An impressively accessible narrative depicting the three-day battle for the pass at Thermopylae (the Hot Gates)--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.
Thermopylae: The Battle For The West
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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.
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105 of 112 people found the following review helpful
Format: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
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
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
Format: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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Misleading title doesn't take away from the quality of Bradford's book
Thermopylae: The Battle for the West is a truly misleading title. Indeed, when I purchased the book, I had been under the impression that its focus would be set on the famous... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Joshua A. Langston
THIS IS SPARTA!
Amazing book, very descriptive and through on the happenings surrounding the battle. Highly suggest for anyone interested in Greek history!
Published 15 months ago by Benjamin Watkins
Thermopylae AND the battles for the West...
Thermopylae: The Battle for the West is a good solid read. Don't let the title fool you however as the scope of the book is not limited to just the battle of Thermopylae. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Scott Oliphant
Textbook Blah
The book arrived very quickly after my purchase (less than a week) and is in excellent condition.
As for the book, it has not kept my attention for several reasons... Read more
As for the book, it has not kept my attention for several reasons... Read more
Published 20 months ago by C. Meinke
Amazingly engaging little book
I'm not enough of a historian, sadly, to judge what is the most critical aspect of a history work- its accuracy. Read more
Published on August 31, 2009 by Glenn Yates
A different aproach
I like books like these, written by persones that actually lived great events and bring us a piece of those events in the form of a more human perspective, a less concerned with... Read more
Published on December 14, 2008 by Vladimiro Sousa
Thermopylae the Battle for the West: great for the researcher
As I was strolling through the book store and couldn't find a book that suited me for my school project, I decided to check out the history section. Read more
Published on December 20, 2007 by Michael N. Perrino
Very good read!
The book was very thorough and covered the subject very well. Each chapter was broken down into ten pages or less and each one took on a very specific subject, perfect for a light... Read more
Published on September 3, 2007 by Daniel Grimm
Who you side with, says who you are
"it was the natural human tendency to elevate the battle at the hot Gates to an almost superhuman dimension and, having done so, to let the purpose of it be forgotten. Read more
Published on August 22, 2007 by Quilmiense
East versus West
I found the author gave a very good background to the story of Thermopylae. It is hard to add much to an event that took place nearly 2500 years ago but his description of the... Read more
Published on June 26, 2007 by K. Dargan
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
THE WHOLE OF THE EAST was on the move. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
navy party, armoured men Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Persian Empire, Asia Minor, Alexander of Macedon, Black Sea, Hot Gates, Cape Sepias, Ionian Greeks, Mount Athos, Second World War, Bay of Eleusis, Gelon of Syracuse, Alexander the Great, Cape Sunium, Gulf of Pagasae, King of Kings, Megara Channel, Phaleron Bay, Salamis Channel, Oath of Plataea, Saronic Gulf New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
THE WHOLE OF THE EAST was on the move. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
navy party, armoured men Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Persian Empire, Asia Minor, Alexander of Macedon, Black Sea, Hot Gates, Cape Sepias, Ionian Greeks, Mount Athos, Second World War, Bay of Eleusis, Gelon of Syracuse, Alexander the Great, Cape Sunium, Gulf of Pagasae, King of Kings, Megara Channel, Phaleron Bay, Salamis Channel, Oath of Plataea, Saronic Gulf New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 11
books:
See all 11 books this book cites
3
books
cite this book:
- Persia and the Greeks: The Defence of the West, c.546-478 B.C. by A.R. Burn in Front Matter, page 26, and Back Matter
- Arms and Armour of the Greeks (Aspects of Greek & Roman Life Series) by Anthony M. Snodgrass in Front Matter, page 72, and Back Matter
- The Rise and Fall of Athens (Penguin Classics) by Plutarch in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- The Heritage of Persia (Bibliotheca Iranica, Reprint Series, No. 1) by Richard N. Frye in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- The Collected Poems of A. E. Housman by A. E. Housman in Front Matter
See all 11 books this book cites
- The Tao of Deception: Unorthodox Warfare in Historic and Modern China by Ralph D. Sawyer in Back Matter
- Ancient Greeks: Creating the Classical Tradition (Oxford Profiles) by Rosalie F. Baker on page 79
- The Greeks at War: From Athens to Alexander (Essential Histories Specials) by Philip Souza in Back Matter
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