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 true, epic 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 Waffen-SS 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 (belligerently pro-war, silent on issues like Spartan slavery), and I echo these reservations. Want more information about the Spartans? See my long article on the historical Thermopylae at: ...
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book!
Review: Picked up the book after reading some of the reviews [...]. While I must say that I don't agree with all of them, I will say that this is a great book that I would recommend to anyone. The story is told from the viewpoint of Xeo, who was captured by the Persians after the Battle of Thermopylae, as he told the story to the royal historian, generals, and Xerxes himself. The first part of the book sets up the conflict: How Xeo and the other 300 Spartans made it to Thermopylae. Pressfield goes into detail about Spartan life and customs and doesn't apologize for the brutality of it. I can't speak to the historical accuracy of it, but from what I remember from my Ancient Greece college classes many years ago it seems pretty accurate. The last half of the book goes into detail about the setup and battle at the Gates of Fire. The quote [...]in its review is typical of his writing style-no nonsense, almost Spartan in his description of the battle scenes. His descriptions made me feel like I was there. After the battle, the last few pages are almost anti-clamatic: You know (or should know, if you stayed awake for you history classes) the Battle gave the other Greeks time to get their act together and defeat the Persians once and for all. I urge anyone reading this review to pick up a copy of the book as soon as you can. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Intense
Review: Richly imagined, woven with the smallest historical details and the most grisley battles and still intelligent. Especially enjoyed getting into the philosophy of the Spartan way of life and seeing the legacy the Greeks brought into being still played out in many ways we live today.
Rating:
Summary: Shields Port
Review: Great book! I've enjoyed every chapter. This is one of my favorite books. I am telling all my friends to pick up a copy. The author has done a great job with the characters and events, which allows you to visualize life as a Spartan.
Rating: 
Summary: A Ripping Yarn...unfortunately, it's FLESH ripping
Review: I had a passing knowledge of this battle, and an admiration for the courage it must take to go into a battle knowing your defeat is a foregone conclusion. This was a page-turner in the best sense--I polished it off in a day! I must say I would recommend taking a bit longer: by the end I'd had more than my fill of "earth churned up with blood" and men taking eight-foot spears in the guts. But as the well-drawn characters get picked off one by one, it's hard not to sympathize. I'm not a military history buff, but enjoyed "The Killer Angels" and "Blackhawk Down," because they brought home war's horror and the courage of the combatants. "Gates of Fire" did the same, although I don't quite share Pressfield's worship of the Spartans. It's a little odd that these freedom loving greeks kept the helots, their serf underclass, rigidly underfoot, with a secret police system that was authorized to murder troublemakers, when and wherever it became necessary. Sort of a Spartan KKK. Presssfield is clearly taken with the rigours of the Spartan military upbringing, which would have had me running screaming to Athens or Babylon if I'd lived in those days. Still, you have to admire Spartan courage, and the person of Leonidas, King of Sparta, is a paragon of leadership that it's impossible not to like. Still, one must note that within a few generations Sparta and Athens were locked in a bloody civil war that crippled Greece and took it from the forefront of the ancient world forever. Enshrine them in the past all you like, but it's worth noting that the Spartans haven't been up to much lately.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVED this great story!!! Honor, Sacrifice, Humanity..
Review: I like historical fiction and political thrillers but this, by far, is my favorite book! I found myself actually getting wispy eyed when our brave heroes (Deinikes, Polynikes, Leonidas...) were hacked down in the name of honor, freedom, love of their fellow soldiers and the right to freely exist. Vividly told war stories and the thoughts and feelings of those great warriors who went through it all, up close and personal. I will be reading more by this author.
Rating:
Summary: Good research, but authors dislike for Sparta is too clear
Review: Good research, some of his people are flat as a bad comic book.
The thing I didn't like was you can hear him telling how much he dislikes Sparta and her culture, and he feels it is inferior to that other famous Greek city state.
Author's opinions weakness novels. I want to see action in an action novel, what do I cae about the writer's view on the world?
A good novel, not a great one. If you want to waste time in a good drug store novel. This is good for that. Wyatt Kaldenberg
Rating: 
Summary: Certainly not art.
Review: Someone bought this book for me because of my fascination with Spartan culture. I've always thought of the Spartans as little more than animals, personally, and think that out of all of Greece they seemed the furthest from being human in any real way. Pressfield practically worships these guys and it's obvious that your reading a book by someone who wants very badly to leave an impression on you, like a child telling you their favorite story. It's interesting in places, and the research is solid, but the story is forced and quite obviously not great art. I would only recomend this to either historical fiction buffs or people obsessed with this particular battle. If you want bad entertainment like this then go read 300 by Frank Miller, it's a comic version and not nearly this pretentious. If you want great art, look in literature.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: Xerxes, the Persians, the conscripts of conquered nations. Leonidas, the Spartans, the free Hellenes. The largest army ever created (up to that point) against free people who are students in being warriors and live to defend their land against those who dare take their freedom. The Greeks know they are on a suicide mission but see the bigger picture in their sacrifice that will make the Hellenic world their own, not as slaves of a despot. An titanic struggle that will determine the future of Europe, and in some cases, the world. I couldn't put this down. I loved the effect of using a double narrator and seeing how the war progressed while Xeo is telling his story to the Persians. The characters were very heroic, but also very real. They were people defending their homes in the way the Spartans knew how. The book showed the frailties of the heroes as well as their warrior spirit. And the narrative on the battle put me right in the middle of it.
Rating:
Summary: Did we leave someone out?
Review: This is the most realistic depiction of war in the ancient world I have ever encountered. Pressfield's description of the extreme physical overload and terror of hand to hand combat was almost too hard to take. Still, it was really only in the context of that terror that the reader comes to some understanding of these men and their world. But,in all this very well researched novel of Spartan life, where are the homosexual warriors? Any story of Greek and especially the male centered world of Spartan life that leaves out homosexual warriors can't really be taken as truely realistic.
I noticed that one reviewer spoke of taking the book to war with him. Does he know that fighting along side of him are his gay brothers? In this day when society still wants to deny the worth of its gay citizens it is a shame that such an excellent book on ancient war and the intimate love between these warriors did not show, at least in passing, that many of them loved others as more than just comrads. I am sure our monern day gay warriors are as brave and able as those of the past. Even if we try to deny that these men are defending our country now, it is a shame to deny that in the past they were respected and loved by their people.
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