The Gates of Fire

Hammer · Post by **Hammer** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 5:21 pm

Has anybody ever read this book? Author is Steven Pressfield.

Slave_Master · Post by **Slave_Master** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 5:24 pm

I saw it in a book store and read some of it. It was kind of....shitty?

Hammer · Post by **Hammer** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 5:30 pm

http://www.stevenpressfield.com/books/gates_fire.asp

requiem_for_a_starfury · Tue Oct 21, 2003 6:10 pm

I'm reading it now. It's a great book, I'm just over half way through, the Spartans are at Thermopylae and the first advance parties of the Persian Army have just arrived.

"Greeks conscripted by Xerxes: If under compulsion you must fight us your brothers, fight badly."

Aneurysm · Post by **Aneurysm** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 6:13 pm

It might be a nice book , I already knew that part of the spartan history and I just loved it , if I find it in my country I am gonna buy it.

Menno · Post by **Menno** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 11:06 pm

Gates of Fire is perhaps one of the best military novels I've ever read. I've been in the Army for four years (re-enlisting again next year) and I must have read it about 4-5 times during that time-span. The way Pressfield brings the battle of Thermopylae alive is amazing. It feels as if you're actually in the Spartan phalanx ranks, that's how vividly he brings it to life. You actually begin to care for the characters involved through that ordeal.

It isn't entirely factual of course, but no other novel comes close to how Gates of Fire brings you so close to what the Spartans experienced throughout those several days. It starts off a bit slowly, but it picks up halfway through the novel and really sucks you in.

If you like Gates of Fire, I also recommend Tides of War (also written by Pressfield), which is about the Peloponesian War between Athens and Sparta. Though not as good as Gates of Fire, it's still a solid novel.

Icabod · Post by **Icabod** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 11:32 pm

Amazing how a couple thousand Spartans held back an army of 200,000 soldiers and archers in the mountain pass, by the end of the battle 20,000 Persians are dead.

"The persians have so many archers, that their attack blocks out the sun with arrows." said an officer to the Spartan King, he replied "Good, then we will have our battle in the shade."

Smiley · Post by **Smiley** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 11:57 pm

"The persians have so many archers, that their attack blocks out the sun with arrows." said an officer to the Spartan King, he replied "Good, then we will have our battle in the shade."

You could've written why he said that...

The king knew, that the arrows could not pierce the armor of his army.

Icabod · Post by **Icabod** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 12:03 am

On the contrary, I meant it just to show the Spartans resolve before battle. In fact, the Spartans fought to the last man in this battle and were eventually cornered. By a flanking force of Persians.

The Persians didn't want to waste any more infantry so they just shot them with arrow after arrow from a distance until they were all dead, although it probably did take quite a few arrows. The armor plating can withstand an arrow, but there are many critical areas that aren't covered by armor, such as the the legs and arms. I imagine the last few spartans just bled to death from minor puncture wounds.

iohkus · Post by **iohkus** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 1:29 am

cyrus > xerxes > combyses

but i don't know, i'd read it.

requiem_for_a_starfury · Wed Oct 22, 2003 2:20 pm

Just finished it, damn good book. Now you'll have to excuse me I think I got something in my eye reading the last couple of chapers, need to find a hanky. *snif*

ExtremeDrinker · Post by **ExtremeDrinker** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 2:41 pm

This was required reading for my Ancient Greece class...Had to do a 20pg book report over it. I hate this book. I'm sure in another context I would have enjoyed fucking the trees (that's from this book, right? Or is it from some other book I had to write about for that fucking class.....Hmm..)

Fuck Gates of Fire!

Well, I looked back over the first chapter....I think I liked this book...It's the other damned book I hated. But I'm not going to get rid of the Fuck GoF pic...

Megatron · Post by **Megatron** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 5:42 pm

the book must be pretty big or you have small girl hands

ExtremeDrinker · Post by **ExtremeDrinker** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 7:29 pm

I've got small girl hands..Plus the scanner doesn't really do distances well...Hand wasn't lying on the scanner, and such..

But yes..Small girl hands...Round sausage fingers..

At least they make my dick look big.

iohkus · Post by **iohkus** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 8:58 pm

i'd let drinker give me a handy anyday?
but then again i'd probably let anyone give me a handy... WAIT WAHT?!

Hammer · Post by **Hammer** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 3:38 am

Make your dick look long? I bet you can't even see your dick when you look down at the scale while weighing your fat ass to see if that weight plan you're on is really working.

SuperH · Post by **SuperH** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 3:49 am

ExtremeDrinker wrote:

Your hands suck. :-!

Killzig · Post by **Killzig** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 3:57 am

i read it, loved it. Leonidus rox0rz t3h b0x0rz.

and extremedrinker needs to sign up for Hammer's fat camp. holy jeezus how do you do anything with those ham fists?

Hammer · Post by **Hammer** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 3:57 am

What are you Drinker, 14? You look worse then JohnPNP.

iohkus · Post by **iohkus** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 5:21 am

HAHA YEAH YOU FATTY HAHAHA. FAT CAMP OH LAWL