the constraints of historical fiction. Xeo's credibility as an observer suffers from an unavoidable awkwardness, as historically the Spartans were slain to the last man. Pressfield's recreation of the battle and the richness of the Ancient Greek cultural setting overwhelm any problems of logic required to place a surviving observer in a position to recount the battle from the inside -- a battle that has only been chronicled from the outside. The result is a book of mercifully moderate length that is hard to put down. Gates of Fire provides an entertaining and enlightening look at those who fight when all rational instinct is to retreat or surrender, a story that has been retold through the ages from Thermopylae to Bastogne. As with most good authors, Pressfield tells more than the apparent story. He illustrates, for those readers unfamiliar with military arcana, why warriors fight and what they fight for. He asserts as well a timeless theme: Victory and greatness come to those who pay the price, as does the security of those far behind the shield wall.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent portrayal of Spartan life.
Review: Though not an easy read, certainly one of the most captivating this year. For those who enjoy ancient studies and the classics, this mesmerizing novel takes one into the life of a Spartan as told by the young Xeo. The depiction of the battle scene at the gates, puts into words what the Normandy invasion was visually to movie goers of Private Ryan. Our modern world's Navy Seals and other elite forces have nothing on the Greek Spartans of Thermopylae. The rich characters' stories interwoven with the tale of the Greek history's most fierce battle make for one of the best books I have read in years. This is a passionate story of war, brotherhood, endurance and ultimate sacrifice to preserve a culture. As a woman, I could easily understand after reading this book why some men (and women) find the "test of a warrior" a challenge to be met.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic battle!
Review: Mr Pressfield tells a compelling story from cover to cover that keeps you glued to the book and unhappy when it finally comes to the end. He paints an awesome picture of what it must have been like to have to go into battle against such tremendous odds and the courage and strength it took to be a warrior 3,000 years ago. I highly reccommend this book for anyone who wants to know about these men who gave their lives to save their city states, not only the Spartans, but others as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Lacks The Guts To Be Gay
Review: There are many excellent reviews that explain this novel in great detail. I won't waste the reader's time by restating the great parts of this book. I was, for instance, quite involved in Pressman's description of phalanx warfare. Pressman also details the brutal upbringing deemed necessary to create such an ancient warrior. What is lacking, however, in all this historical recreation is the true relationship between the older and younger soldiers. So what, for instance, that ancient Greeks were bisexual? It is a simple matter of fact that young boys were expected to catch the eye of an older man, whether in Athens or Sparta. It happened. Big deal. Get over it. Spartan men were paired not only to teach the younger man the art of war, but for sex as well. As the young man grew to adulthood, this relationship became one of friendship. This was such a problem that Spartan women had their heads shaved on their wedding nights (or night it was consummated) so as not to shock the young male at being so "different." If you had spent most of your life around men and a NAMBLA-style relationship it would be "different" to you too. Just for the sake of comparison, the Theban Sacred Band, made up of 300 pairs of male lovers took this concept of male bonding to the martial extreme. It also was the formation that later crushed the Spartan army. I give this book 5 stars for readability and some historical accuracy, but 1 star for the failure to give the real portrait of Spartan society. Until I hear from Pressman, I will always wonder if his editor made him take this part out so as not to offend the "general reading public."
Rating:
Summary: Pass this book on to your children!!!
Review: The Gates of Fire is with out a doubt one of the best books I have ever read bar none. If you are a fan of the genre then you must make it your duty to read this book. I will always remember the first time I read it. Keep this in your collection of books at home and introduce it to your children when they are old enough to read this type of material. Truly amazing!
Rating:
Summary: Epic Story of Courage and Valor
Review: "With our lives we sow courage in the hearts of our allies and the brothers of our armies left behind. They are the ones who will ultimately produce victory, not us." These were the words of King Leonidas before the final battle at Thermopylae. It was a suicide mission of three hundred Spartan warriors together with some four thousand of their allies against two million Persians and their allies. The year was 480 B.C. and the Persian Empire was determined to subjugate all of Greece. Victory or defeat would be defined by the courage that would be shown on this narrow pass in northeastern Greece. Steven Pressfield brilliantly illustrates this important battle. One can only speculate how different Greece would be without this immortal stand. There probably would be no Plato, Socrates, or Aristotle. The great playwrights like Aristophanes, Euripides and Sophocles may very well be silent. There would be no Golden Age of Pericles; no Greek classical period; and democracy would not be born. The Renaissance period may never have existed. This stand was pivotal for the development of Western civilization. Pressfield writes his story as a historical narrative told by a captive named Xeones; a squire serving a Spartan officer. He recounts his life and the horrors of war he suffered at the hands of the Argives when he was just a small child. He admired the Spartans for their courage and chose to live among them. Thus began an incredible journey through Spartan life from the "agoge" to actual battle. He came to understand how body and mind work together. He learned that fear loses battles and conquering fear wins them. He learned to control his emotions and fight as a single unit and not a collection of individuals. Pressfield doesn't stop at describing Spartan life or the battle at Thermopylae but he puts the reader in the mind of a Spartan. One can only come away with a sense of awe and wonder at this small population of hoplite warriors that influenced the art of warfare to this day. Gates of Fire is a magnificent story of courage and valor. Steven Pressfield takes the reader right there at the battle where you can practically hear the sounds of terror; the clashing of armor; and the smell of death. You come to know intimately the lives of many of these fighters and you feel the torment of their deaths. It can be a difficult read at times as the story skips around a lot, but it will never lapse for pure thrill and excitement.
Rating:
Summary: Pressfield brings the battle and characters to life!
Review: I love historical fiction. So when a co-worker recommended this book, I ran right out and got it. And I'm really glad I did. The battle of Thermopylae was one of the most magnificent defeats ever suffered by any army; it made the legend of the Spartan warriors. Some histories have it that King Xerxes of Persian commanded an army of around 2 million men and were moving to attack the city of Thermopylae. Thermopylae was a port and situated behind a mountainous pass. 300 Spartan soldiers and about 3,500 allies, sworn to defend the City, stationed themselves at the pass and for a week, held off Xerxes'army. The story is narrated by the lone Spartan survivor of the battle and is told to King Xerxes of Persia. Mr. Pressfield brings not only the battle to life, but his characters as well. I found myself hoping against all odds (and history)that the Spartans might win this battle, so sympathetic are the characters. He describes the Spartan way without detracting from the story - rather, it allows the reader to understand why the 300 performed as they did. This book reads very quickly. It is compelling and I recommend it highly.
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