Rating: 
Summary: Perfect Companion to "Gates of Fire"
Review: Somewhere in my youth, I became hooked on ancient Greek History after catching the "300 Spartans" matinee (I think Richard Elam was Leonidas). Several years ago, I read Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire." I found it fascinating and consider it today, the best book I have ever read. I just finished Bradford's "Thermopylae: Battle for the West." Mesmerizing! An absolutely perfect, non-fiction companion to "Gates of Fire." Thermopylae actually occurs about halfway through the book. Bradford does a brilliant job of setting the stage by giving the reader the events, politics, personalities, strategies, etc. that led up to the battle. He finishes his book by taking the reader through the key engagements (like Salamis and Plataea) that conclude this crossroads in history. If you enjoy ancient history (particularly ancient, military history), this is a book for you. It's an easy read through 250 pages packed with details and incidents that are sure to capture your interest.
Rating:
Summary: Guardians of history
Review: The battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C.E. has usually been relegated by modern historians to being nothing more than a "symbolic gesture" of Greek resolve during the Persian war. Although it WAS that, it was also much, much more. The importance of this present book is that it sets the matter straight. The sub-title of the work is in no way an exaggeration. The 300 Spartans + the allies who held the pass @ Thermopylae protected the Greek fleet at Artemesium and bought time for the armada to mobilize at Salamis. The importance of this cannot be over-stated. In this treatise, Ernle Bradford takes us back to that long-ago period of world history. Much more than being simply an extrapolation of Book VII of Herodotus' HISTORIES, here is a study that offers a superb look at the weapons, armor, ships, tactics and logistical difficulties of both the Greeks and Persians. The attention Bradford pays to the minutest details of the classical historians allows him to reason out conclusions that may not have been evident upon a first-reading. Beyond Thermopylae, Bradford also has brief discussions of both Salamis and Platea. The over-all thrust of the book, however, is to put into context just how pivotal Thermopylae actually was in reference to these other, more well known battles. While the parallels that he draws between the Persian war and World War II are occasionally a bit strained, it must be remembered that it is a typical method employed by military historians to draw comparisons and contrasts between ancient conflicts and those of his own day. As Bradford fought in WWII himself, it is natural that he should use it as a frame-of-reference for how he perceives warfare throughout the ages. This book is HIGHLY recommended as standard-reading for all War-colleges, persons interested in classical history and (most of all) those who have more than a passing-curiousity about the Spartans. As your head hits the pillow tonight, remember that some 2,500 years ago 300 Spartans stood on a wall & fought to the last man in a battle that they knew they could not win. They left their beloved Sparta KNOWING that they would never see it again. They were aware that their life only had a few sunrises left in it, yet this did not slow their march to Thermopylae for even a moment. It is because of their sacrifice that you are where you are today; defenders of the pass. Guardians of history.
Rating: 
Summary: Good overview of second Greco-Persian war
Review: Thermopylae is a book for those who want to get a good understanding of the second Greco-Persian war. But anyone looking for an indepth explination of specific battles would be better off buying Greco-Persian wars by Peter Green. Thermopylae did provide me with a start to finish view of just how lucky/brilliant Sparta and Athens were. Some reviews have colored bradford as decidedly pro-athenian, and to some extent he is. But i think most people call him pro athenian simply because he refuses to report on the myths and legends of the spartans, but still makes clear their military strength and supremacy. He reports what he knows, and usually tells you when the information is lacking, and provides a logical conclusion although some of his conclusions are different from mine.
The book is very engaging and is an outstanding read. I was supprised how much i enjoyed it and how quickly i read through it.
Rating:
Summary: History of the World: Greece and Persia
Review: Thermopylae is a great source of information about the Persian invasion of Greece by Xerxes after the battle at Marathon. It ranges from an in-depth view of the intriguing and alien Spartan culture, to Greek terrain and armor, to a background of Persian-Greek relations. This book discusses the important Battle of Salamis, which, if lost to the Persians, could have completely altered the course of history. Could you imagine the world today without an ancient Greece to refer to? I thought this book would bore me to death, but instead I kept reading it and didn't want to give it back to the owner. I may go buy it, though I work at the library. It seems like it would be a good investment. I enjoyed Thermopylae, and I believe others would as well. This is the sort of book we should read in school! My high school classes have given me no depth, taught me nothing about the history of the classic world. This book has taken me closer to understanding the current world. I can only look forward to college and hope it does as good a job as Ernle Bradford and his book has.
Rating:
Summary: History of the World: Greece and Persia
Review: Thermopylae is a great source of information about the Persian invasion of Greece by Xerxes after the battle at Marathon. It ranges from an in-depth view of the intriguing and alien Spartan culture, to Greek terrain and armor, to a background of Persian-Greek relations. This book discusses the important Battle of Salamis, which, if lost to the Persians, could have completely altered the course of history. Could you imagine the world today without an ancient Greece to refer to? I thought this book would bore me to death, but instead I kept reading it and didn't want to give it back to the owner. I may go buy it, though I work at the library. It seems like it would be a good investment. I enjoyed Thermopylae, and I believe others would as well. This is the sort of book we should read in school! My high school classes have given me no depth, taught me nothing about the history of the classic world. This book has taken me closer to understanding the current world. I can only look forward to college and hope it does as good a job as Ernle Bradford and his book has.
Rating:
Summary: Thermopylae:Battle for the West
Review: This book captures the scope and great significance of the battle of Thermopylae. Bradford does a great job in the way that he pulls together facts, opinions, and history together in a superb way. A must-read for any history buff.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable Account of this Great Battle
Review: This book offers the reader an enjoyable and interesting narrative of that most famous battle at Thermopylae. The author makes it clear that its not going to be a in-depth account but more of an overview of the battle and the Persian campaign against the Greek City States. If you are looking for a more detailed and scholarly book I would suggest Peter Green's book titled 'The Greco-Persian Wars'. Overall, bearing in mind that this book was published in 1980, this is a decent book covering Thermopylae and how the Spartan's fought and why. It made me want to go and hire the old classic video of the 300! Well worth the time to sit down and read.
Rating:
Summary: Great Companion for other books
Review: This book provides an excellent overview surrounding this famous battle. It's some what of a summary and analysis of some of Herodotus's Histories. The book also makes a good reference for those reading Gates of Fire by Steven Presfield.
Rating:
Summary: The characters come alive.
Review: This is a very fine novel. It is not a scholarly study of ancient Greece or of the Spartan army or for that matter of Persia. What the author has done is far more important than that. He has created interesting, credible characters who come alive on the page and become people we really care about. Probably, the author should have done more study. I'm no scholar, but I am pretty sure his understanding of the "krypteia" is faulty, for example. Never mind, read this book for pleasure, for that is what it delivers.
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