Compaing Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield and the Film...

Introduction In history there have been many infamous battles. Ia Drang, Guadalcanal, Bataan, Pointe Du Hoc, San Juan Hill, Little Big Horn, and The Alamo are America’s hallowed battles. They are events that shaped our collective consciousness as a nation. One notorious conflict that has shaped the world as the aforementioned have shaped our nation is the Battle of Thermopylae. This epic struggle between the hoards of Persia and the decedents of Herakles decided the course of western civilization. Three-hundred brave, free citizens of Sparta defended the â€Å"Hot Gates,† a narrow mountain pass in northern Hellas, against 2 million servants of the self-proclaimed god-king Xerxes. For 3 days, the Lakedaemonians made the savages pay so dearly†¦show more content†¦Biography Steven Pressfield is the author of several books about ancient warfare. He has penned novels about Alexander, The Amazons and strangely enough the game of golf. He was born in Port of Spain, Tr inidad in 1943 to a US Navy father (website). He is a former Blue Devil and a former Devil Dog (website). His Duke days preceded his enlistment in The United States Marine Corps (website). It is his experience as a warrior in the employ of the stars and stripes that allow him to write about the hardships of combat with such inspiration. Pressfield wasn’t always an author. He has been an advertising copywriter, schoolteacher, tractor-trailer driver, bartender, oilfield roustabout and attendant in a mental hospital (website). This vast experience allows Pressfield to write such vivid fiction. Gates of Fire is on the reading lists of The Commandant of the Marine Corps, The Naval Academy, and The United States Military Academy at West Point and a favorite of the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is ultimately the story of the warrior’s life style and how he conducts himself at home and in war. Characterization: Historical Accuracy Gates of Fire is a fictional interpretation of an actual event. Pressfield offers â€Å"a soldier’s-eye view† of the Battle of Thermopylae (Lefkowitz). â€Å"Pressfield sets himself the task of explaining Spartan culture to us in all its glory, humour, brutality and philosophy† (Lee). He