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Gates of Fire
- An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
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Publisher's summary
Gates of Fire puts you at the side of valiant Spartan warriors in 480 BC for the bloody, climactic battle at Thermopylae. There, a few hundred of Sparta’s finest sacrificed their lives to hold back the invading Persian millions. The time they bought enabled the Greeks to rally - saving, according to ancient historian Herodotus, “Western democracy and freedom from perishing in the cradle.” How did the Spartans accomplish this superhuman feat? This is what the King of Persia hopes to learn from the sole Spartan survivor. The squire’s story indeed reveals the incredible rigors of Spartan training - and more importantly, how the whole culture fostered the mindset of fearlessness.
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In the year A.D. 9, three Roman Legions under Quintilius Varus were betrayed by the Germanic war chief, Arminius, and destroyed in the forest known as Teutoburger Wald. Six years later Rome is finally ready to unleash her vengeance on the barbarians. The Emperor Tiberius has sent his adopted son, Germanicus Caesar, into Germania with an army of forty-thousand legionaries. The come not on a mission of conquest, but one of annihilation. With them is a young legionary named Artorius.
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No research whatsoever went into this book.
- By Justin on 01-23-17
By: James Mace
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The Hammer and the Cross
- By: Harry Harrison
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 16 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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865 A.D. Warring kings rule over the British Isles, but the Church rules over the kings, threatening all who oppose them with damnation. Only the dreaded Vikings of Scandinavia do not fear the priests. Shef, the bastard son of a Norse raider and a captive English lady, is torn by divided loyalties and driven by strange visions that seem to come from Odin himself. A smith and warrior, he alone dares to imagine new weapons and tactics with which to carve out a kingdom.
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Couldn't finish it
- By Susan on 07-22-16
By: Harry Harrison
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I, the Sun
- By: Janet Morris
- Narrated by: Chistopher Crosby Morris
- Length: 24 hrs and 33 mins
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This is the saga of the Hittite King Suppiluliumas, and rings with authenticity and the passion of a world that existed 1400 years before the birth of Christ. They called him Great King, Favorite of the Storm God, the Valiant. He conquered more than forty nations and brought fear and war to the very doorstep of 18th Dynasty Egypt, but he could not conquer the one woman he truly loved.
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Wonderfully Researched and Fantastic Performance.
- By Rev. Zombie on 07-08-15
By: Janet Morris
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The Darkness That Comes Before
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- By: R. Scott Bakker
- Narrated by: David DeVries
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In a world scarred by an apocalyptic past, evoking a time both 2,000 years past and 2,000 years into the future, untold thousands gather for a crusade. Among them, two men and two women are ensnared by a mysterious traveler, Anasûrimbor Kellhus - part warrior, part philosopher, part sorcerous, charismatic presence - from lands long thought dead. The Darkness That Comes Before is a history of this great holy war, and like all histories, the survivors write its conclusion.
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Finally in audiobook!
- By Andy on 06-28-12
By: R. Scott Bakker
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Macbeth: A Novel
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Macbeth: A Novel brings the intricacy and grit of the historical thriller to Shakespeare’s tale of political intrigue, treachery, and murder. In this full-length novel written exclusively for audio, authors A. J. Hartley and David Hewson rethink literature’s most infamous married couple, grounding them in a medieval Scotland whose military and political upheavals are as stark and dramatic as the landscape in which they are played.
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Narrator choice inspired
- By Beverly on 07-10-11
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Japan in the late 16th century was a land in turmoil. Lords of the great clans schemed against one another, served by aristocratic samurai bound to them by a rigid code of honor. Bennosuke is a high-born but lonely teenager living in his ancestral village. His mother died when he was a young boy, and his powerful warrior father Munisai has abandoned him for a life of service to his Lord, Shinmei. Bennosuke has been raised by his uncle Dorinbo, a Buddhist monk who urges the boy to forgo the violence of the samurai and embrace the contemplative life.
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Clever weaving of history and fiction.
