Gates of Fire
By: Steven Pressfield
5 out of 5
This is an incredible work of narrative non-fiction. A friend of mine, a former Army Ranger, said it perfectly encapsulated the warrior spirit (hence why it was required reading for him in the Army). We’ve all seen the movie 300, we all know “THIS IS SPARTA!”, we all know how epic the storyline is. This book was all that and more! It encompasses stoicism, courage, selflessness, patriotism, and authenticity
It’s visceral and real. At the heart of it, the book is about being a part of something bigger than yourself. It’s about sacrificing your comfort, your wants, your life (if need be) for someone or something else. There’s something borne in us that can’t help but feel inspired, yet insecure by that virtue. The beauty of this book is that it makes constant light of the fact that the men are just that…Men. Men, young and old, willing to adopt the role placed upon them because it’s what's required. Just men performing their duty without complaint, with vigor in fact, and that, in my opinion, is of the utmost quality.
Also very graphic, so be warned!
