Rating: 
Summary: good book about ancient greece
Review: Well, to admit, I'm novice to this area of Novels about ancient wars. But this one is sure a good way to introduce myself to this genre of books.. now I have ordered a bunch of other books by Ford and Pressfield, and find them interesting too. Though I did not obtain a whole bunch of knowledge about the classical greek icons.. it sure is gripping in terms of the journey and adventure of the young leader Xenophon -- though by accident, he sure does take control of the situation and shows his leadership skills.
Rating: 
Summary: Not too exciting
Review: This is not a terrible book, but not too exciting either. As far as historical fiction goes, the novel stays very close to the original "Anavasis" and does a fairly accurate job of representing the realities of the time.
However the book is generally uninspired. It's almost all history and no fiction. Nor does it attempt to elaborate and explain in any creative way the story of the 10,000. Cliches notwithstanding, the story does not really "come to life". It is simply "told".
If you like the genre, you should much rather read the amazing Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield, the authoritative historical fiction on classical Greece.
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Summary: Make this into a movie. immediatly.
Review: the battle scene against the persian army will leave you breathless and as the book progresses, Ford helps you feel the morale and pain of the army. unbelievable book. i love it. fast read.
Rating: 
Summary: A story well told
Review: It is with great pleasure that I see more and more new books dealing with historical matters appearing on the bookstores lately. I am Greek, so my view on "The Ten Thousand" is a little bit different than most of you (at least so I think).
The original books are being taught in high school in Greece, and I had to study them as a child. I say "books" because the original story of Xenophon's is actually seven books long. Although the story appears to be written by someone called Themistogenes, it is actually Xenophon himself who wrote it and used this imaginary character because of the shame he felt for ever taking part in this expedition.
Thus said and knowing that there never was a guy named "Theo", the story loses focus a little. It is all about Xenophon, or is it not?
Trying to tell a story about people who lived 25 centuries ago and had different religion, different social structure, different ideals and present it all in an understandable way for today's reader is definitely a hard task, and I must say that Ford does it pretty well, without confusing the reader.
Why do I give him four stars? There are two reasons for this. First the book is a joy to read. If you let all historical issues aside, you have a good solid story with pretty much everything it takes to keep you interested to the very end. On top of that, Ford has some amazing battle descriptions (perhaps this is the strongest point of the book) and he almost "visualises" the field.The second and most important reason to me is that books like this motivate people to read history. I really believe that some of the people who read the book (will) also read "Cyrus's Ascent" (Anabasis), the original piece of work, or even better did a little research about all the things we read in the book. Did you know that the original meaning of the word "barbarian" did not mean "savage" but it was only used to describe the Persian tribes whose language sounded like "bar-bar"? Or that the ancient tribe of the Cardouchan's is the nation we now know as the Kurds? Do you know what happened after the troops reached the Black Sea (the battles in Thrace)?
I suggest you buy this book. Not only for the rich story, but because it may open you a door to the wonderful world of History.
Rating:
Summary: Ten Thousand Strong--Worth Your Money
Review: Why do the Greeks enthrall and mesmerize us? People who considered everyone outside their borders barbarians, no better than slaves. Was it their achievements in literature, art, poetry, politics, philosophy, and war that draws us to them? Or are we surprised at our similarities and our inheritance? Overall, an enjoyable title, acceptably written, sufficiently fast and engaging. The story is epic, and carries Ford's writing by its sheer power. As much as I enjoyed the novel, I felt there were three problems that kept it from being truly great, such as Robert Graves' _I, Claudius_: first, as a previous reviewer noted, Ford doesn't get to the essence of being Greek; second, Ford's writing style is uneven, sometimes excellent and sometimes slow or anachronistic; and third, Xenophon's character, for the book's first half, is underdeveloped. Ford's definition of "Greekness" sounds like a scholar's approach to it, listing cultural features, famous references, and ideologies--but that is not enough. A Greek is thoroughly Greek, more than the sum of these features. An author writing about the historical Greeks needs to think and write like a Greek; he must have a Greek heart. While he brings up Greek xenophobia, it is not only that, but it was tied to their polis, the city-state, their way of life. Life without the polis was not life at all--it was the way of the confused, the criminal, the wayward, and societyless. Totally foreign to Greek thinking. And Ford's writing interjects common things we say today, like "I'll be ... as hell if he does" or puts in our swear words. These feel out of place in a cast of Greek and Persian characters. They're not descended from German or English stock. If one is truly inquisitive, Greek literature has no shortage of Greek curses. Sometimes I could hear the American slang coming through his writing. Occasionally, he would get bogged down in metaphysical ramblings, though interesting, did not have sufficient power to justify slowing of the narrative. Xenophon, with his importance in the latter half of the book, must show he carries the qualities needed for the trials ahead. Instead, we get to see brief events, though significant, that seem to have a superficial effect on Xenophon. His relationship with his father is underdeveloped. It is apparent, from Ford's account, this is something that affects him all throughout his life and later, his command. It required more. Nevertheless, when compared to most books to come out recently, this one stands tall and proud, and is an excellent first book. The best one I have read in a long time. It is obvious Ford has more talent than most popular authors on the market. But, of course, do not forget Pressfield's excellent books. I can only say I look forward to Ford's upcoming books. For the thoughtful reader, this book is simply a must buy.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Moving Book
Review: This book presents a good adventure story with a focus on the will to survive. The book fits very well with the true historical accounts of the march. The battle scene at Cunaxa was described with deadly precision. The ordeals that these Greeks went through were incredibly brutal. That war is hell is evident from this story. The book is easy to read. I read it in eight days. The story has its similarities to Homer's Odyssey.
