In the Sunday Times bestseller Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield tells the breathtaking story of the legendary Spartans: the men and women who helped shaped our history and have themselves become as immortal as their gods.

''Breathtakingly brilliant . . . this is a work of rare genius. Savour it!'' DAVID GEMMELL

''A tale worthy of Homer, a timeless epic of man and war, exquisitely researched and boldy written. Pressfield has created a new classic'' STEPHEN COONTS

''A really impressive book - imaginatively framed, historically detailed and a really gripping narrative'' ***** Reader review

''Beautifully written and a great joy to read'' ***** Reader review

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Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,

That here, obedient to their laws, we lie.

480 BC: At a bleak pass in a far-flung corner of eastern Greece, three hundred Spartan warriors faced the army of King Xerxes of Persia, a massive force rumoured to be over a million strong.

Their orders were simple: to delay the enemy for as long as possible in order to buy time for the main Greek armies to mobilize. For six days the Spartans held the invaders at bay. In the final hours - their shields broken, swords and spears shattered - they fought with their bare hands before being overwhelmed . . .

It was battle that would become synonymous with extraordinary courage, heroism and self-sacrifice.

It was a battle called Thermopylae.