What do you think?
Rate this book
The Killing Ground: A Biography of Thermopylae
An exploration into why and how Thermopylae is one of the most blood-soaked patches of ground in history – and what its past can tell us about our future.
'Brilliantly demonstrated.' - Tom Holland
Since the dawn of the Classical Era up to World War II, thousands have lost their lives fighting over the pass at Thermopylae. Historians Cole and Livingston provide an exciting account of each of the 27 battles and holding actions that took place. The epic events of 480 BC when 300 Spartans attempted to hold the pass has been immortalised in poetry, art, literature and film. But no history has ever detailed the other events from the very first battle through to the battles fought by Romans, Byzantines, Huns and Ottomans during the early and late medieval periods and finally the two desperate struggles against German occupying forces during World War II. The Killing Ground details the background and history of each conflict, the personalities and decision making of the commanders, the arms and tactics of the troops, and how each battle played out.
Cole and Livingston have surveyed the ground to provide a boots-on understanding of each battle. Their command of multiple ancient and medieval languages means they have provided their own translations of much of the source material, ensuring new insights into each battle. This uncompromising scholarship is woven together into a compelling and unforgettable history that grips the reader from start to finish.
'Brilliantly demonstrated.' - Tom Holland
Since the dawn of the Classical Era up to World War II, thousands have lost their lives fighting over the pass at Thermopylae. Historians Cole and Livingston provide an exciting account of each of the 27 battles and holding actions that took place. The epic events of 480 BC when 300 Spartans attempted to hold the pass has been immortalised in poetry, art, literature and film. But no history has ever detailed the other events from the very first battle through to the battles fought by Romans, Byzantines, Huns and Ottomans during the early and late medieval periods and finally the two desperate struggles against German occupying forces during World War II. The Killing Ground details the background and history of each conflict, the personalities and decision making of the commanders, the arms and tactics of the troops, and how each battle played out.
Cole and Livingston have surveyed the ground to provide a boots-on understanding of each battle. Their command of multiple ancient and medieval languages means they have provided their own translations of much of the source material, ensuring new insights into each battle. This uncompromising scholarship is woven together into a compelling and unforgettable history that grips the reader from start to finish.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2024
About the author
Myke Cole
26 books1,743 followersAs a security contractor, government civilian and military officer, Myke Cole’s career has run the gamut from Counterterrorism to Cyber Warfare to Federal Law Enforcement. He’s done three tours in Iraq and was recalled to serve during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. After hunting terrorists and criminals in real life, he kept up the job on TV, first tracking fugitives on CBS’ 2017 show Hunted, and UFOs on Discovery Channel’s 2019 show Contact.
All that conflict can wear a guy out. Thank goodness for fantasy novels, comic books, late night games of Dungeons and Dragons and lots of angst fueled writing.
All that conflict can wear a guy out. Thank goodness for fantasy novels, comic books, late night games of Dungeons and Dragons and lots of angst fueled writing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 11, 2023
Who hasn't heard about the Battle of Thermopylae? At least in the West, it's the most famous battle in history, and you don't need to be familiar with Ancient Greece to know about it. Even if all you've ever known is 300 or the This is Sparta! memes, you must've heard about Thermopylae from somewhere.
And that is because it's been the battle for the last 2,500 years, from before Leonidas and his host faced the Persians up until the ANZACs faced the Wehrmacht there. Long, isn't it? An incredibly long time for one single place to have monopolised bloodshed in the West's long history. Of course, throughout history there's been grounds where bigger armies clashed, where more blood was spilt, and where the stakes were much higher, but none of them has the mythical aura that outlasts cultures and empires to become a permanent legend as the Hot Gates. Even now, Thermopylae is still a byword for a heroic last stand to save not just a country but an entire civilisation.
