Thermopylae: The Battle for the West [Paperback]

Ernle Bradford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 21, 1993

The three-day battle for the pass at Thermopylæ—the Hot Gates—was a critical contest in Xerxes’s massive invasion of Greece. The bloody stand made there by Leonidas and his small Spartan army in 480 B.C. has been hailed ever since as an outstanding example of patriotism, courage, and sacrifice. The ambitions of King Xerxes were vast. Having amassed a Persian army that was the largest force of men and ships ever assembled, he set out to conquer Greece, at the same time sending an army of Carthaginians to overrun Sicily. Thus the two forces planned to open the gates to the wealth of the western Mediterranean and march upon most of the known world.Ernle Bradford’s narrative embraces the entire era of the invasion, from the building of the incredible wooden bridge across the Hellespont to the final crushing defeat of the Persian rear guard at the battle of Platæa. There, as before, the Spartans were the decisive force, turning out in massive numbers. It was at Thermopylæ, however, that the fate of Xerxes’s forces was determined by a small band of Spartans. In Thermopylæ, Ernle Bradford brings to life the personalities and fantastic battles of this epic period with unmatched skill and verve.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ernie Bradford served in the Royal Navy during World War II. His many books include The Great Siege, Ulysses Found, The Shield and the Sword, Paul the Traveler, and The Sultan's Admiral.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; Rep edition (August 21, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306805316
• ISBN-13: 978-0306805318
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,230,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Inconsistent, but a quick and light read, March 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Thermopylae: The Battle for the West (Paperback)

Bradford's "Thermopylae" is actually a history of the second invasion of Greece by the Persian Empire. It is more the story of the Athenian fleet and the major Greek proponent of a combined sea and land strategy, Themistocles, than it is of the Spartan and Thespian hoplites who sacrificed themselves at the Hot Gates. The text is engaging, and I was surprised at hopw quickly I went through this book. However, I found myself bothered by several things. First, the author continually warns about drawing modern parallels with the way ancients thought, but constantly uses modern parallels (including the worn-out and inaccurate comparison of Sparta to Nazi Germany). Second, his sources are all secondary (including translations as secondary sources), so the auuthority of the book is questionable. Third, he is decidedly pro-Athenian despite the title of the book and continuous warnings about his major source's (Herodotus) biases. What all this leads to is a story of how Athens defeated the Persians. One might just get the feeling that the Spartans and Thermopylae were quite unnecessary to the Athenian victory. I'm not an expert on ancient Greece, but somehow I don't think that Leonidas and the 300 Spartans (and their Thespian allies) would have been memorialized and remembered for 2500 years if their sacrifice was irrelevant. Bottom line...read this if you want a good, quick read on the second Greco-Persian War. If you want a good read about Thermopylae alone, read the novel "Gates of Fire."

121 of 134 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guardians of history, December 14, 2002

By 

D. Roberts "Hadrian12" (Battle Creek, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Thermopylae: The Battle for the West (Paperback)

The battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C.E. has usually been relegated by modern historians to being nothing more than a "symbolic gesture" of Greek resolve during the Persian war. Although it WAS that, it was also much, much more.

The importance of this present book is that it sets the matter straight. The sub-title of the work is in no way an exaggeration. The 300 Spartans + the allies who held the pass @ Thermopylae protected the Greek fleet at Artemesium and bought time for the armada to mobilize at Salamis. The importance of this cannot be over-stated.

In this treatise, Ernle Bradford takes us back to that long-ago period of world history. Much more than being simply an extrapolation of Book VII of Herodotus' HISTORIES, here is a study that offers a superb look at the weapons, armor, ships, tactics and logistical difficulties of both the Greeks and Persians. The attention Bradford pays to the minutest details of the classical historians allows him to reason out conclusions that may not have been evident upon a first-reading.

Beyond Thermopylae, Bradford also has brief discussions of both Salamis and Platea. The over-all thrust of the book, however, is to put into context just how pivotal Thermopylae actually was in reference to these other, more well known battles.

While the parallels that he draws between the Persian war and World War II are occasionally a bit strained, it must be remembered that it is a typical method employed by military historians to draw comparisons and contrasts between ancient conflicts and those of his own day. As Bradford fought in WWII himself, it is natural that he should use it as a frame-of-reference for how he perceives warfare throughout the ages.

This book is HIGHLY recommended as standard-reading for all War-colleges, persons interested in classical history and (most of all) those who have more than a passing-curiousity about the Spartans.

As your head hits the pillow tonight, remember that some 2,500 years ago 300 Spartans stood on a wall & fought to the last man in a battle that they knew they could not win. They left their beloved Sparta KNOWING that they would never see it again. They were aware that their life only had a few sunrises left in it, yet this did not slow their march to Thermopylae for even a moment. It is because of their sacrifice that you are where you are today; defenders of the pass. Guardians of history.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview of the Greco-Persian Conflict, April 23, 2001

By 

Alexander (Hobbytown, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thermopylae: The Battle for the West (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book as a good overview of the Greek & Persian conflict in the 5th Century BC. The text is easy to read, and the author provided some personal interjections that often (but not always) were thought-provoking. Bradford's more even-handed approach to the 'Great King' Xeres and his campaign (e.g., the meticulous preparation by the Persians) is a welcome change from the overly pro-Athenian historical record.

The title of this book is rather misleading as coverage of the actual battle of Thermopylae is only a small portion of the narrative (though it is oft referred to). The constant bickering of the Greek City States is highlighted (perhaps once too often), and the concise background setting to the battles is handled quite well.

After perusing this book, it will be abundantly clear why the underdog Greek Hoplite was able to defeat the numerically superior Persians (and their allies) in battle - outstanding leadership, logistics advantages, cunning tactics, and superior weaponry.