Rating: 
Summary: One of the best I've ever read
Review: It took me two weeks to finally break down and buy this book after seeing it on the bookshelf day after day. I read it in about 6 or 8 hours and couldn't put it down. I lent it to a friend of mine who told me that when he got to the last 100 pages, he couldn't put it down. This book is, simply, the Saving Private Ryan of Ancient Greece. It is muddy and bloody and can even be vulgar at times but the level of description given to Spartan society, the Spartan army and especially to the Battle of Thermopylae are unparalleled. The front-line descriptions of the three day battle itself had me feeling transported through 2800 years and witnessing it first hand. And the savage and brutal war fought by men who KNEW they were there to die will leave you feeling like you lost close friends and wishing you had Greek lineage in your blood (Thankfully, I'm Scottish). Read this book. You will not regret it.
Rating:
Summary: This is an epic novel
Review: When I bought this book, I was worriedly expecting to be reading endless amounts of battles and military strategy that I would hardly grasp. So many reviewers concentrate on the depiction of the climactic Battle of Thermopylae that the other merits of the book (far more significant in my mind!) have been obscured.First, I was vividly and realistically immersed into Spartan life and culture around 480 BCE. I got to know individual Spartan warriors and women in ways that I figured would not be possible. Pressfield brings Spartan history into your bedroom. I found the Spartan's life of war and training to be surprisingly fascinating, especially because of the dozens of anecdotes that are scattered through Pressfield's book; it gives the rough and ready Spartans a more gentle, human face. And the philosophical insights about phobologia, or the Spartan discipline of studying how to master fear, are really worth thinking over. I can't wait to read Pressfield's newest book, The Tides of War (concentrating on the Pelopponnesian War). This book is not to be underrated--and don't let the fact that Pressfield also wrote "The Legend of Baggar Vance" deter you (how did he manage to write that book in between two powerful epic novels about Greek warfare and everyday life?). Get this book. Read it and you will, in some small way, learn to respect the Spartans more than any study of history alone could give you.
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: 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: Excellent novel about a truly amazing historical event
Review: The battle at Thermopylae stands up in history as being pretty much the pinnacle of being a bada$$. I know that's kind of a trite thing to say about such an event, but it was one of the most famous events in military history, and defeat was never associated so closely with victory. Pressfield's novel centers around a Greek squire named Xeones who tells the story of the circumstances of his life and what led up to the Spartan involvement with the Persians at "the hot gates." And the novel is truly fascinating, and one not just for fans of military history and fiction. The story is the display of the single greatest display of bravery and commitment ever. The supporting characters (Leonidas, Polynikes, Dienekes, Alexandros, Rooster, etc) shape the story for the protagonist and each is well-developed in the context of the story. Unlike many historical novels, "Gates of Fire" is not weighed down with extraneous information, allowing the story to flow freely in the same manner in which the protagonist relates it. Overall, this was an excellent read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in military history, Greek history, or just a fascinating, in-depth story about brotherhood and loyalty in war. Fans of Frank Miller's excellent graphic novel "300" should especially take note (and those that enjoyed this novel should look for "300").
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.
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