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. In Sparta, the army was supported by the perioikoi and helots. Some of those helots were forced into supporting roles, but what led to the mentality of the character Rooster in the book? What actions shaped his perception of Sparta?

Pressfield’s portrayal on The Battle of Thermopylae captured the power and strength of the Spartans. Told in vivid details that seems to transport all your senses into the book, you’ll feel the battle, tragedy, doom, and hope unfolding right in front of your eyes. You won’t be able to stop reading about the savage nature of humanity as it inflicts devastation and the counter method employed by the Spartans. I’m serious, these Spartans in a phalanx formation were a combination of almost literal demigods; functioning together with the same beating heart to become a windmill of death and defending their compatriots while killing anyone who approached them. A kindling ember of hope was lit by the 300 Spartans from the battle that results in a deluge of blood in the gates of fire, turning flesh and blood into gifts for Hades. This battle eventually would become the turning point for a future victory against the Persians and I enjoyed every moment of reading this book.How have you responded to this type of development in the past and how should you respond in the future?

Forty years later, to my surprise and gratification, I am far more closely bound to the young men of the Marine Corps and to all other dirt-eating, ground-pounding outfits than I could ever have imagined.

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Author Steven Pressfield is perhaps best-known at the moment for his book The Legend of Bagger Vance, a story about golf, which has just been made into a film by Robert Redford. Film-rights to Gates of Fire have been taken up by George Clooney’s production company. Golf and Thermopylae? They’re both battles in which one must hold the line against hordes of shrieking barbarians whose basic nature is that they arise from our own hearts and are indivisible from our baser nature. The Bhagavad-Gita, on which Bagger Vance is based, is a warrior epic espousing a warrior code of duty, honour, service, detachment, etc. only elevated by its sublime-to-divine origins to the level of religion, in the best sense of the word. The Spartans at Thermopylae elevated themselves, by their sacrifice, from history to legend, which is pretty close to religion too, if you ask me. If I’m not mistaken, Gates of Fire is on the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ Reading list. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because the philosophical content in this book is simply a jaw-dropping, resonating masterpiece. I’ve never been a soldier or marine, and I sure as hell don’t want to become one; the fear that would come with enlisting would probably make me shit myself to death. I’m always disgusted at the atrocities that humans can do to each other in the times of war. Ironically, wars also bring into focus how amazing and inspiring humanity can be. This book counters the fear and terror of war with perseverance, strength, and flaming resilience. Despite not being a soldier, I do believe that there are tons of incredibly positive messages you can get from reading this book. For example, the Spartans’ valorous attitude in the face of dominance and tyranny is something that's truly worth adapting to your life. From 2nd Battalion/6th Marines, which calls itself "the Spartans," to ODA 316 of the Special Forces, whose forearms are tattooed with the lambda of Lakedaemon, today's young warriors find a bond to their ancient precursors in the historical narratives of these novels. What will you look for to know the difference in your own unit and the people you are fighting? How do you prepare your unit to fight with courage?

From Leonidas’s speech to his commanders and allies in the days before the battle at Thermopylae, what “truths” did he know about his allies as they approached the battle? a b c d e Brummell, Paul (2005). Turkmenistan. Bradt Travel Guides. pp.133–134. ISBN 978-1-84162-144-9. We support our members, and our members support us! As a member, you'll receive our magazines, be eligible for event discounts, and can even be listed in our directory. a b Davies, Elliott (2017-01-26). "I traveled to the middle of the desert to see 'The Door To Hell' ". Business Insider . Retrieved 2017-01-28.My writing philosophy is, not surprisingly, a kind of warrior code — internal rather than external — in which the enemy is identified as those forms of self-sabotage that I have labeled "Resistance" with a capital R (in THE WAR OF ART) and the technique for combatting these foes can be described as "turning pro."

If someone tells you you're crazy enough times, eventually it becomes true. It's that old psychiatrist's joke: insanity's all in your head.”Xeo jumps a few years into the future, when he is working as Alexandros’s sparring partner. He tells a story that conveys the brutality of the Spartan training regime. One night during a brutal drill, Polynikes angrily breaks Alexandros’s nose for a small breach of protocol. In the aftermath, Alexandros develops asthma which seems to be triggered by fear. Dienekes tries to help him master his fear, pushing Xeo to fight Alexandros as hard as he can, because he knows Alexandros will live a disgraced life if he can’t become a warrior. Homer was our school, the Iliad and Odyssey the texts of our curriculum […] Bruxieus tutored us relentlessly in compassion, that virtue which he saw diminishing each day within our mountain-hardened hearts […] Bland, Stephen (2014-04-08). "Turkmenistan Has Its Very Own 'Gate to Hell' ". Vice.com . Retrieved 2017-01-28. I believe in the Muse. I think she guides writers absolutely. Of characters I knew I must have Dienekes, he was historical and central. From him came Xeo, his squire, the narrator and point of view. Next Dienekes must have a wife to give us that side of the tale, so … Arete. I believe that a story must have a theme, that one central character must embody that theme and that the supporting characters surround him, like a constellation, each embodying another aspect of the theme. In this case it was fear/courage. So Polynikes represented one aspect, Alexandros another, Rooster another, Leonidas another, and the women Paraleia and Arete two more. They all came along in the writing by themselves. Gates of Fire is a 1998 historical fiction novel by Steven Pressfield that recounts the Battle of Thermopylae through Xeones, a perioikos [1] (free but non-citizen inhabitant of Sparta) born in Astakos, [2] and one of only three Greek survivors of the battle.