Being more of a Rome history girl, of course I knew there had been other battles at that mountainous pass besides the one forever immortalised in Western annals, including that Rome had to follow tradition and fight there (are you even a proper empire if you don't kick behinds or get yours kicked at Thermopylae anyway?). But besides the Roman involvement as well as feats by Phil & Son (that is, Macedonian kings Philip II and Great, Alexander the), I didn't imagine it had been this many! And it surprised me greatly. Twenty-seven is an absurdly high number for one single battleground, but that's what Cole & Livingston say is the number of military actions at Thermopylae.
They cover the two and a half millennia of diverse armies stubbornly standing at the Hot Gates to win or perish, which ordinarily would require a fatter book and far more information than this one packs. But since it's a history book for the general readership, summing all that daunting span of time is made easier by the authors' decision to split 2,500 years of battling there into manageable-length chapters that deal with all the known military actions, broadly defined as the authors clarify, from the First Battle of Thermopylae in an unknown year before Leonidas (whose famous last stand in 480 BC is the Second Battle of Thermopylae) to the Sixteenth Battle of Thermopylae in 1941, plus a few smaller actions that weren't battles proper but that are also taken into consideration as they were part of armed conflicts, up to 1943, when the last military action took place there and things calmed down over at the pass. For now, at least!
All this ridiculous amount of clashes on this patch of terrain in Greece begs the question. What elevated Thermopylae to legend status? This is precisely what authors Myke Cole and Michael Livingston answer in The Killing Ground, and do so in an amenable style that makes you breeze through the pages. As it's an Osprey book, the writing style and information delivery is that of military historians talking to military history buffs. But if you're neither (I definitely am not), you shouldn't worry: you will still understand. Cole & Livingston assume a modicum of knowledge from the audience, but do not assume they're talking to a specialised audience knowledgeable about the ins and outs of Greek weaponry and tactics, and explain it all without talking down to you. Osprey's books are like that, expository but not too in-depth or too long by necessity.
And do they explain it well! They start with an introduction to the place in terms of an overview of the event that made it famous, and then go straight for a "biography" of the place. It's not tongue-in-cheek when they call it a biography, because they really did write one. They explain the geology of Thermopylae, too, its characteristics on and below the surface, its landscape then and now, the meteorological and volcanic/earthquake conditions, the landmarks and if they've changed, the type of rocks, and so on. Why so detailed? Because you also need to know the place itself, a battle is its ground, as the authors say, and by knowing the place, you'll quickly understand why exactly so many armies fought here. You'll end up being aware that it's not mere coincidence or just human stubbornness what makes this place so fought over. It really is strategic! Greece itself is strategic by existing where it does, so Thermopylae is strategically privileged as if tailor-made for defence in an already strategically favoured country. That makes it a double blessing (or double curse, if you prefer).
I personally enjoyed the early chapters, from the geological backstory up to Leonidas, the most! A lot was familiar, but a lot wasn't, and a lot of what was familiar turned out to be myth. Because, indeed, the authors also debunk myths and embellished truths told throughout the millennia, which was also very informative, as I'm sure it'll be for others, especially those who get their Thermopylae from Leonidas and his Spartans as depicted in the media. Some of the information here mightn't be a surprise to military history buffs, the kind that do re-enactments and trek to Greece to see the pass in person, but to me so much definitely was. Things like that the Thermopylae area is so geologically hyperactive that a mere 2.5 millennia later, a blink in Earth years, it is drastically different to how it was when Leonidas fought there (yes, really!), and that Leonidas wasn't defending the exact spot we think he was and had a different strategy to what we were led to think from the legendary tales, and other details. It was also surprising to read the account of the last Battle of Thermopylae in WWII, because it has the outcome that the legendary one had to have as per the plan. Kind of fitting, I'd say.
I do wish this had pictures and maps. But I only have an ARC, so I believe the pictures and maps will be in the final published edition, and I hope it's good quality ones as I know Osprey can add. It'll greatly help the written descriptions to have photos of Thermopylae right next to them.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
And that is because it's been the battle for the last 2,500 years, from before Leonidas and his host faced the Persians up until the ANZACs faced the Wehrmacht there. Long, isn't it? An incredibly long time for one single place to have monopolised bloodshed in the West's long history. Of course, throughout history there's been grounds where bigger armies clashed, where more blood was spilt, and where the stakes were much higher, but none of them has the mythical aura that outlasts cultures and empires to become a permanent legend as the Hot Gates. Even now, Thermopylae is still a byword for a heroic last stand to save not just a country but an entire civilisation.
