Rating: 
Summary: One of the great classics of our time
Review: Few authors have attempted, much less succeeded, in writing a tale that captures the rich flavor and sheer drama of ancient warfare like Steven Pressfield had in "Gates of Fire," his novel of the famous Battle at Thermopylae. Poignant and descriptive, this novel delved deeply into the true meaning of being a warrior, the warrior ethos in the brotherhood of arms, and that elevated state of mind when the fear, or phobos, of death has lost its grip on an individual. Bar none, this is among the best books I have ever read.Although it does bear comparison to other contemporary war classics such as "The Killer Angels," "Gates of Fire" really stands on its own as a remarkable novel. Pressfield's prose alternates between the narrative and the poetic, and he never fails to hold the reader in thrall with his storytelling power. To simply call "Gates of Fire" a good book, however, is like calling the Mona Lisa simply a good painting. To read this book is to experience it and be moved by it; it invariably leaves an indelible mark on our psyche.
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Summary: What a gut churner!
Review: Gates of Fire is one of the more powerful books I have ever read. I was in awe of these characters. After reading this book, bravery has a new meaning. Pressfield winds a great story, crafting characters that are deep and meaningful. These are great characters that you feel for and like tremendously. I found myself feeling their pain in the battle scenes, which are brutal and awe inspiring. What was also very interesting was the description of Spartan society, and how it fit into broader Greece. It made you sincerely appreciate the men that throughout time sacraficed their lives to protect their families and country. Better them than me, because being in a battle like that would have been like being in hell. As an aside, this book blows away Tides of War. Tides of War was a sleeper compared to this. If you were dissapointed in Tides of War, as was I, do not miss Gates of Fire. It is a totally different read!
Rating:
Summary: READ IT!
Review: If you enjoyed the movies Gladiator and Braveheart - this is a great book! I was entranced by the honor and chivalry exemplified by this book. This book takes you to another world and is a must read. I am going to Marine boot camp soon and when people ask me why I want to be a Marine I tell them to read this book. Pressfield helps us journey to another place in time and relate to people with a different way of thinking. READ IT!!
Rating:
Summary: An Epic Literary Accomplishment
Review: If there were a rating beyond 5 stars, this book would surely qualify. Mr. Pressfield has done a truly remarkable job of recreating a world obscured by the mists of history. The typical picture of ancient Greece presented in school today focuses almost exclusively on the Athenians and if Sparta is mentioned at all, it is usually as an antagonist to the "good guys." I found this account of the Spartan culture and lifestyle fascinating. But beyond a work of historical fiction, this book is both an excellent military novel and an account of bravery and feats of arms so amazing that you might not believe it.... except that it really happened. Even the narrative device used to tell the story (an interesting problem when you think about trying to tell a story where none of the protagonists survived) is masterfully created. In all, simply one of the best novels of the past decade.
Rating:
Summary: Gates of Fire
Review: Quite simply the best novel I've read in a long, long time. Vivid battle set-pieces are the highlight, but the story moves on at a great pace -- I couldn't recommend this highly enough.
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Summary: A real feel for battle
Review: Steven Pressfield gives the reader a true feel for the Spartan hoplite phalanx--and for war as a whole. Using the backdrop of the battle of Thermopylae where 300 Spartan elite troops, along with allies and auxiliaries, held off two million (according to legend) Persians and their allies for days, Pressfield describes both the details of Spartan tactics, and the philosophy of fear. Although the battle of Thermopylae is inherently interesting, it is Pressfield's analysis of man that makes GATES OF FIRE especially powerful. The different characters in this novel portray varying aspects of the ideal. Polynikes, for example, is heroic almost to a comic-hero level. Dienekes, in contrast, is philosophical--heroic because it is the right thing to do rather than to search after glory. This novel is an exceptional effort by a talented author.
Rating: 
Summary: Great premise, but too long, too many characters
Review: Have no doubt about it, Presser is a talented storyteller, but there are just so many characters that any reader can keep track of, and feel empathy with, in a single novel. I was trudging through at the end, sort of like a Spartan grinding my sheild against the pages before me, a reference you'll understand if you read this book.
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Summary: An Epic Story of Loyalty, Honor and Sacrafice
Review: My husband read this book and raved about it. I thought it would be a "mans" book but ventured to read it anyway. From the very begining I could not put it down. Pressfield writes with amazing detail and clarity. I was drawn to the characters and felt as if I knew them. The desription of Xeones life and how he came to be at the battle of the Hot Gates was amazing. I felt like I was not only reading a compelling novel of loyalty, honor and sacrafice--but I was getting a lesson in Spartan history as well. Pressfield's portrayal of the rigors of Spartan life and self-discipline was fascinating. I absolutely loved this novel.
Rating:
Summary: Best book I read in 1999
Review: Riveting. Engrossing. Detailed. Sympathetic. Immediate. Not being one of the great authors of history, words elude me to accurately describe the impact this had. Gates of Fire brings you immediacy: right there, in the dust and dirt of the lyceum, in the sweating struggling surge of the line of battle, in the struggle of a young man to chart his course in life despite the fates and forces of man and nature. If Pressfield doesn't know how to use a sword or kill a man with one, it certainly isn't noticable in his writing. Told from the unique point of view of a survivor of the Battle of Thermopylae, this is the epic of a Spartan slave. Bereft of his home at a young age, Xeones knows that a man without a city is not a man. He looks at Hellenistic Greece as a cornucopia from which to choose. Sparta draws him like a siren's song. He wants to be a warrior, so he heads off to the home of the greatest in Hellas. But life never goes the way you want. Gates of Fire follow his training and beginning as a warrior. Though not a free man, he trains side by side with them, and is eventually confronted with the fact that even a warrior's life is never as simple as it seems in the training grounds. The book ends with the Battle of Thermopylae. Do you know how the battle ended? Read the book anyway. For, like war, it is not always who won or lost, but how it all came to be which is how one learns. I actually cried at the end, even though I knew how the story had to end. (I also heard the audio-book. It is condensed, but very worthwhile.) Be prepared to exert yourself when you read this. It will draw you in, and is not a quick read. Definately the best book I read in 1999.
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Summary: Very accurate account on the defense of Thermopylae
Review: Pressfield gives vivid descriptions of characters, and the brutality of Spartan warriors. This book was written as a personal account told by a Spartan slave to the Persians just after the battle. Although this was never told to the Persians(there were no Spartan survivors) it was still historicaly accurate, and a great book. If you want to learn more about Thermopylae, and don't want to get bored while you learn, this book is for you.
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