-
“Steven Pressfield brings the battle of Thermopylae to brilliant life, and he does for that war what Charles Frazier did for the Civil War in Cold Mountain.”
— Pat Conroy
-
“An incredibly gripping, moving, and literate work of art. Rarely does an author manage to recreate a moment in history with such mastery, authority, and psychological insight.”
— Nelson DeMille
-
“A timeless epic of man and war...Pressfield has created a new classic deserving of a place beside the very best of the old.”
— Stephen Coonts
-
“Gripping and swashbuckling...an exciting, romantic, star-crossed story.”
— New York Times
-
“An epic novel...the real thing.”
— San Francisco Chronicle
-
“A novel that is intricate and arresting and, once begun, almost impossible to put down.”
— New York Daily News
-
“Monumental...[a story] told with extraordinary authority and insight.”
— Fort Worth Star-Telegram
-
“Pressfield’s imaginative and gory rendering of the combat is compelling, and his prose is clear and accessible.”
— Sunday Times (London)
-
“With a sound grasp of strategy and an ex-infantryman’s understanding of comradeship and its grim wit, Steven Pressfield adds color and a credible cast of soldiers and their wives to the historians’ accounts. I couldn’t put it down.”
— Daily Telegraph (London)
-
“Pressfield’s powerful, historically accurate novel explores Spartan society and the nature of courage without ever losing its narrative momentum.”
— New Yorker
-
“Pressfield’s descriptions of war are breathtaking in their immediacy.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review
-
“Rich with historical detail, hot action, and crafty storytelling, Pressfield’s riveting story reveals the social and political framework of Spartan life—ending with the hysteria and brutality of the spear-thrusting, shield-bashing clamor that defined a Spartan’s relationship with his family, community, country, and fellow warriors.”
— Publishers Weekly
-
“Guidall’s voice has an antiquated quality, a timeless weightiness that gives gravity to his readings. All of this makes the historic novel one of his strongest formats, a point amply made in this performance.”
— AudioFile
-
“Fast-paced blending of ethnology, romance, human insight, and military science...Highly recommended.”
— Booklist
-
“Pressfield weaves a fascinating tale of valor, fear, comradeship, and a courage that takes a handful of warriors beyond human frailty into immortality. An unforgettable novel.”
— Library Journal
-
“A triumph in historical fiction.”
— Kirkus Reviews