- By JW Crummett on 02-25-16
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Forge of Darkness
- Kharkanas Trilogy, Book 1
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Forge of Darkness takes listeners to Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness, and tells of a realm whose fate plays a crucial role in the fall of the Malazan Empire and surrounds one of the Malazan world’s most fascinating and powerful characters, Anomander Rake. It’s a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, where Mother Dark reigns above the Tiste people. But this ancient land was once home to many a power...and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners’ great hero, Vatha Urusander, longs for ascendency and Mother Dark’s hand in marriage, but she has taken another Consort, Lord Draconus.
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A Precursor Epic Fantasy - A Rewarding Beginning!
- By Michael on 11-08-12
By: Steven Erikson
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The Dark Angel
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Ancient Constantinople, the glorious capital of the Eastern Roman Empire for over 1,000 years, and the jewel of Christendom, is the setting for this incredible historical novel. No other city in the world could compare with it in grandeur, splendor, and wealth. And when it fell to the Turks in 1453, it must have seemed like the end of the world to Christians. Famed author Mika Waltari takes us into the last months of this dying city as revealed in the diary of John Angelos, a strange man hopelessly in love with the daughter of an eminent Byzantine official.
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Great until the end
- By Barton on 07-12-19
By: Mika Waltari
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Fire from Heaven
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Alexander's beauty, strength and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. His love for the youth Hephaistion taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fuelled his aspirations.
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Renewed Pleasure
- By James on 01-28-15
By: Mary Renault
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What listeners say about Gates of Fire
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Mike From Mesa
- 01-28-13
Hard to read
I bought this book thinking that it was the story of the Battle of Thermopylae. While it is that, most of it concerns the life of the narrator of the story, the (fictional) single Spartan survivor of the battle, as he relates it to the Persian King Xerxes after the battle. The result is that most of the book concerns not the battle itself, but the lives of those living in Sparta, both citizens and non-citizens, and hence gives us a view of what life was like growing up in this most military of states.
I had, of course, first heard about Sparta when in Elementary School and had my first formal presentation of the story in High School history class but, after reading this book, I have to say that I had no real idea at that time what the term "harsh upbringing" really meant. Steven Pressfield has clarified that term in great detail and this book will stay with me for some time to come. I found it very hard to read but, at the same time, found myself reluctant to put it down until I had heard what happened to those involved. Not those actually involved in the battle of course but those related to the primary characters in the book. The idea that 300 or so Spartans and their more numerous allies could hold off the entire Persian Army for 7 days (3 days of which was battle) seemed incredible to me when I was young and still seems hard to believe, but the details in the book are presented so well and so clearly that I could almost imagine myself as being an invisible observer as the battle progressed.
This is not an easy book to read (or listen to), but is well worth the effort for the clarity it gives to one of the pivotal moments in history. The narration by George Guidall is very well done, as one would expect from him, and the tone suits the events. I may not re-read this book but I am glad I went to the effort to buy and listen to it. I recommend this book to those with an interest in history in general and the early Greek states in particular but do not recommend it to the squeamish. It is, as I wrote, a hard book for me to read.
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86 people found this helpful
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- Darwin8u
- 02-19-13
Tell the Spartans, stranger passing by
"Tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
that here obedient to their laws we lie."
Good authors are often graced with one great book. 'Gates of Fire' is Pressfield's henosis. It is lyrical, compelling, thought provoking, and soars above most works of historical fiction (at least those that shrug in the mud of military historical fiction). Like most of Pressfield's work, 'Gates of Fire' deals with the common soldier, the grunt, the squire. His narrative is informed by a people's history of Greek history. For me, the most surprising aspect of 'Gates of Fire' was the nuance Pressfield's gave to Spartan women.
If I sound too enraptured, too possesssed, I apologize. I am sure that there are faults in this novel, but they are few and mostly irrelevant. Pressfield wasn't aiming for 'War and Peace', he wasn't trying to capture the flag of high literature. His goal was more humble, but he more than won it.
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76 people found this helpful
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- Richard
- 02-27-12
The Story is good The Narrator is Great
Steven Pressfield, has created a compelling, entertaining story - well written on many levels. You won't be disappointed by the author. What makes this a great listen is the narrator George Guidall. Mr. Guidall is a voice actor with depth and real life experience. The author has created a good story and Mr. Guidall's performance propels it to a higher level. Some narrators such as Scott Brick, have a style and narrate books written in their style. Mr. Guidall is a voice actor who brings to life the character in the story. This author partnered with this voice actor equals five star winner.
