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Thermopylae: The Battle For The West Paperback – March 1, 2004

by Ernle Bradford (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 433 ratings
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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.
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  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    March 1, 2004
  4. Dimensions
    8.96 x 6 x 0.73 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0306813602
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0306813603
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Ancient Warfare, Vol VII, Issue 5

“Accessible to a wider audience.”

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

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Da Capo Press (March 1, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0306813602
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0306813603
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.96 x 6 x 0.73 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 433 ratings

About the author

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Ernle Bradford

Ernle Bradford

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Ernle Bradford was born in 1922 and died in 1986. He was a noted British historian specializing in the Mediterranean world and naval topics. Bradford was an enthusiastic sailor himself and spent almost thirty years sailing the Mediterranean, where many of his books are set. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, finishing as the first Lieutenant of a destroyer. He did occasional broadcast work for the BBC, was a magazine editor, and wrote many books.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
433 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Buenoslibros.es
5.0 out of 5 stars Who you side with, says who you are
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2007
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"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."

"Even the self-perpetuating bureaucracy of our modern Western, self-styled 'democratic', world would have seemed to the Spartans who died at Thermopylae an unacceptable thing."

There lies the moral of the whole story. It is not just a military history, it is a story of peoples choosing sides. Pushed to the brink were you have to choose what is really worth dying -and living- for. Here are the options that people (yesterday and today) consider before committing themselves to a country/party/policy/, etc. What would we fight for today? How much would you be willing to give up in the face of threats? Today we don't consider the real issues because wee don't see our lives threatened.

This book shows us what the people considered worth fighting for. Today things haven't changed, and that's what makes this book so relevant (besides well-written): we have today so much "noise" coming from the media and our elite classes (academia/bureaucratic establishment) that prevents us from listening to our own hearts when it comes to making sound and fundamental decisions.

Put yourself in the sandals of a Spartan or an Athenian in 5th century BC. and where would you stand? What would you live/die for?

The book covers Thermopylae, Salamis and Plataea.
3 people found this helpful
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Seachranaiche
4.0 out of 5 stars A Passing Reference to the Famous Battle
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2005
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If you are looking for an in-depth analysis of the Battle of Thermopylae, this is not the book you want. "Thermopylae, The Battle for the West" is instead a good, concise recap of the Greco-Persian War. Though this book is titled improperly, it is still an engaging reference for the entire war, and would serve as a good introduction for the student who is learning about the Greco-Persian War for the first time.

Ernle Bradford provides some interpretations that seem perfectly reasonable in light of his sources, specifically Herodotus and Plutarch. He weaves through Herodotus' innate bias to remove the tyrant and barbarian images from Xerxes and the Persians. Bradford also provides more plausible figures for the sizes of the various armies and navies by pointing out possible mistranslations of Herodotus, and by showing the limits of the landscape in providing food and water for large armies-in other words, Xerxes "million" man army would have been too large to feed; the actual figure is probably closer to 100,000.

The text reads well-not dry-and Bradford constructs his chapters in such a way that each builds satisfyingly upon the last until the epic Battle of Plataea and the final defeat of the Persians. Annoyingly though, he makes constant references to World War II and the oratory of Winston Churchill. A much more accurate historical analogy is probably the Texas Revolution and the Battle of the Alamo.
19 people found this helpful
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Jordan Schouten
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, lots of facts and an interesting story!
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2016
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I read this book for a book report for my GE History class at my university. This book is actually really interesting. I wasn't looking forward to reading it at all, but I actually really enjoyed the book. Would I ever read it again? No. But, for anyone that needs a book about the Spartans or Persians, this book is great. I knew next to nothing about the Battle of Thermopylae but I was still able to understand everything in this book. It is very understandable. It's not very technical so it was enjoyable to read. If I ever have to read another book for a history class, I will probably re-read this one because it's easy to read, enjoyable and covers an interesting topic. The fact that 300 Spartans held off over 100,000 Persians is one of the coolest stories ever. The author does a great job of including resources from ancient historians that experienced the war, as well as including predictions from modern historians.
Overall this book is as good as it gets for a history project!
14 people found this helpful
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E.S. Kraay
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Companion to "Gates of Fire"
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2001
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Somewhere in my youth, I became hooked on ancient Greek History after catching the "300 Spartans" matinee (I think Richard Elam was Leonidas). Several years ago, I read Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire." I found it fascinating and consider it today, the best book I have ever read. I just finished Bradford's "Thermopylae: Battle for the West." Mesmerizing! An absolutely perfect, non-fiction companion to "Gates of Fire." Thermopylae actually occurs about halfway through the book. Bradford does a brilliant job of setting the stage by giving the reader the events, politics, personalities, strategies, etc. that led up to the battle. He finishes his book by taking the reader through the key engagements (like Salamis and Plataea) that conclude this crossroads in history. If you enjoy ancient history (particularly ancient, military history), this is a book for you. It's an easy read through 250 pages packed with details and incidents that are sure to capture your interest.
41 people found this helpful
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Nathan
3.0 out of 5 stars Reader's Digest to the Greco-Persian War: NOT a Detailed View of Thermopylae
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2022
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PROS: Easy to read. Covers almost all of the second (Xerxes) greco-persian conflct, ending at Plataea vs Mycale. As many state, it is a 'balanced' view of Greek & Persian capabilities.

CONS: Bradford's limited understanding of tactics used to win battles and his ego (his balanced view will drop into bouts of calling people 'stupid,' and he ignores the impact of several key women. His almost only comment on Artemisia is to the tone of 'women are petty.' And men at war aren't...)

NET: I'd recommend this book as an overview for most of Xerxes' and Mardonius' campaign (the second part of the war), but NOT as a read for those that want a deep understanding of the battle that claims the title - Thermopylae - or Salamis (Strauss is frustrating to read but is a million times more detailed) or even Plataea. It's quick. It's easily consumed (minus the ego). It just... fails to help us understand the tactics that won the day - for either side.
4 people found this helpful
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The Good Read
3.0 out of 5 stars The Good Read
Reviewed in Spain on May 23, 2021
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I read this authors book about the siege of Malta and that was really good so I tried this book did not enjoy it as much did not flow as well and was not as exciting but it was informative.
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Christian Vom Felde
5.0 out of 5 stars Ok
Reviewed in Germany on March 17, 2021
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Leider auf englisch
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Randhir
4.0 out of 5 stars A tale of heroes
Reviewed in India on November 19, 2019
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The Author's expertise on Greece is evident. Though the battle itself is of few pages, the background and post battle insights are the best I've read
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Leith Campbell
5.0 out of 5 stars Love those Spartans
Reviewed in Canada on July 18, 2017
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Well written account. Love those Spartans!
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col christiansen
5.0 out of 5 stars Already enjoying the story behind the great battle
Reviewed in Australia on October 31, 2015
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I have read only a quarter of this book but have been enjoying it immensely. I feel that I can rate it by the satisfaction factor I am feeling for the content which is written with great detail and authority. I shall be updating my review when the book is completed.
One person found this helpful
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