Being more of a Rome history girl, of course I knew there had been other battles at that mountainous pass besides the one forever immortalised in Western annals, including that Rome had to follow tradition and fight there (are you even a proper empire if you don't kick behinds or get yours kicked at Thermopylae anyway?). But besides the Roman involvement as well as feats by Phil & Son (that is, Macedonian kings Philip II and Great, Alexander the), I didn't imagine it had been this many! And it surprised me greatly. Twenty-seven is an absurdly high number for one single battleground, but that's what Cole & Livingston say is the number of military actions at Thermopylae.
They cover the two and a half millennia of diverse armies stubbornly standing at the Hot Gates to win or perish, which ordinarily would require a fatter book and far more information than this one packs. But since it's a history book for the general readership, summing all that daunting span of time is made easier by the authors' decision to split 2,500 years of battling there into manageable-length chapters that deal with all the known military actions, broadly defined as the authors clarify, from the First Battle of Thermopylae in an unknown year before Leonidas (whose famous last stand in 480 BC is the Second Battle of Thermopylae) to the Sixteenth Battle of Thermopylae in 1941, plus a few smaller actions that weren't battles proper but that are also taken into consideration as they were part of armed conflicts, up to 1943, when the last military action took place there and things calmed down over at the pass. For now, at least!
All this ridiculous amount of clashes on this patch of terrain in Greece begs the question. What elevated Thermopylae to legend status? This is precisely what authors Myke Cole and Michael Livingston answer in The Killing Ground, and do so in an amenable style that makes you breeze through the pages. As it's an Osprey book, the writing style and information delivery is that of military historians talking to military history buffs. But if you're neither (I definitely am not), you shouldn't worry: you will still understand. Cole & Livingston assume a modicum of knowledge from the audience, but do not assume they're talking to a specialised audience knowledgeable about the ins and outs of Greek weaponry and tactics, and explain it all without talking down to you. Osprey's books are like that, expository but not too in-depth or too long by necessity.
And do they explain it well! They start with an introduction to the place in terms of an overview of the event that made it famous, and then go straight for a "biography" of the place. It's not tongue-in-cheek when they call it a biography, because they really did write one. They explain the geology of Thermopylae, too, its characteristics on and below the surface, its landscape then and now, the meteorological and volcanic/earthquake conditions, the landmarks and if they've changed, the type of rocks, and so on. Why so detailed? Because you also need to know the place itself, a battle is its ground, as the authors say, and by knowing the place, you'll quickly understand why exactly so many armies fought here. You'll end up being aware that it's not mere coincidence or just human stubbornness what makes this place so fought over. It really is strategic! Greece itself is strategic by existing where it does, so Thermopylae is strategically privileged as if tailor-made for defence in an already strategically favoured country. That makes it a double blessing (or double curse, if you prefer).
I personally enjoyed the early chapters, from the geological backstory up to Leonidas, the most! A lot was familiar, but a lot wasn't, and a lot of what was familiar turned out to be myth. Because, indeed, the authors also debunk myths and embellished truths told throughout the millennia, which was also very informative, as I'm sure it'll be for others, especially those who get their Thermopylae from Leonidas and his Spartans as depicted in the media. Some of the information here mightn't be a surprise to military history buffs, the kind that do re-enactments and trek to Greece to see the pass in person, but to me so much definitely was. Things like that the Thermopylae area is so geologically hyperactive that a mere 2.5 millennia later, a blink in Earth years, it is drastically different to how it was when Leonidas fought there (yes, really!), and that Leonidas wasn't defending the exact spot we think he was and had a different strategy to what we were led to think from the legendary tales, and other details. It was also surprising to read the account of the last Battle of Thermopylae in WWII, because it has the outcome that the legendary one had to have as per the plan. Kind of fitting, I'd say.
