Review of Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae

A fictionalization of the famous Spartan stand at Thermopylae, this novel does not pull any punches. It's gory, gritty, brutal, and very compelling. Steven Pressfield gives ancient events a feeling of immediacy; he has military experience and he puts this to fine use in giving the reader an authentic feel for army life among the Spartans.