Thermopylae: The Battle For The West

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!

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.

Succinct and well written. Unlike many military history texts, this is very understandable. And the writing makes it interesting, thus, it does NOT read like a textbook. So if you are interested in the standoff between Xerxes and Leonidas, and the whole “molon labe” epic, this is your read.

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.

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.

"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.

Thermopylae: The Battle for the West is a good solid read. Don't let the title fool you however as the scope of the book is not limited to just the battle of Thermopylae. I'd wager almost as much time was spent on Plateau, Salamis and Artemisium as Thermopylae which seemed odd given the title. I was a little surprised when the Persians broke through Thermopylae and I was only half way through the book.After starting with a brief overview of Persia, Athens and Sparta the book focuses on Xerxes's massive campaign west and concludes with Mardonius's defeat to Pausanias and the Greek allies at Plateau. It's an eloquently written, light, speedy read and makes for a strong introductory text to this epic war. My one other critique aside from the slightly misleading title is the book could have used more maps and the ones there were a bit shoddy.

This covers the whole invasion of Greece by Xerxes. The years long preparation by the Persians. The incessant squabbling and negotiations among the Greeks. Mr. Bradford’s usual brilliance of naval tactics and armaments as well as his vast knowledge of Mediterranean weather systems that played such a large part in thwarting the campaign. And the land battles from the types of combatants and their kit to the mindset of the rank and file through their leadership. Very excellent read.

Well written account. Love those Spartans!

Leider auf englisch

I had read elsewhere of how important the Graeco-Persian wars were to western civilisation, but had no real idea why. Thisrather good book starts to answer that question. The individualGreeks,not just the city-states or their leaders, were fightingfor a concept- the freedom and value of a man himself to make hisown destiny. The centralised autocratic Persian edifice was theantithesis of this.These wars actually decided the future of theworld,splitting it into two cultures. Thermopylae was one of thekey battles but not the decisive one.The book really deals with the whole second Persian invasion,theeponymous battle acting as a fulcrum.It is gripping,knowedgeableand informative.A supposed historical bias towards the Greeks isredressed with the Persian culture getting a fair telling.It raises many interesting issues quite simply,obviously intended by Ernle Bradford to be elaborated upon in other books.In so doing he has achieved his aim.Anyone who reads "Thermopylae" will seek further, appetite whetted.Small points detract:as usual,the maps deserve to be better andmore numerous;the battles should be shown with formations andlines of movement,and diagrams(hoplite armour,Hellespont bridgeetc.)would help.This is a thoroughly enjoyable book which I would defy any non-scholar to stop before the end.I highly recommend it.

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

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.