Why am I passionate about this?
Iâm pretty well qualified to provide you with a list of five great books about men at war because, frankly, Iâve spent half my life reading them and the other half trying to write them (you be the judge!). My degree in Military Studies was focused on the question of what makes men endure the lunacy of war (whether they be âgoodiesâ or âbaddiesâ), and it was in fiction that I found some of the clearest answersâclue: itâs often less about country and duty and more about the love of the men alongside the soldier. In learning how to write, I also learned how to recognize greatâenjoy!
Anthony's book list on insight as to why men go to war
Why did Anthony love this book?
This has to be one ofâif not theâgreatest single book Iâve ever read about war in the ancient world. I read the first ten pages, and I was interested; then I read the next forty, and I was utterly hooked. As a description of an elite military force holding out against overwhelming odds it fascinated me, but as a human story of the way Spartan society worked to produce those warriors, imbued with heroism, honour and humour in equal amounts I was simply blown away.
Itâs fair to say that this book has been my greatest influence all the way through my writing career. I dare anyone with an interest in the genre to read this and then deny that they were informed, entertained, and (perhaps darkly) amused by the story and its payoff. This is God-tier writing, plain and simple, and, not for no reason, the closest thing theâŚ
17 authors picked Gates of Fire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
In the Sunday Times bestseller Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield tells the breathtaking story of the legendary Spartans: the men and women who helped shaped our history and have themselves become as immortal as their gods.
'Breathtakingly brilliant . . . this is a work of rare genius. Savour it!' DAVID GEMMELL
'A tale worthy of Homer, a timeless epic of man and war, exquisitely researched and boldy written. Pressfield has created a new classic' STEPHEN COONTS
'A really impressive book - imaginatively framed, historically detailed and a really gripping narrative' ***** Reader review
'Beautifully written and a great joyâŚ