Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie.
~ inscription on the stone at Thermopylae
One Marine's View previews the upcoming movie "300," the story of the battle at Thermopylae, meaning "hot gates."
It will give me nightmares, but I know I'll go see it. The ancient, inspiring tale of the Spartan soldiers' valiant stand against the Persian invaders at Thermopylae is one of the most fascinating in history. Steven Pressfield's gripping novel, "Gates of Fire," is an elegantly written, completely absorbing chronicle of the times and the crucial battle.
Told in the first person by the battle's lone survivor before he also dies, "Gates" is one of the most outstanding novels I've ever read. If you're looking for a story that suspends you in a faraway time and stays with you long after you've burned through the last page, I highly recommend it.