I do wish this had pictures and maps. But I only have an ARC, so I believe the pictures and maps will be in the final published edition, and I hope it's good quality ones as I know Osprey can add. It'll greatly help the written descriptions to have photos of Thermopylae right next to them.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 21, 2023
Utterly captivating! This meticulously researched work traces the history of Thermopylae - and the 27 battles that have taken place there over a 2500 year period, stretching from Leonidas and his army of 300 to more recent conflict in WWII.
It's written in a very accessible style that will appeal to a broad audience of readers, not simply historical scholars. The attention to detail is phenomenal.
My e-ARC didn't contain any images or maps, which readers of the published version will benefit from and likely pore over.
Highly recommended in an educational context since each of the 27 battles may be analysed separately.
Thoroughly recommended.
My thanks to Osprey Publishing and NetGalley for granting this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It's written in a very accessible style that will appeal to a broad audience of readers, not simply historical scholars. The attention to detail is phenomenal.
My e-ARC didn't contain any images or maps, which readers of the published version will benefit from and likely pore over.
Highly recommended in an educational context since each of the 27 battles may be analysed separately.
Thoroughly recommended.
My thanks to Osprey Publishing and NetGalley for granting this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 22, 2023
Thermopylae and the Spartans is the quintessential "last stand" in history. However, did you know how many other battles and military actions occurred there? I certainly didn't. Thankfully, Myke Cole and Michael Livingston are here to remedy that with their book The Killing Ground.
I am a fan of Michael Livingston already and Myke Cole has a well received book on military history which is going on my to-read list. I had a general idea what to expect. The authors would fully survey the ground of Thermopylae, both now and in the past, and then lead the reader through each battle. There is plenty of mythbusting and very colorful stories of individual heroism and horrible planning. These parts are all wonderful.
The one issue I had with the book is almost unfair. The authors cover every single instance where Thermopylae is involved in combat. Unfortunately, (and they readily admit this) some of these episodes have almost no documentation. While I appreciate the thoroughness of the authors, these chapters slow down the narrative even with their best efforts to state what we do know and move on quickly. That said, this is still a very good book and should be appealing to anyone interested in the subject matter.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Osprey Publishing.)
I am a fan of Michael Livingston already and Myke Cole has a well received book on military history which is going on my to-read list. I had a general idea what to expect. The authors would fully survey the ground of Thermopylae, both now and in the past, and then lead the reader through each battle. There is plenty of mythbusting and very colorful stories of individual heroism and horrible planning. These parts are all wonderful.
The one issue I had with the book is almost unfair. The authors cover every single instance where Thermopylae is involved in combat. Unfortunately, (and they readily admit this) some of these episodes have almost no documentation. While I appreciate the thoroughness of the authors, these chapters slow down the narrative even with their best efforts to state what we do know and move on quickly. That said, this is still a very good book and should be appealing to anyone interested in the subject matter.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Osprey Publishing.)
January 16, 2024
A fascinating and well-researched book about the history of one of the most blood-soaked patches of land on the planet - Thermopylae. A site of many battles through the ages, but only one is firmly set in history - the incredible last stand of the 300 Spartans against a vast Syrian army.
Unfortunately, very little hard historical evidence is left for military historians to pore over. However, the author must be congratulated for the amount of investigative work that he has undertaken to support his theories about the strategy and tactics that were used by the various warring sides. Also his research into the ever-changing topography that has occurred over many centuries.
I recommend this book to any serious military historian or readers who are fascinated by the legends associated with Thermopylae.
Unfortunately, very little hard historical evidence is left for military historians to pore over. However, the author must be congratulated for the amount of investigative work that he has undertaken to support his theories about the strategy and tactics that were used by the various warring sides. Also his research into the ever-changing topography that has occurred over many centuries.
I recommend this book to any serious military historian or readers who are fascinated by the legends associated with Thermopylae.
