Michelle F's Reviews > Gates of Fire
Gates of Fire
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Michelle F's review
bookshelves: big-damn-heroes, historical, location-literature, lofty-tower-bc, reviewed, severedheads-nevergo-out-of-fashion, war
Feb 17, 2022
bookshelves: big-damn-heroes, historical, location-literature, lofty-tower-bc, reviewed, severedheads-nevergo-out-of-fashion, war
Remarkably engaging, and remarkably bloody!
While I happily delve into historical fiction on an occasionally regular basis and also enjoy some rousing battles in the more speculative genres, I've never found historical military fiction to be particularly entertaining. This buddy-read turned out to be an outlier. I found Gates of Fire to be nuanced and thoughtfully appealing.
This is the battle of Thermopyle (think 300) recounted by Xeones – a servant of the Spartan army – to the invading Persian emperor Xerxes. Xeones is the only survivor found among the many Greek corpses after the notorious battle, and he is saved from death so that the Persians can get a better idea of the spirit behind the incredible valor and skill of the incredibly efficient Spartans. Xeones' perspective is an interesting one: after being driven from his own home and losing most of his family in a more localized territorial battle, the young boy Xeones ultimately chooses to place himself into servitude in Sparta for the opportunity to learn to fight and model himself after the renowned warriors of that land. His narrative spans many years prior to the big battle at the titular gates, and gives great context about the politics and fighting that precede it. Approaching the story from this angle is great for a reader like me, who is about as far away from a military mindset as a person can be. It also gives observational insight into Spartan ideologies that form the foundation of the unity of their brotherhood.
And ultimately that is what this book is about, though the battle at the Gates of Fire is given gruesome spotlight for the final third-ish of the story. It is about patriotic urges, the philosophies of heroics and fear, and the incredible bond that ties the defending army together. This is powerfully conveyed in Pressfield's writing. It is little wonder that this novel is cited as a favourite of many a Serviceman.
Overall, a moving book to read, though the field of battle is horrific and gory and sad. There are a few slow moments in the middle which still add to the characterizations that are vital for this story to be as affecting as it is.
Having stepped away from the immediate experience, I can feel myself start poking at it with my own ideals and questions and curiosities, but the writing is good, and the tale is both gripping and anthemic enough that I didn't stop to be my own objectionable and critical self while I was reading. I think that is a pretty strong achievement by the author.
If I allow myself to pick away at it in the back of my mind then an eventual reread might fare differently, but I really appreciated Gates of Fire and would absolutely recommend it to any fan of Historical War Fiction.
While I happily delve into historical fiction on an occasionally regular basis and also enjoy some rousing battles in the more speculative genres, I've never found historical military fiction to be particularly entertaining. This buddy-read turned out to be an outlier. I found Gates of Fire to be nuanced and thoughtfully appealing.
This is the battle of Thermopyle (think 300) recounted by Xeones – a servant of the Spartan army – to the invading Persian emperor Xerxes. Xeones is the only survivor found among the many Greek corpses after the notorious battle, and he is saved from death so that the Persians can get a better idea of the spirit behind the incredible valor and skill of the incredibly efficient Spartans. Xeones' perspective is an interesting one: after being driven from his own home and losing most of his family in a more localized territorial battle, the young boy Xeones ultimately chooses to place himself into servitude in Sparta for the opportunity to learn to fight and model himself after the renowned warriors of that land. His narrative spans many years prior to the big battle at the titular gates, and gives great context about the politics and fighting that precede it. Approaching the story from this angle is great for a reader like me, who is about as far away from a military mindset as a person can be. It also gives observational insight into Spartan ideologies that form the foundation of the unity of their brotherhood.
And ultimately that is what this book is about, though the battle at the Gates of Fire is given gruesome spotlight for the final third-ish of the story. It is about patriotic urges, the philosophies of heroics and fear, and the incredible bond that ties the defending army together. This is powerfully conveyed in Pressfield's writing. It is little wonder that this novel is cited as a favourite of many a Serviceman.
Overall, a moving book to read, though the field of battle is horrific and gory and sad. There are a few slow moments in the middle which still add to the characterizations that are vital for this story to be as affecting as it is.
Having stepped away from the immediate experience, I can feel myself start poking at it with my own ideals and questions and curiosities, but the writing is good, and the tale is both gripping and anthemic enough that I didn't stop to be my own objectionable and critical self while I was reading. I think that is a pretty strong achievement by the author.
If I allow myself to pick away at it in the back of my mind then an eventual reread might fare differently, but I really appreciated Gates of Fire and would absolutely recommend it to any fan of Historical War Fiction.
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Reading Progress
January 3, 2021
– Shelved
March, 2021
–
Started Reading
March, 2021
–
Finished Reading
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Yun
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Feb 17, 2022 11:55AM
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![Michelle F](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1532285907p1/44158677.jpg)
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![Michelle F](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1532285907p1/44158677.jpg)
I agree! While I understand that this time frame and this particular battle only has so much historical documentation regarding it, Pressfield’s writing feels well-researched and confident. Plus, the close examination of the bonds formed between the characters made this very compelling.
![Ron](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1639001325p1/43881851.jpg)
![Michelle F](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1532285907p1/44158677.jpg)
Thank you Ron. You’re right! It seems like that many pages of one battle should be overkill (pardon the pun), but the buildup lends so much connection and investment!
![Paul (Life In The Slow Lane)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1711773809p1/30337728.jpg)
![Michelle F](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1532285907p1/44158677.jpg)
Haha thanks Paul. I admit I had to try pretty hard to keep them all straight. And was amusing everyone when I was trying to pronounce them out loud 😂
![Michelle F](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1532285907p1/44158677.jpg)
Thank you, Whitney! 😊
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![Michelle F](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1532285907p1/44158677.jpg)
I’m glad we chose this one, of his works. It’s a favourite of my dedicated buddy-reader’s, but I was also appreciative of the fact that it’s one of those battles that I already had some (at least pop-culture) awareness of. It gave me a bit of a framework for some of the details.
Thank you Alan! Happy reading right back to you :)
![Michelle F](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1532285907p1/44158677.jpg)
Thank you, Talha! The actual battle was sooo long, but never got tiring! That’s a special skill, I think. :)
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![Michelle F](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1532285907p1/44158677.jpg)
I think it was also helpful for me that I had a buddy reader with this one who is quite keen on military fiction. Enthusiasm is catchy! Nonetheless, this was written really well and very thoughtfully explored both the mindset and relationships behind everything. It was very interesting to me!
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![Michelle F](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1532285907p1/44158677.jpg)
I did have the benefit of reading this one with a friend who really loves it. I think I would have found it engaging on my own, but I may not have ended up with as deep an appreciation for it?
Was there something specific that kept it from capturing you? I don’t usually have fun with military fiction, so I was surprised by this one.