|
With the money the movie "300" made one would have to suspect that if this was made into a movie it would make millions. Even though this is fiction the details of the life of a Spartan soldier are told with vivid details along with the battle scenes. You can't go wrong with any of Pressfields books and this one is highly recommended. Written from a narrative prospective, Pressfield delivers an exciting re-telling of the last stand at Thermoplyae. This is a story from the lone survivor of the battle.
If only the story of an enemy soldier/s had been illustrated with the same meticulous detail. The narrative is sound, realistic, discriptive, philosphically challenging and thought provoking. It draws on and examines the importance of many emotions, love, fear, courage and grief. Loved this book.Xeo is a child displaced by war, he loses his family and struggles to survive with his cousin (who he loves) and the help and counsel of a blind family servant. This may have made a great book a masterpiece. Xeo hardened by the Spartan way of life, earns respect and confidence, and finds himself at the scene of one of the most heroic military battles in history at the side of a great Spartan warrior. He turns to the Spartan way of life to find strength and direction while his cousin moves to Athens in search of a husband. Close to death he is tended to by the Persians on the orders of the King in an effort to learn about the enemy and during this process, he tells his story.
My favorite scene involves some of the narrator's hereos discussing what the opposite of fear is. My husband recommended this book to me, and since he had never done that before I felt obligated to give it a shot. This is a great novel. The young mens' final conclusion is that women possess the opposite of fear when they fight against human nature and bravely see off their husbands and sons to battle, wishing for victory over their return. This is a book detailing so much more than just the battle scene. Following along with the narrator's life and struggles, listening in as the Spartan leaders discuss battle and politics, and being given glimpses into family life moves the story along.
The characters are unique and well-developed which adds to the realism of the story. The book is fiction, but it is littered with historical accuracy that makes the entire story one of the best written. The book is quick an easy to read, and one I would recommend to everyone interested in this epic time in history.I would also highly recommend Clarence Cage's novel: Ashes Divide -Ashes Divide - the sequel to Frank Miller's 300. Steven Pressfield has given the literary world a magnificent recreation of one of the most important battles of ancient times. His ability to write an accurate and vividly detailed account of the Battle of Thermopylae and the tough choices the Spartan warriors had to face is nothing short of stunning.
|
