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Summary: As good as it gets in historical fiction!
Review: I chanced on the authors latest work, Tides of War, a few weeks ago. Enjoying that novel, I decided to try the authors earlier work, Gates of Fire. What a find!The insights into Spartan mores, the deptiction of the characters, and in particular, the battle scenes, are among the most memorable I've come across. A long-time devotee of the "Sharpe's" series of novels, this was one of the few books whose narration and attention to detail equalled or exceeded those great tales. I've purchased this book as a gift, and recommended it to anyone I know who enjoys history, or simply a great rousing tale!
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Summary: A Thrilling Evocation of the Spartan Mind
Review: Plato had Sparta in mind when he held forth on the means whereby philosophy and philosophers (and hence statecraft) might tame the appetitive and spirited natures of military men. And Nietzsche, in penetrating the master and slave mentalities of the classical world and in identifying Christianity as Platonism for the Masses, captured and unfolded the martial side of the classical mind with great sensitivity. In an epic context of great empires and desperate battles, Stephen Pressfield has made palpable this psychological universe, that of glory-bound warrior Spartans and their stolid, silently suffering women, at a more popular and accessible--albeit still "literary"--level. Those who have done any mucking about in the sources will find this an almost wholly plausible rendition of the Spartan mind. Apart from his hyper-romanticization of Sparta (in an effort, I surmise, to correct a historical record that consistently points to the cruel, overregimented "Spartan" life) and from seeming to extend, anachronistically, the humanity of Periclean Athens' to Sparta, Pressfield wonderfully evokes a world long lost and provides a long, thrilling--and, in the end, moving--account of the famed, hopeless battle between the Spartan 300 (and allied cities) and Xerxes irresistible Persian might. If you've ever wondered what happens to the surface of a dry-baked battlefield when it is traversed by thousands of warriors, flooded by freshets of blood and piss and guts, for days, you've probably been waiting for this one. Pressfield's writing continually surprises and illuminates, at several levels, in its crisp diction, historical reconstructions, deep characterizations, sharp and unhacknied descriptions of action, and in its overall psychological perceptiveness. Creative history instructors would be well advised to assign Gates of Fire, thereby rousing their students' imaginations and animating their classroom discussions.
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Summary: A Spoonful of sugar . . .
Review: This book was my first foray into Spartan/ Pelloponnese history, and as a history lightweight, rather that any kind of expert, I wholeheartedly recommend Gates of Fire as an excellent read. Personally, I am fascinated by history but will not read a "textbook" to further my knowledge. Pressfield is a spoonful of sugar . . . In summary, the narrative concerns the Battle of Thermopylae, or "Hot Gates", in which 300 Spartans plus a few thousand allies hold off an invading force of over 2 million Persians, giving the rest of Greece time to prepare, and eventually, win the larger battle at Marathon. Pressfield envelopes you in more than the battle, however. By writing in the present tense, you are drawn into the Spartan world, which is presented as one of honor, bravery, and service - unfortunately anachronistic today, I know, but still compelling. Not knowing any better, I would have sworn I just was being told a fascinating story about a truly stunning event. Little did I know that I was also learning. I recommend this book to history lovers or someone just looking for a fascinating story that is written very well.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent if Simple at Times
Review: I agree with some reviewers that this is a great action novel. I'll also agree with those who say it has moments that are oddly man-focused, that go on and on about how physically fit soldier is or how stoic and wonderful he is. And indeed, as one mocking reviewer pointed out, there is a scene involving frat-boy humor in reference to a gigantic phallus. Still, this isn't the focus of the book by any means, instead, it's about stabbing and hacking and trampling the dead. Riveting battle scenes. I enjoyed it as a nail-biting adventure story, but not as a Homeric epic of east versus west or otherwise a grand literary triumph.
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Summary: The valor of women
Review: This stunning novel is in the best tradition of stories of men in combat. But sometimes overlooked is the insight it gives to the valor required of the women in those perilous times. When King Leonidas selects the 300 Spartans which will go to die at Thermopylae, many citizens of the city-state speculate on why he chose those men. In a poignant scene with the wife and mother of two of the 300, he tells her, "I chose them not for their own valor, lady, but for that of their women.---When the battle is over and the 300 have gone to their death, then Greece will look to the Spartans to see how they bear it. But who will the Spartans look to? To you, lady, to the wives and mothers and sisters and daughters of those who have fallen. --- Why have I nominated you, lady, to bear up beneath this most terrible of trials, you and your sisters of the 300? Because you can." After weeping on the King's shoulder for a few minutes, the lady Paraleia rises to say, "Those were the last tears of mine, my lord, that the sun will ever see." Truly a story of powerful and brave women as well as courageous men.
