Rating: 
Summary: Apalling
Review: What really, really scares me is that this piece of reactionary pseudo-history is highly rated among U.S. Army people. One would like to think that people who have the duty and privilege to defend democracy should be able to spot protofascims at its worst when it smacks them in the face. Not to mention the worst prose I've been exposed to in a long time. One of the worst books I've seen in my life if not the worst, and believe me, I've read some stinkers.
Rating: 
Summary: BATTLE BLOOD BATHED BRONZE!
Review: This book was not only informative and fairly accurate but a hell of a ride! Having a classics professor who specializes in ancient Greece as a close friend and a life long interest in the subject myself, I thought I knew something about Spartan life. Gates of Fire puts you there with an adrenaline rush. Not only from the battle sequences but from the everyday life of a Spartan which was devoted to the "work" of war. A true inspiration to anyone considering a career in combat arms. An insight on how men draw strength and courage from women as well as from any form of training. The mindset of the warrior is revealed. Not the new age definition of a warrior but of the man whose life is dedicated to the work of strategy, tactics and logistics in matters of defending the "polis" and defeating the enemy.
Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable
Review: One of the finest historical novels I have read. A wounded Greek prisoner of war explains to the Persians the nature of Spartan society and why the Greeks preferred to die fighting for their freedom rather than behave reasonably and accept the inevitability of the overwhelming Persian forces. Pressfield's description of the values and psychology of Spartan society is vivid and compelling. His description of the physical intimacy and brutality of man to man combat in a phalanx is unforgettably vivid. A brilliant book, anything by Pressfield is worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Best of the Best
Review: of all the books i have read,and i have read many of everysubject matter in literature,Gates of Fire was the best.As a formermember of an elite fighting force,the Navy Seals,i can attest to this novel's accurate depiction of comradery,fatigue,and the over comming of insurmountable odds on will alone.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice Fighting
Review: Excellent account of battles, but most everything else falls flat. Author makes clumsy use of homoerotic elements to illustrate bonds between characters. Male anatomy is one focus of the book. Characters are quite simple and dialogue is laughable. Emphasis on combat and half-baked "warrior philosophy" should have strong appeal with adolescent males.
Rating:
Summary: When Honor Mattered
Review: Stephen Pressfield has brought Thermopylae and all its honor to life in a remarkable way. The Spartan Band which held this pass held as well the Western tradition of honor and purpose. Obedience to the needs of the Spartan people and their heirs can be seen in many of Pressfield's characters, the slave who would rather run than be Spartan, as well as the Spatan noble. Pressfield captures this honor and the Persian king's wonderr at it, and the book is well worth the read for anyone who would understand Western virtue.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly Brutal
Review: Not only a brilliantly-constructed book, but visceral to the point of being emotionally draining--I felt roughly this dazed after my first viewing of "Saving Private Ryan". Pressfield's depiction of the brutality of ancient warfare brings a new appreciation that these were real events involving real humans. Someone should attempt a film!
Rating:
Summary: A whole new world
Review: I just finished reading the book, Gates of Fire, recently. It is a truly amazing story and book. It gave me a whole new and different view of the people and events before and during the battle of Thermopylae. Sparta and Spartans have a certain reputation that has carried on down thru the centuries, I have learned to understand it more now. I bought the book because I thought the basic idea interesting. I have to say that that was an understatement. It is a book that is hard to put down and harder to put away. It seemed too short after I was finished with it. I will have to wait a little while before revisiting the battle of Thermopylae, but I will be making a return trip soon.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic by Every Standard
Review: Steven Pressfield's work, like the 300 Spartiates who filled the pass at Thermopylae, stands in a class of its own without peer. The prose is as riveting as the story. The characters are vivid, the imagery stunning. No tale of heroism can match the story of Leonidas and the fateful stand of his 300 Spartans at the Thermopylae Pass in 480BC. No author has come close to describing it with the intensity of Mr. Pressfield. Last month, I sent a letter to Bill O'Reilly and suggested that had Leonidas not made his stand at Thermopylae, we'd all be speaking Arabic today ... I concluded that the 'pass' needed defense again. Two weeks later, the United States was at war with Saddam Hussein. This story is timeless, and Mr. Pressfield's telling is unforgettable. Do not miss the opportunity to read what you will remember as the most powerful book you have ever read.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected.
Review: I picked this book up from an "Our Recommendations" shelf at a local literary bookstore; but I found the book to be off-putting. The novel is well researched and well written but I had a problem with the entire war-monger tone of the book. The author is an unabashed war apologist. One of the themes of this book was that this particular battle saved the budding Western Civilization - a good point - but what about the other petty, bullyish battles described prior to the battle of Thermopylae? I think that this book was written for people from the World War II / Korean War generation - people who have faith that war can be ultimately good. Having grown up during Viet Nam, I suppose, I have a knee jerk anti-war sentiment. The other problem that I had with the book was the characterization. All the characters seemed to me to be the same person. Some of the dialogue was humorous and entertaining but most of it was just a lot of chest thumping and speech giving.
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