Customer Reviews

The Lion in the Gateway (Four Square Book)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
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An enthralling story, it tells of the crossing of the Hellespont by Xerxes' army and the battles fought against the invaders by the courageous Greeks; Pheidippides marathon run from Athens to Sparta and the heroic stand at Thermopylae by a handful of Spartans. The rich, detailed background of vengeful gods and venerable seers gives this brilliant version of the ancient myth a living realism.

SOMEONE, PLEASE REPRINT THIS BOOK!!!!

This is a wonderful retelling of a fascinating period in history. The writer was immersed in the study of this time period, as evidenced by her works. The writing is engaging and this is the best account of the Persian Wars for children, grades 4-9 or so. It surpasses Alfred Church's book, The Story of the Persian War.

I read this book when I was in middle school and I just read it again as an adult. It is truly, truly wonderful, taking you right back to this incredible epic struggle of the Greeks against the Persian invaders. There's so much history, so much culture, so much atmosphere in this book. Mary Renault brings these great people to life, in a direct and accessible way. And best of all, she shows us why this story is important, how our own culture, our own ideas of freedom, reason, and democracy came from that flowering of Greece so long ago, and how these ideas were forged and hardened in the battles against the Persians.

Mary Renault has written superb historic novels which I have very much enjoyed. She is clearly a wonderful author. But be aware that "The Lion in the Gateway" was written for children 10 years and up. In that regard I am sure it is exceptional. However, the small fact that it was written for children was not mentioned on the item page. I purchased this book thinking it must be one of her novels (for adults). As they say, "my bad." I would highly recommend this book for a 10-13 year old. It is the perfect way to introduce the vibrant importance of the ancient Greek world to a young mind. Ms Renault is well-known for the historic accuracy in her writings and she is a highly readable author I deeply respect.

This is a great book! I originally found it in a library and checked it out for my son who was a third grade. I'd read it aloud to him and he loved the stories. Later he read it himself, and he has now developed a very strong love of history; especially ancient history. Since then, sadly it has disappeared from most libraries. They don't write books like these any more, which is sad.

I read this to my 1st and 4th graders as we were covering ancient Greece in our homeschooling curriculum. I usually can't get through history literature, but this one was SO interesting! The different people were described in such a relatable manner. I've never read a history book so well-written, that was also intended for a student learner, and doesn't talk down to the reader or pontificate to make the writer sound more intelligent. On the last page, before the historical notes, Ms. Renault explains how the Greeks' choices during the Persian Wars relates to our way of thinking. I was really impressed by how well Renault draws the reader into the motivations and values of these people from thousands of years ago. This is also my first military book and I look forward to reading more of Renault's work.

The book is difficult to find, but this vendor had it and delivered it sooner than expected. I will buy from them again.