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Summary: Go tell the history buffs ...
Review: Steven Pressfield is no James Jones, but this march with the 300 Spartans gets the job done. The writing and character development bring to mind John Jakes' books or "Shogun." Pressfield obviously has done his homework, spicing his melodrama and mayhem with myriad details of Spartan life. The battle scenes are claustrophobic, compelling and sometimes horrifying. Thermopylae was one of history's most dramatic battles, of course, and its treatment here mostly rings true. Pressfield's King Leonidas nears sainthood, while many of the soldiers come across as (straight!) frat boys. As an entertainment, "Gates of Fire" will have most readers burning through the pages.
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Summary: Halfway Through, and already rate it as a favorite
Review: As a high school senior, I usually view required reading as a dull, tedious task. More than likely, the books are out-dated, out-of-touch, relics that rarely raise interest. I admit I've been fortunate recently having to read such great books as Cold Mountain, Dispatches, Malcolm X, Cyrano De Bergerac, etc. My new list of reading came in and it included Gates of Fire, and as I've always been intrigued by great war novels, my interest of perked. Although I'm not finished yet, I am completely engulfed in the story, a true page-turner, I find myself not wanting to put it down. The characters are deep and complex, but the complexity merely adds to the enjoyment of reading, because it merely helps pull the reader deeper into the story. The historic accuracy adds to a reader's knowledge of a little-known subject, while also bringing it to life from the first-person perspective of the narrator. If you enjoy true epic novels that live up to the standards of Homer, Dante, and Milton, then you'll probably find a great appeal in this book. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining
Review: This is an entertaining historical novel, though not completely successful. In many respects, this is a serious attempt to reconstruct Spartan society and the psychology of the Spartiates. Given the fragmentary information available about Classical Sparta, this is very difficult and the author deserves considerable credit for attempting this task in a readily accessible format. The book culminates with the a tremendous and irresistible set-piece, the battle of Thermopylae, which is described quite imaginatively and forcefully. I am not sure, however, that it is really possible to reconstruct the psychology of the Spartans and at times, the writing descends into cliches. The heroes of Thermopylae did die for the freedom of Greece, but what exactly does that mean? A civilization in which chattel slavery was common, and a society based on serfdom supporting a warrior elite had very different ideas than us about the concepts of freedom and liberty. I don't believe that this book really comes to grips with this problem.
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Summary: Ex-soldiers can relate
Review: My copy was provided by my best friend and classmate from West Point. I read the reviews that knocked the book for foul language, but that is what made it all the more real to me. Great insights into Spartan culture and even more so into what constitutes leadership. I was glad to see it is one of the more popular books at West Point, because all could learn from the example set by the Spartan King and most of the other characters. Battle scenes were outstanding, but I liked the in-between stuff that provided glimpses of Spartan daily culture every bit as compelling. Definitely a four-star book. I reserve five stars for such transcending works as AMERICAN CAESAR, THE KILLER ANGELS, THE CAINE MUTINY, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, but this is a don't-miss great read.
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Summary: Go tell us about the Spartans
Review: This book is wonderful in and of itself. It also carries with it the promise of a great career to come. I believe this is Pressfield's second novel, but he writes as if he has been doing it all his life. It must be tough to write about characters that one loves - women and men and children. Pressfield has done it. He is not afraid to do it: not afraid to talk about what he loves. If there is a secret to writing books like this one, this is it. When we dig up old towns and cities, what we find is disintegration. Pieces scattered all over the place. That is what being an archeologist is all about. How is one to make sense of these pieces and put them back together? Historians can't do it. They are scholars. There isn't enough data. If what Pressfield loves is ancient Greece, and he has the courage to make up characters he loves and listen to them talking and growing and fighting, he can put the pieces together. A corroded shield from a long-ago battlefield, a bit of text from old Plutarch . . . these things make a story. This is a novel, but the story it tells is a true one. The characters Pressfield shares with us are men and women who had brothers and sisters who actually existed. By throwing away a few years of their lives, they won fame that will never die.
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