Read
March 11, 2024I’ve often thought what a good idea it would be to have a book that deals not only with ‘the’ Battle of Thermopylae but also with the many other engagements fought before and well after, as recently as the Second World War, in this key pass in north-central Greece named for its thermal springs. The Killing Ground is that book, tricked out with a veritable arsenal – indeed, battery – of supporting illustrations (culminating in Jacques-Louis David’s Léonide aux Thermopyles) and maps, all superb, written expressly for nonspecialist readers. The co-authors make no bones about it: the uber-famous August 480 BC affair – the second of their 16 battles and 27 ‘actions’ at Thermopylae – ‘may be the most famous battle in human history’ or at any rate ‘one of the most famous killing grounds in history’ – certainly one of the greatest stories ever (to be) told. The book parades an apparatus of scholarship in endnotes, though these are used not only to document views expressed in the text or to suggest further, alternative readings, but also to settle the odd score (experto credi).
This is a book that can be read serially, dipped into chapter by engaging chapter, armchair polemology of the best sort. But caveat emptor: space forbids my drawing attention to much in the way of the book’s detail – and for a good long stretch of its contents I wouldn’t pretend to having any expertise whatsoever, not much, anyhow, beyond the 12th action or seventh battle of 191 BC. However, when it comes to the climactic, 480 BC clash, there’s an absolutely fundamental and crucial historiographical issue at stake: the reliability of our nearest surviving contemporary written source that can be called in any way historical, the Histories of Herodotus.
Cole and Livingston do not diss the Halicarnassian completely – how could they, and then go on to write anything about the battle in any detail? But they do adopt what one might call a ‘radical-sceptic’ stance, doubting some of his claims and crediting other alternative ancient sources. On one – to me – utterly vital point, the precise composition of King Leonidas’ famous ‘300’, they ignore him altogether. Herodotus had visited Sparta and socialised with leading Spartans. There, he had learned by heart the individual names of all the 300. His work being the denial of official history, he was not afraid to report – contrary to ‘popular’ belief still current today – that two of the 300 had not died in the pass. And about one thing Herodotus was absolutely certain: that among Leonidas’ criteria for selecting them (they weren’t identical with his regular bodyguard of 20-year-olds, also 300 in number) was that they had to be fathers of living sons. There’s no mention of that in The Killing Ground.
Read the rest of the review at HistoryToday.com.
Paul Cartledge is Emeritus A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture, Clare College, Cambridge and author, most recently, of Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece (Picador, 2020).
This is a book that can be read serially, dipped into chapter by engaging chapter, armchair polemology of the best sort. But caveat emptor: space forbids my drawing attention to much in the way of the book’s detail – and for a good long stretch of its contents I wouldn’t pretend to having any expertise whatsoever, not much, anyhow, beyond the 12th action or seventh battle of 191 BC. However, when it comes to the climactic, 480 BC clash, there’s an absolutely fundamental and crucial historiographical issue at stake: the reliability of our nearest surviving contemporary written source that can be called in any way historical, the Histories of Herodotus.
Cole and Livingston do not diss the Halicarnassian completely – how could they, and then go on to write anything about the battle in any detail? But they do adopt what one might call a ‘radical-sceptic’ stance, doubting some of his claims and crediting other alternative ancient sources. On one – to me – utterly vital point, the precise composition of King Leonidas’ famous ‘300’, they ignore him altogether. Herodotus had visited Sparta and socialised with leading Spartans. There, he had learned by heart the individual names of all the 300. His work being the denial of official history, he was not afraid to report – contrary to ‘popular’ belief still current today – that two of the 300 had not died in the pass. And about one thing Herodotus was absolutely certain: that among Leonidas’ criteria for selecting them (they weren’t identical with his regular bodyguard of 20-year-olds, also 300 in number) was that they had to be fathers of living sons. There’s no mention of that in The Killing Ground.
Read the rest of the review at HistoryToday.com.
Paul Cartledge is Emeritus A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture, Clare College, Cambridge and author, most recently, of Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece (Picador, 2020).