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Summary: Broken Promise
Review: The Ten Thousand is a novel filled with promise. The march of Xenophon across ancient Greece; the battles fought; the victories; the defeats; the trials of starvation; deadly weather; and the sheer determination and perserverance of those who survived. The story alone is breathtaking, without filling in the details. Michael C. Ford knows the details; the bitter cold, the ancient healing rituals applied to cauterize wounds and keep untanned leather sandal straps from biting into flesh as they shrink...all of these details fit nicely into the daily occurances of the soldiers that followed Xenophon on his march. Now to get to the 'however'...What I have to lament in having read this novel is; first, there is no clear focus to the story. Although it is supposed to be about Xenophon, though told through the eyes of another protagonist; the story skips back and forth from Xenophon to the protagonist, to battles here and there, it lacks a compelling focal point. Second; the characters are almost completely devoid of emotional development. To cite a few examples; at the beginning, a foundation is given that Xenophon is nothing short of a disappointment to his father, and desperately strives to please him. Seemingly it would follow that his actions and decisions would reflect that desire to emulate his father. The protagonist, Themostigenes, develps an affair with the Persian woman Asteria, who holds a knife to him during a physical encounter. The overwhelming attraction to this woman is never explored other than to toss her in occasionally as Theo needs a 'quickie' to tide him over. He risks life and limb for this woman, and the reader never really gets a sense of why. And the woman, Asteria, could apparently have had any man in Xenophon's army that she desired, why Theo? None of these questions are answered. The characters are all two-dimensional at best, and their motivations are non-existent. Third, there is no real sense of pace to the story, and the climax of the story is lacking in drama and suspense that one might expect to find at the end of such a march as Xenophon led his men on. Granted in everyday life there isn't always a grand finale to events, but...we aren't all writing books about our day to day lives. This is a story of epic potential; written about for thousands of years; studied for its strategic planning and cunning. It seems logical to expect a little more than a tepid ending to such a tale. I give Michael Ford credit for tackling this tale as the subject of a novel. It does show his interest and affection for the ancient world, though his adeptness at putting it on paper needs work. I hope that his future novels will explore ancient Greece again. As they say, practice makes perfect. I eagerly await what this promising writer can really produce.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Gates of Fire.... that's right better!
Review: As a High School student, Steven Pressfield's 'Gates of Fire' has stood as my favorite novel in the genre of historical fiction for well over a year now. That honour has now been transfered to Ford's "The Ten Thousand".
Both stories are equally as refreshing and satisfying, and both beg to be told. However, The Ten Thousand narrowly surpases Gates of Fire in its overall effect. - Ford's characters are much deeper, more facinating, and ultimatly more human compared to the ironed Spartans of Pressfield.
- Ford's book, while not nearly as violent, puts a much higher value to the lives of its characters. Including a love story which is tenfold more captivating than the one which takes place in the other novel.
- Fords book is full of intrigue, plot twists and memorable moments that are missing from Gates of Fire.
- Much more about Greek life and Ancient Greece itself is explored in The Ten Thousand.
- Gates of Fire builds and builds to a fantastic climax, while The Ten Thousand is a thrill ride from start to finish. Both Gates of Fire and The Ten Thousand are masterworks told by what have become my favorite two authors. My advice is to read them both, for they are GREAT. But The Ten Thousand, in my mind, stands slightly higher.
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Summary: A Real Odyssey
Review: The Ten Thousand is a real-life version of the Odyssey, without the magic, sorcery, or mythical beasts, but with all the drama of a group of men trying to make their way home through hostile lands populated with vicious barbarians, through snow, burning sands, mountains, and every obstacle imaginable. With twists and turns throughout the plot, Michael Curtis Ford artfully weaves a tale that is captivating in both its scope and splendor, while remaining true to the history behind the tale. I was never a fan of historical fiction, but this work surpasses any other that I have read. It is a spell-binding trip to an age when men were larger than life, an age where killing was not done from hundreds of miles removed, but face to face, man to man, and where a man was made by his accomplishments in battle. The writing is excellent, but I suppose the only complaint I have is that there are a lot of potential action scenes (particularly in the lands of the barbarians) that are left untouched. Other than that, Ford does a wonderful job of bringing the individual characters, many of whom, such as Clearchus, are larger than life, come right off the page. An epic yarn that promises to entertain, The Ten Thousand is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a story of perseverance, courage, and honor.
Rating:
Summary: The Ten Thousand
Review: Nothing short of excellent. I look forward to more work from this author
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