The Gates of Athens

By: Conn Iggulden

Narrated by: George Blagden

Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Evoking two of the most famous battles of the Ancient World - the Battle of Marathon and the Last Stand at Thermopylae - The Gates of Athens is a bravura piece of storytelling by a well acclaimed master of the historical adventure novel.

In the new epic historical novel by New York Times best-selling author Conn Iggulden, in ancient Greece an army of slaves gathers on the plains of Marathon....

Under Darius the Great, King of Kings, the mighty Persian army - swollen by 10,000 warriors known as The Immortals - have come to subjugate the Greeks. In their path, vastly outnumbered, stands an army of freeborn Athenians. Among them is a clever, fearsome, and cunning soldier-statesman, Xanthippus. Against all odds, the Athenians emerge victorious.

Yet people soon forget that freedom is bought with blood.

Ten years later, Xanthippus watches helplessly as Athens succumbs to the bitter politics of factionalism. Traitors and exiles abound. Trust is at a low ebb when the Persians cross the Hellespont in ever greater numbers in their second attempt to raze Athens to the ground.

Facing overwhelming forces by land and sea, the Athenians call on their Spartan allies for assistance - to delay the Persians at the treacherous pass of Thermopylae...

©2021 Conn Iggulden (P)2021 Recorded Books

Another great classic historical novel

In my humble opinion, along with Bernard Cornwall, Connor Iggulden is the best author of historical novels alive. I have read many of Iggulden’s books, and I believe this one is his best. Ancient history fascinates me and this story brings Marathon and Thermopylae to life. The narration is wonderful and the story is driven by complex characters. I love this book and I highly recommend it.

The story performance was read slow.

The narrator seemed to be reading the story to slowly. I was forced to push the speed to 1.45 speed to make it tolerable.

Excellent historical fiction

This is my first time listening to this author, I'm glad I discovered him. Very well written, historically accurate, and very entertaining. The reader gave an excellent performance.

Good Book

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I think you should get it and all conn iggulden books.

Canned, but marvelous in one particular way

The characters are static. The dialogue is canned. The situations are predictable. The story ends short of the historical climax. To be sure, the history maps very closely. I suppose the author is writing for young readers. So why bother? I've read a lot of history. Unless I've really read a lot on one subject; if asked, I generally don't remember names and details. But ask me about the battle of Marathon, and I've got it all on lucid recall. Funny how that works.

Gates of Athens

A wonderful listen possibly the best I have ever heard over the last 10 years!

Pretty good

It was pretty good. Not enough time and detail to actual battles for me though. It’s heavier on individual story lines. Reader performed okay. Nothing spectacular. But it’s a pretty good book.

One of Iggulden’s best ever!

Years ago I read Thucydides book on the Peloponnesian War. I thought that was very interesting. This book however is fascinating! Iggulden builds the story much like his Julius Caesar series but here the suspense keeps building all the way until the end. I was sad to see it finish. I am very much looking forward to the next in the series.

once again, Conn Iggulden creates a masterpiece

at first I wondered where the story was leading, but then everything began to form

great story with impitus and depth

love the great amount of action and just right detail emotted in this book. a bit of a hard narration to understand the battle sequences at marathone. narators voice over lapped and i couldnt quite catch the full story as he was a bit of a monatone speaker of the different warriors in the beginning. overal decently read, but not as well read as id like