Read
March 18, 2024#thekillingground #abiographyofthermopylae by #mykecole @m and #michaellivingston @l published in 2024.
An in depth look at #thermopylae and the #military actions that have taken place there. Discussing geology and geography and changing landscape of the location. It has less to do with the history of the area in terms of local people, culture and economy
(because it is fairly empty I suppose) but it details the history of all the conflicts that are known to have occurred there because strategically its location is important. Obviously the most compelling and detailed chapter is about the Spartans vs the Persians. Some of the later conflicts don’t have anywhere near as much detail because the information simply hasn’t been recorded through history. Also the book discusses different interpretations of historical events/records/beliefs. Analysing myths and common misconceptions and long held beliefs and putting them under investigation. Seemingly not taking anything for granted. Herodotus is known as the father of history but I never thought of him as a propagandist! Admirably when they don’t know - they say so. They don’t claim anything as fact. The sources say this but the source may be dubious because of propaganda/the time it was written/the writers visit to the location and observations of the terrain. I had no idea so many including the Gauls, the Goths, the Romans, Attila the Hun fought where Leonidas died.
The final few chapters about Thermopylae in WW2 were another highlight.
An in depth look at #thermopylae and the #military actions that have taken place there. Discussing geology and geography and changing landscape of the location. It has less to do with the history of the area in terms of local people, culture and economy
(because it is fairly empty I suppose) but it details the history of all the conflicts that are known to have occurred there because strategically its location is important. Obviously the most compelling and detailed chapter is about the Spartans vs the Persians. Some of the later conflicts don’t have anywhere near as much detail because the information simply hasn’t been recorded through history. Also the book discusses different interpretations of historical events/records/beliefs. Analysing myths and common misconceptions and long held beliefs and putting them under investigation. Seemingly not taking anything for granted. Herodotus is known as the father of history but I never thought of him as a propagandist! Admirably when they don’t know - they say so. They don’t claim anything as fact. The sources say this but the source may be dubious because of propaganda/the time it was written/the writers visit to the location and observations of the terrain. I had no idea so many including the Gauls, the Goths, the Romans, Attila the Hun fought where Leonidas died.
The final few chapters about Thermopylae in WW2 were another highlight.
February 22, 2024
The Killing Ground: A Biography of Thermopylae by Cole & Livingston
A lot of blood has been shed in Thermopylae, the pass made infamous by Leonidas and Xerxes in 480 BC. However, there are many more battles and key actions that have occurred on this site. Cole and Livingston cover Thermopylae as a character itself, one that seemingly has a gravitational pull for war to occur on its grounds. The authors explain why that pull exist.
Just like those armies, anything involving the battle of Thermopylae ropes me in so this was a no brainer preorder for me. The book covers a ton of information on the geography of the land so important to Greece defense. The authors take you through historical stories of the battles and actions we know that were impacted by this area and how the changes in the land itself played a part. Of course you can expect a heavy dose of the King Leonidas and King of King Xerxes showdown, but also great stories involving Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire, Alaric the Goth, Attila the Hun and WW2.
A lot of blood has been shed in Thermopylae, the pass made infamous by Leonidas and Xerxes in 480 BC. However, there are many more battles and key actions that have occurred on this site. Cole and Livingston cover Thermopylae as a character itself, one that seemingly has a gravitational pull for war to occur on its grounds. The authors explain why that pull exist.
Just like those armies, anything involving the battle of Thermopylae ropes me in so this was a no brainer preorder for me. The book covers a ton of information on the geography of the land so important to Greece defense. The authors take you through historical stories of the battles and actions we know that were impacted by this area and how the changes in the land itself played a part. Of course you can expect a heavy dose of the King Leonidas and King of King Xerxes showdown, but also great stories involving Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire, Alaric the Goth, Attila the Hun and WW2.
May 7, 2024
Fascinating insight to Thermopylae from ancient times through WWII! For anyone want to understand the historical significance of this battle ground it’s a must read!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews