'Gates of Fire'

If there is one book that has done more to glorify the heroism and tenacity of the 300 Spartans it is unquestionably Steven Pressfield's 'Gates of Fire'. When I first saw the movie 'The 300 Spartans' as a young child in Australia, it had such a profound impact on me that as I grew older I tried to read everything that I could about the battle of Thermopylae.

My first introduction to the literary form about the story of the 300 Spartans was Mary Renault's 'Lion in the Gateway' (see archives 9/26/04-10/9/04). This was my favorite story when I was growing up, so much in fact, that I tried to collect every different format that I came across, i.e, hardcover, softcover and paperbacks.

Well today, my favorite book is S.P.'s 'Gates of Fire' which has me once again collecting the different versions which are available. I've gone the same route once again, because on a personal level, the story of the battle of Thermopylae has come full circle and so has my desire to collect all things associated with it.

More to follow about the 'GOF' in the next several blogs!