Thermopylae
The Battle for the West
-
-
4.2 • 13 Ratings
-
-
- $11.99
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
An account of the ancient battle between Persia and the alliance of Greek city-states, including the legendary “300 Spartans.”
In 480 BCE, Persian king Xerxes led a massive invasion of Greece. A critical point in this invasion was the battle for the pass at Thermopylae—“Hot Gates” in Greek. Xerxes had amassed one of the largest armies yet known to man, while Leonidas’s troops, a group of united Spartans, Thespians, Thebans, and others, including slaves, were a small fraction of the Persian horde.
Despite the overwhelming odds, Leonidas and his men stood their ground for three days in a historic display of patriotism and courage. In Thermopylae: Battle for the West, acclaimed author Ernle Bradford covers the entire era of the invasion—from the foundation of the Persian empire to the accession of Darius all the way to the final, bloody battles—in a fascinating and accessible look at warfare in ancient times.
Customer Reviews
Thermopylae
This book doesn't limit itself to the significant, but limited action at the Hot Gates. It covers the entire Persian campaign from crossing the Hellespont to Plataea. Incredible. I grew up on hard books, but I could not put this "book" down. I really enjoyed the author's analysis of Herodotus writings regarding the barbarism of the Persians and the incredible numbers of ships and men at Xerses command. And he provides reasons for disagreeing. There is a great deal of speculation but much of it is completely reasonable. Another nugget in this book is about how so few Greeks could defeat so many Persians. Of course, there was terrain like at Thermopylae and even at Salamis. But it was largely technology, Greek armor against virtually unarmored Persians. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended.
No Value
Another propaganda for facts that only greek-lovers believe in. Herodotus, father of forging history, is an unreliable source of information, therefore, books like this which based their facts on the fictional work of that story-teller has no historical values.