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64 people found this helpful
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- BillB
- 06-10-13
Spectacular!!
This book rates at the top of my Audible listens and I have listened to many over the years. History, culture, action, told so well that I truly did not want it to end.
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32 people found this helpful
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- Harvey
- 07-04-13
Outstanding. One of George Guidall's best.
What made the experience of listening to Gates of Fire the most enjoyable?
I am a fan of the narrator and whenever I read lists of his best work, this is always at the top. I read the book before I found the recording, and sometimes that give me too high of an expectation. George Guidell surpassed my expectations. Without putting on accents or staging elaborate changes in volume or inflection, he give each character a believable and unique voice. Even speaking Greek he fills the characters with emotion and life. Very easy to listen to, very easy to emerse yourself in the story.
What did you like best about this story?
I first read Gates of Fire more than 10 years ago, long before the movie or comic book "300" came out. As much as enjoyed both, I was saddened by its success because I knew many people would take it as the definitive fictionalization of the historical battle of Thermopylae. That title clearly belongs to this book. The story, which we all know the end to, remains suspenseful because of the characters. We as readers become invested in their lives and struggles.
Any additional comments?
Things this book is not:-A mystery novel-A romance novel-A spy novel-An exact historical account of the Battle of Thermopylae. -The story of one man/woman struggling to find love in a world of economic oppression and/or vampires.There are some reviewers who have criticized this book for not being "literature." Personally, I read for the stories. This is a great story that runs more to the "epic" than "slice of life." There are curse words used, but used in the context soldiers of all eras would use them. There is great humor. There is tragedy, There is drama. There is adventure. There are characters you cheer for and those you hate. I would add that this is probably a more popular book with men, particularly those who have in one way or another spent time in military service. My wife does not get why the characters (either historical or fictional) would make the choices they do, but to those who have been on the line or in the fight, it's moving to hear our thoughts, fears, and relationships described so eloquently. These are not strictly male concepts, but I have found every guy I have recommended this book to has loved it, and most of the females I lent it to said it was good, but couldn't find a particular character to connect with.
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- Joshua
- 02-15-12
Finaly
Where does Gates of Fire rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Love this story. Made the audio book.
What did you like best about this story?
History, battle, love. everything
Have you listened to any of George Guidall’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
Who was the most memorable character of Gates of Fire and why?
The Spartan Phalanx.
Any additional comments?
I have waited for audible to get this story in the unabridged for a long time. Several suggestion letters later its here!
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22 people found this helpful
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- Bella
- 09-25-12
Book on Courage
Would you listen to Gates of Fire again? Why?
YesEmpowering
What did you like best about this story?
standing up for what you believe
Which scene was your favorite?
training
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes
Any additional comments?
A book a father could pass down to a son.
All per my husband
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18 people found this helpful
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- Sintillator
- 11-06-12
A Journey Worth Experiencing
Would you consider the audio edition of Gates of Fire to be better than the print version?
I'm not sure as my life just doesn't have time for a good long read anymore. Not to say that it wouldn't be even better but just not for us that have discovered Audible as a modern indispensable option in their busy lives. I listen often and found this book because of George Guidall's narration right up there in my favorite narrators list.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Too many.
Which scene was your favorite?
Too many.
Who was the most memorable character of Gates of Fire and why?
Too many.
Any additional comments?
I'd say that this listen is for those that appreciate attention to detail and authors that not only write well but take the time to contextualize their works. Painting the verbal picture is definitely one of Pressfields strengths. This might not be for those who would rather a story flow or move at a faster pace. At the same time, for a story whose ending we all know, I enjoyed every minute of it. There is a long list of life insights presented in ways that for folks like me will enjoy the insights and potential lessons sewn throughout.
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17 people found this helpful
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- Andrew
- 10-07-12
A great story
Where does Gates of Fire rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
#1
What other book might you compare Gates of Fire to and why?
I don't think you can compare it with anything. The history can be compared to the events that took place at the Alamo but this is an epic story. The story line was well written and enjoyed how it flowed.
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12 people found this helpful
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- Barry
- 08-06-12
Brilliant, riveting and timeless.
My headline says it all! Looking forward to "The Virtues of War" next... and a great narration too...
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